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volunteering

Our volunteers play an important role in all phases of the Foundation's work: From working in child-focused wish teams; to solicitations of goods and services that meet the needs of specific wishes; to assisting at special events & fundraisers! Thanks to their generosity, we have fulfilled many wishes. To find out more about how to get involved in any of these ways please consider attending our next volunteer orientation meeting.

We have three (3) volunteer orientation/wish training meetings each year. The first half of the session you will learn the history of the Make-A-Wish Foundation and how you can help with wish granting and/or fundraising (this usually lasts about 45 minutes). The second half is dedicated to training those volunteers that are interested in working on a wish team and is only mandatory if you are interested in granting wishes (this portion usually ends around 6:45). If you are only interested in the development (fundraising) side of the organization then you need only to attend the first half of the session.

The next Houston meeting is on September 17. Meetings for 2010 are on January 14, April 15, and September 16. All meetings begin at 5:00 p.m., and are held at the Make-A-Wish house. Please note that admittance to the session will not begin until 4:45 p.m. Due to limited space, the doors will be closed when we reach maximum capacity or a few minutes after 5 p.m. Any volunteers arriving after that time will need to return on the date of the next training session. Please make note of the date, time, and location, for there will not be a reminder call or letter.

To help prepare our new volunteers for community involvement and granting wishes, we also ask that each person donate 2 small, brand new items ($25 minimum each) to our Chapter. These items can be purchased by you, but this request is actually meant to serve two purposes.

1. First, our Chapter uses these items in our

auctions to raise money to grant wishes.

Please see our Wish List for a few helpful ideas

for your two donated items.

2. Second, as a Wish volunteer and representative

of Make-A-Wish, you will gain experience talking

to members of the community and learn to get

items donated to help our Chapter grant wishes

in the most cost effective way. This will become

necessary as a volunteer eventually (to obtain

donated items for wishes) so we find that this

step in the “new volunteer” process serves a

valuable purpose and helps prepare the

volunteer for what’s to come! You will have a

jump start on the application process if you can

bring your 2 items to the orientation.

In order to even start volunteering for our Chapter:

1. An orientation must be attended.

2. Your paperwork must be completed (including

your notarized Background Check Form).

3. Your 2 items must be submitted to our office.

For Louisiana meeting times and locations, please email development@louisiana.wish.org.

For meeting dates in College Station , Lufkin/Nacogdoches and Corpus Christi please contact canderson@texgulf.wish.org

Please complete all three forms in their entirety. The Criminal Background form needs to be notarized. Please bring all three forms with you to the orientation.

To download the documents, right-click on the link and select save target as or save link as from the menu

Criminal Background Check Form (TX)

Conflict of Interest

Volunteer Application

fundraising

Corporate employees, other non-profit organizations, school children of all ages, and many others constantly amaze and delight us with their innovative methods for raising money! Any company, organization, or individual that participates in fund raising receives a certificate of appreciation and recognition in our quarterly newsletter "Best Wishes."

Kids for Wish Kids

This program encourages students of all ages to share the magical experience of granting a Wish for another child. Student groups can team with others as "wish partners" and sponsor part of a Wish or work towards becoming a "WishMaker" and sponsor the entire wish by raising $6,000.00--the average cost of one wish. Along the way, students learn the joys of giving; working as a group towards a goal and compassion for others - all valuable lessons destined to help them in all life's endeavors.

WishMakers at Work

From raffles to Weight-A-Thons, volunteers continue to craft creative fund raisers for our Chapter. A "Dunk the Management Booth" at a company picnic had bosses donating a dollar per drenching and workers buying shots at their "favorite targets." Other companies have organized raffles, bake sales, hot dog sales and have peddled cookbooks to become "WishMakers at work". If you want to start a "Wishmakers at work" program, we can help with our "Fund Raising Tip Sheet" for more ideas!

What is a WishMaker?

As a WishMaker you may receive the list of pending wishes in our territory in order to choose a child you would like to sponsor. You will receive front page recognition in our quarterly newsletter "Best Wishes" and be invited to our next Donor Recognition Meeting to accept your limited edition WishMaker Award, specially designed by one of our wish children.

Privacy Policy: Any information being collected will never be shared outside of our organization.