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Make-A-Wish: Maine Chapter Make-A-Wish: Maine Chapter The Wishes of Children The Wishes of Children
 

 

How Can Individuals Help?


Do you want to Support with Time or Support with Money?


Support with Time

The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine depends on volunteers statewide to help make magical, memorable wishes come true. Children provide the inspiration, volunteers provide the passion. There is no financial obligation to volunteer for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and the rewards are priceless. See the volunteer picture gallery!

Wish Granters
This specially trained group of volunteers comes into direct contact with the wish children and their families, working as a liaison between the family and the staff to fulfill each child's dream. Wish Granters work in teams of two and most Wish Granters complete one or two wishes per year. Listen to a husband and wife team talk about their wish granting experience here or another wish granter who is paired up with other volunteers.There is no financial responsibility - all expenses are paid for by Make-A-Wish. Wish granting volunteers must be 21 years old or older, and must attend a one-day training. Click for more information on becoming a Wish Granter.

Wish Assistants
Volunteers are needed to assist in our Camden and Portland offices with light office work - such as preparing mailings, photocopying, data entry, etc. Wish Assistants also work from home on certain needs, such as phone surveys or research projects.

Wish Ambassadors
These volunteers are called upon to do a variety of tasks. They represent Make-A-Wish at local events or presentations, speak to community groups, send-off and welcome back wish children and their families at the airports, and help with our Kids for Wish Kids Program in local schools.

Event Volunteers
Each year the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine holds an auction in the summer, and Walks For Wishes in the spring and fall. Volunteers are needed at these events to assist with everything from blowing up balloons to organizing walk teams and collecting pledges. In addition, other organizations throughout the state host fundraising events on our behalf throughout the year, and volunteers are always needed to help out in various ways on the day of each event.

Fundraising
Fundraising volunteers assist the foundation in direct solicitation of individual and corporate cash gifts. They help identify donors, and work with our board and staff to approach prospective donors for gifts of all levels, including membership in our Circle of Angels giving club.

For more information on volunteer opportunities, please contact Eileen Chretien at 207-221-2306, or Eileen@maine.wish.org.


Hear what a pediatric cardiologist has to say about Make-A-Wish.

Dr. Jon Donnelly, MD - Pediatric Cardiologist

Listen to audio -- 2.3 MB

Support with MoneyDonate Now!

 

What your money will accomplish:

$20:     buys gifts to help keep wish kids excited about their upcoming wish
$50:     packs travel bags for volunteer “wish granters” to give to wish children and their siblings
$100:   pays for a “wish party" where the child, family & friends celebrate the granting of the wish
$500:   buys a desk, chair and various accessories to delight the child with a computer wish
$1000: takes care of meals, souvenirs and expenses for average-sized family at Disney World
$2500: pays for the airfare for entire family to travel to meet his/her idol--sports hero, band, etc.
$6000: GRANTS A COMPLETE WISH for a Maine child! 


Circle of Angels: While eighteen-year-old Brandi, of Sidney, Maine, was going through treatments for cancer, she received many guardian angel pins from friends and family. The pins boosted her spirits so much that when it came time for her to make her wish, she asked to travel to New York City to give guardian angel pins to children who lost their parents in the September 11th attacks that had occurred the year before. She handed out more than 1,000 specially designed guardian angel pins to children who lost parents as well as to firefighters and police officers who lost colleagues. The Circle of Angels recognizes individuals who donate $1,000 or more to the Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine. Donors will receive one of Brandi's angel pins.

Wishmaker: To qualify as a Wishmaker, a donor or group must raise or contribute a tax-deductible gift of at least $6,000 in cash or securities within one year. Wishmakers are recognized by having a wish granted in their honor, and will receive an album containing photos and stories about the children's wishes they sponsored. Click for more information on becoming a Wishmaker.

Chris Greicius Societies: The Make-A-Wish Foundation of America began in 1980 when officers of the Arizona Department of Public Safety granted the wish of seven-year-old Chris Greicius, who was living with leukemia, to be a police officer for a day. The power of that wish in his life provided the inspiration for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which is now the largest wish-granting organization in the world.

The Chris Greicius Society of Joy recognizes individual annual giving of $10,000 or more based on the calendar year. Members receive a Society pin and specially designed collectible box with star keepsake inside.

The Chris Greicius Society of Strength recognizes individual cumulative lifetime giving of $100,000 or more. Members receive a Society pin and custom-created Make-A-Wish wand.

The Chris Greicius Society of Hope recognizes individual deferred or planned gifts of $10,000 or more including:
  • Bequests received
  • Inclusion in a will or estate plan
  • Charitable trusts
  • Charitable gift annuities
  • Gifts of life insurance
  • Endowment gifts
  • Pooled income fund gifts

Members receive a Society pin and personalized wish journal.

Hope Stout Society: When twelve-year-old Hope Stout was asked in 2003 to make a wish, she instead inquired about how many children were still waiting in her state of North Carolina to receive their wishes. Hope's wish was to grant the wishes of all 155 children on the waiting list, which meant raising $1 million dollars. With Hope's determination and a generous community, her wish came true. The Hope Stout Society recognizes individuals who have reached $1 million in cumulative lifetime giving. With a minimum of $250,000 in cash and/or securities, the remainder can be a deferred gift. Gifts can be a combination of donations to the Maine chapter and the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America. Members will receive a Society pin and a customized gift.

Planned Giving: Leave a legacy by granting a wish. Learn more about planned giving.

The following criteria apply to all levels of giving except the Chris Greicius Society of Hope: Only gifts where the donor has received nothing in return can be included; In-kind gifts are not included; Gifts of readily marketable securities are included based on the value of the date received; Gifts can be a combination of local chapter and national gifts; Gifts from individual or family foundations can be included.

In-Kind Donations: An in-kind donation is a donation of non-monetary product or service. Unfortunately, we cannot accept used items. All items must be new. Donations such as this provide great benefit in helping the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Maine stretch our dollars in support of Maine's Special Children, and we are very appreciative of your support.

Contribute Items to our Wish Closet: The Make-A-Wish Foundation of Maine provides "travel bags" filled with all kinds of fun things for all wish children and their siblings who are going on travel related wishes. AND, since travel related wishes make up about 80% of the wishes we grant every year...that's a lot of goodies needed to put inside! We have a wish closet in our Camden office that has been depleted of all kinds of different items to fill travel bags, and we could use some help stocking it up again! Below are some examples of the types of items we're looking for - basically anything fun to keep kids occupied while waiting in airports or to occupy their time while in the air.

  • Phone cards (both for U.S. and international travel)
  • Disposable cameras – including underwater disposable cameras
  • Autograph books
  • 'tween to teenage books  
  • 'tween to teenage magazines
  • Backpacks
  • DVD’s (rated G)
  • Video Games (rated Early Childhood or Everyone only)
  • Party supplies
  • Bead and craft kits
  • Teen/adult toothbrushes
  • Small handheld electronic games and Non-electronic games
  • Picture books
  • Word search books, crossword books, activity books
  • Sudoku books
  • Playing cards

Those are just a few ideas to get you started! You can hold a collection drive for the items, or you can hold a fundraiser and then use the money to shop for the items yourself.

For more information, or if you have questions regarding items for our Wish Closet, please contact Melinda at the Camden Make-A-Wish office at 1-800-491-3171 or mferrazza@maine.wish.org.



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