Since 1994, Make-a-Wish Central and Northern Florida has been a cornerstone among Orlando charities for children. We understand that giving back to the community is important to you and you want to know that your time and efforts are going to a great cause.
In this article, we’ll list the five main reasons why Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida is one of the best Orlando charities for children.
1. We Help Children Who Need It Most
Childhood should be a time for kids to play and explore the world around them. But for some children, life is instead disrupted by critical illness.
Uncomfortable symptoms and invasive treatments often leave these kids with little time or energy for play, much less dreaming about the future. Between the various doctors’ appointments, hospital stays, surgery, and therapies, there are often more bad days than good ones.
But at Make-A-Wish, our goal is to bring joy, hope, and—above all—fun to every critically ill child in Orlando.
Our mission is simple: Together, we create life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses. By allowing our Wish Kids the freedom to dream big, we give them hope for the future and a chance to be a kid again.
2. We Create Joy
Living with a critical illness doesn’t just rob children of their strength, it also brings entire families into the darkest time of their lives. Wish parents have told us that they longed to have something other than their child’s illness to talk and think about.
By granting a wish, we are able to give critically ill children and their families an experience they can look forward to, enjoy, and remember for years to come.
In fact, 98% of medical providers have credited the wish experience with alleviating the family’s traumatic stress related to their child’s illness and 92% of wish alumni stated it brought their family closer together.
3. Wishes Give Children the Strength To Fight
Keeping a positive outlook can play a crucial role in battling disease, but coping with a serious illness is never easy—especially for a child.
Bringing hope to our Wish Kids is about more than putting them in a good mood, it’s about giving them the strength to fight another day.
In fact, 100% of Make-A-Wish alumni report that their wish experience made them feel more hopeful about the future. Even after the wish has taken place, they experience fewer negative emotions, feel empowered to keep fighting, and are often more compliant with treatment.
Many doctors have called their patients’ wish experiences a turning point in their treatment and recovery.
4. We Give Kids Control
For a critically ill child, life is often more about what they can’t do than what they can do. A plethora of medical obligations—from medications to surgeries—combined with the symptoms of their condition leave our Wish Kids little time or energy for the activities they love most.
Critically ill children are used to hearing the word “no”; we want to be the voice that says “yes!”
Make-A-Wish encourages all of its VIPs to dream big when making their wish. This is one way we can give them control in an uncontrollable situation.
We do everything we can to help these wishes come true, even if they seem impossible at first. We even granted one Orlando boy’s wish to be a robot superhero for a day!
While their parents can provide input on the child’s likes and limitations, the final decision belongs 100% to our wish kids.
5. We Build Community
When you give to any Orlando charities for children, it’s important to know that your donations are being used responsibly.
Our office staff, volunteers, and wish kids live, work, and play in Central Florida, and all contributions to Make-A-Wish Central and Northern Florida stay in the state. In addition to the Wishmaker’s Ball, we also host a variety of events throughout the year so the residents of Orlando help us grant life-changing wishes!
Our volunteers, donors, and sponsors are crucial to our success and we are privileged to be a part of the greater Orlando community! Your generous support enables us to grant an average of 200 wishes every year!
You Can Make a Difference
If you are looking for Orlando charities for children that change the lives of critically ill children and give back to the community, Make-A-Wish of Central and Northern Florida is looking for you!
We are always in search of referrals, volunteers, and donors who can help us reach our goal of changing the world, one child at a time. If you’re interested in finding a way to give back to the Central Florida community, please donate or attend one of our events.
