Make-A-Wish Foundation Connecticut

I’ve been a volunteer with Make-A-Wish Connecticut since 2006. The mission means the world to me. Granting wishes is 100% a team effort and the dedicated staff does a great job of working alongside volunteers to make magic happen.

In 2019 Make A Wish purchased a building in Trumbull to become their wishing place. I was made aware of this purchase and wanted to help. I am a contractor and wanted to donate my services in any way I could put my knowledge to good use. since then I have seen the completion of the wishing place and how much joy it brings to the staff that works so hard. It brings even more joy and happiness to the kids who visit or receive their wishes there. I am so happy that I have become part of the Make A Wish Family And I continue to help out by being on the building committee. Thank you to all the staff for all of their hard work and dedication to granting wishes to all of the children in Connecticut.

Mark Keough
Volunteer






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I retired July 2021 and began volunteering that September. I have now been volunteering there for 3 years. It is so fulfilling. Each week I work on a different project. The staff is so friendly and welcoming. I feel that my contributions are important and appreciated. It is a pleasure being there each week.

I’m a wish grantor for this wonderful organization! There’s nothing better than granting a wish filled with happiness to a child and his family as they navigate through a scary and unknown world of cancer!

I'm a wish starter and wish granter volunteer for Make A Wish CT--3 years now. It's hard to put into words how fulfilling this work is! Meeting families and wish kids, getting to know their stories, and helping them to determine their "one true wish" has opened my eyes to the immense 'value' of a granted wish for the Wish Kid and for his/her family--we give them a magical moment to cherish in their difficult lives. The staff at Make A Wish is beyond amazing--truly committed, passionate and ready to move mountains to help us volunteers to make wishes come true. Outstanding leadership from this genuinely caring organization. I love my volunteer role. I've become a donor, too, since I see how important and 'normalizing' a wish can be for a child with a critical illness.

I have been a volunteer with Make-A-Wish for more than 13 years. It is such a privilege to get to be a very small part of something so powerful and impactful. I have witnessed, first-hand, the joy and hope a wish can bring to a family when they are going through the unimaginable - or have come through the unimaginable. Thousands of families across Connecticut have been touched by the power of a wish and the organization goes above and beyond to make each child's wish unique and special. Everyone on staff is passionate about their mission and is dedicated and driven to grant life-changing wishes to as many children as possible. It is truly an honor to witness all of the incredible things Make-A-Wish accomplishes.

I have volunteered with Make-A-Wish for nearly 5 years. It has been an incredibly rewarding and humbling experience. To be given the honor to meet families during some of their darkest times and be able to bring a slight glimmer of light and joy is indescribable. I feel so lucky to be a part of such a life changing organization and grateful to have met such amazing people along the way!

As a volunteer at MAW CT it's my honor to assist with helping kids and families smile during difficult times. The past 4 years volunteering have been incredibly rewarding. From the volunteers, to the staff, to the "wishing place" this is a top notch organization.

In a world that often feels overwhelming, Make-A-Wish shines brightly as a testament to the goodness that exists. I wholeheartedly encourage everyone to support this incredible foundation, whether through donations, volunteering, or simply spreading the word. Together, we can help make more wishes come true and continue to spread hope and joy to those who need it most.

I’ve been a Wish Granter for Make A Wish CT for several years. Seeing the faces of our Wish Kids when we tell them their wish is coming true is priceless. Make A Wish makes sure that every wish is magical. I cannot tell you how many families have cried when they learn that their child’s wish is not only coming true, but that the organization thought of absolutely everything to make it extra special.

I’ve been a wish granter for 20 years and find my volunteer work with the organization to be one of my most rewarding experiences. I enjoy getting to know wish kids and their families, offering them a diversion from whatever medical journey they are on. Working with the kids reminds me how resilient they are, even in the midst of treatments and long times away from home.

My volunteer work with Make-a-Wish has been one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. I began by participating in the Trailblaze Challenge a few years ago. The opportunity to work with Make-a-Wish staff, meet some of the volunteer wish kids and their families and to hear their stories inspired me to do more. Shortly thereafter I became a wish granter. I'm grateful to be in a position to have such an impact.

What isn't there to say about Make-A-Wish CT. The impact it has had on my life and so many other kids across the state is immeasurable. Myself and two of my brothers were able to get a wish from the organization and we quickly learned this was so much more than a wish. Make-A-Wish CT is a family from the staff to the volunteers and the other families this community truly delivers on its mission of Hope, joy, and strength, and then some. I will always be grateful for the experience the foundation provided me and continue to help support them and the mission anyway I can.

I have been a Wish Granter for the past 7 years. There is no greater joy as a volunteer than telling a child with a critical illness that their wish is coming true. I have met some wonderful families through this organization. The staff is also amazing, always going above and beyond to make sure that our kids have the best wish experience. I am so proud of the work this organization does for these children.

I started as a Make-A-Wish Kid when I was battling leukemia. Being told I was going to have my wish granted got me through some very tough moments.

My wish was to meet my hero (Johnny Depp). I'll never forget when my family told me it was going to happen. That was the greatest joy I had ever felt, and it overshadowed all of the fear and pain the previous years had held.

My wish was granted in London on set of Johnny's film. It was beyond perfect. I fell in love with London, and Make-A-Wish. I soon became a volunteer Wish Granter to pay my wish forward to other families.

This is a wonderful, life changing organization!

For me, I was a wish kid in 2009. My wish was to go watch the 2009 MLB All-Star game. It was and forever will be the greatest four-day period in my life.

Knowing how great that experience was, I came back as a volunteer with the foundation and have meet some of the strongest kids and families on the planet.

Finally, I am currently writing a memoir talking about the foundation And my health history. The idea is I’m writing the book I never had. I know there’s a boy or girl sitting in a hospital bed at this moment looking for an outlet. Something that let’s him or her know that there’s someone out there who battled through health challenges.

I’ll put more information into the book. Sorry no spoilers. ������

Make-A-Wish CT went above and beyond to grant my daughter’s wish to get a Princess Makeover at Disney World! When we found out that Bippity Boppity Boutique didn’t carry a dress in her size, because of a significant weight gain due to med change, our Wish Granters reaches out to a local CT designer to have her dream mermaid dress made for her. On top of that, they made sure our entire family of 7 were well taken care of during our trip. Having a child with special needs is difficult on the whole family, during Lillee’s Wish Trip we were all able to enjoy ourselves and escape from the stress of Lillee’s diagnoses. I knew going in that Lillee’s Wish would tremendously impact her life and increase her morale but I had no idea how much it would help our other children as well. Our entire family is eternally grateful to Make-A-Wish, our Wish Granters and all of their sponsors and volunteers.

Make-A-Wish Connecticut's mission is to bring hope, strength and joy to children battling life threatening medical conditions, but they do far more than just that. Make-A-Wish brings hope, strength and joy to the entire community that it works within. Volunteers, donors and wish recipients are among those that get to experience "the power of a wish" on a daily basis.
The organization gives you an opportunity to witness all the good in the world as people come together to give their time, their money and their talents to children when they need it the most.
The Make-A-Wish staff, volunteers and community is unmatched. The commitment and passion that comes from granting the one true wish of a child cannot be replicated. Getting to play a small role in making wishes come true for Connecticut kids has changed my life.

It is fitting that a five-star rating is labeled as "Far Exceeds Expectations" because that's exactly how I'd describe my experience with Make-A-Wish -- and might even be an understatement when I think about my role as a volunteer Wish Granter. As the father of a Wish recipient, I know first hand how impactful a Wish can be to both the Wish Child and their family - life-changing, really - and strive to deliver a Wish experience that will not only bring huge smiles to the recipient today, but also be something they will cherish tomorrow.

But, to be honest, I think I get way more from Make-A-Wish than I give. I have met the most amazing kids and families, and am always humbled when they ask "But what can WE do for MAW?" I tell them that their job now is to make sure their child has the best Wish ever -- and to let me know what else I can do to make that happen!

I am also in love with my fellow Wish Granters, a community of amazing people who routinely go above and beyond to make every child's Wish come true. They have been a source of inspiration to me...as well as motivation; I've been involved in nine Wishes so far...but some of my colleagues have done scores! So, I still have a LOT of catching up to do! :)

And, of course none of this could happen if it weren't for the incredible staff back in the office performing miracles every day. I greatly appreciate their guidance and never-ending support. I've been associated with many charities over the years, and continue to be so impressed by the professionalism and dedication exhibited by the MAW Crew. Great team!

Now, if you'll excuse me, I think I'll go volunteer to grant another Wish! :)

It has been a privilege to experience first-hand the hard work, dedication, and truly special moments that go into granting a wish at Make-A-Wish Connecticut. I have had the honor of interning at Make-A-Wish Connecticut during a semester of my undergraduate education and it has been one of the most rewarding experiences I've ever had. Not only did working with them give me new opportunities, but it also made me a better person overall. Working for an organization such as Make-A-Wish is such a humbling experience and really helps you to put everything in perspective. I honestly look forward to coming to my internship each day because I know that I will be working on a project that will change someone else's life.
It's amazing to see all of the passion behind this organization, and incredibly, the passion spreads so easily! The positivity and smiles throughout the office is contagious! Every person that I talk to loves what they do and they do everything in their power to help children's wishes come true exactly they way the child is imagining it. A wish requires so much and everyone here at Make-A-Wish is more than willing to do whatever it takes to go above and beyond, giving the child and their family the experience of a lifetime.
The power of a wish is truly inspiring and life changing, and having the chance to witness that has been an opportunity I will cherish forever.

It was been amazing to work as an intern at Make-A-Wish. Every person in the office is dedicated, hard working, and fully committed to the cause. 100% effort is put into each step of the Wish Granting process from communicating with Medical personnel during the initial stages to organizing the wish itself.
Make-A-Wish also positively affects every person involved. The wish granters, the volunteers, the interns, and most importantly, the wish kids themselves. Make-A-Wish changes lives. I've had the opportunity to meet people from all parts of Make-A-Wish, and no one has remained the same since becoming involved. Volunteers and Staff are changed by the stories they hear, the things they've witnessed, and by the changes that happen in the lives of the Wish Kids whose lives hey have changed. The most clear influence, though, is the affect on the Wish Kids and their families themselves. These wishes give the Wish families hope and a refuge, no matter how brief, from the stresses and horrors of what their children are going through. I've seen the difference these wishes being granted make and it has inspired me, and the other interns, to want to help as much as we possibly can.
Make-A-Wish is an amazing organization that does more than I could have possibly imagined before I began interning there, and even after all of these months, I am still in awe of their work.

I retired about 2 years ago after many years of working in the corporate world and I wanted to do something rewarding in the non profit world but I was only going to devote my time and energies at this stage of my life to something that I was passionate about. Happily, I have filled my dream as Wish Granter for Make-A-Wish and now I am able to help dreams of incredibly deserving wish children come true! I also volunteer two days a week in the office working with the most incredibly dedicated, talented, creative, and professional team possible. I am so fortunate to have both of these experiences and nothing could be more rewarding.

We say, and as Wish Granters we experience first hand, how a Wish can be life altering and enriching. It has been/is the same for me as Wish Granter/Volunteer and I would say for all others like me. People will say "Isn't it sad, etc." and I reply immediately saying "Absolutely NO!" It is totally inspiring and motivating. I admire each and every Wish child and his/her family with all my heart and thank them for what they share with me. Every Wish is unique and its own experience and impacts the child and family profoundly. What a privilege it is to be part of that experience. I have met amazing people who I would never have met otherwise and that is so rewarding and enriching. One of the greatest personal benefits, which is unlike my other of my non-profit experiences, is the opportunity to work directly with a family, rather than at arms length. This might not be what others are looking for but it is perfect for me.

The staff is also amazing. They are incredibly dedicated and take such pride in each Wish and the thoughtfulness, time and energy they devote to each Wish is unparalleled. They are also folks with big hearts who care about each and every Wish. A truly amazing group of folks.

I am extremely privileged, proud and grateful to be part of Make-A-Wish. They give hope and joy to everyone who is connected with it and I would encourage everyone to learn more about Make-A-Wish and to find a way to be connected that meets their personal goals and needs.

I am a volunteer Wish Granter for Make-A-Wish Foundation Connecticut and it is a blessing in my life. Working with this organization means I'm involved in bringing joy to seriously ill children. I get to meet kids who are brave everyday, and I get to witness intense parent love. Wishes are blanketed in joy and bringing that to a child is priceless.

Working with the team at Make-A-Wish Connecticut is a delight! Besides being some of the nicest people I know, they have such dedication to the mission. Although the team certainly considers and works with other influences (parents, the illness, cost etc), this teams always comes back to the child's wish. They ensure they do everything they can so the wish is just what the child imagined (and more!). I've shared many laughs, exciting moments, and even some very sad times with this team. They have a way of making sure their volunteers are important and appreciated. I admire, respect and am inspired by the Make-A-Wish Connecticut team.

Make-A-Wish gives me the opportunity to experience the "power of a wish" moments that will stay with me forever. When Michael said after receiving his wish..."I no longer hate my disease". Or when Melanie said "this is the best day of my life". Or even when Dylan's Mom told me "I feel like I'm not all alone, someone else cares". Make-A-Wish Connecticut truly cares.

I have had the pleasure of volunteering for Make-A-Wish Connecticut for two consecutive semesters during my Undergraduate career, and I cannot say enough amazing things about the work that they do and the people who work there. Aside from the stellar work that they do, the employees, Wish Granters, Donors, and other Volunteers truly work day in and day out to provide the best time for a Wish Kid and their family. I have never seen such passionate people who are doing what they love all while lifting a child and their family's spirit. I look forward to the days that I am able to come into the office and speak with such inspirational and caring people and get to see the hard work that is being done. I am so lucky to have found Make-A-Wish Connecticut and cannot wait to see what they will do in years to come!

I have been a wish-granter with Make-A-Wish Foundation of Connecticut since 2013 and could not be prouder to be a part of such an upstanding (and outstanding) organization! What they do for kids is amazing.....From the initial referral to the actual granting of the wish, they are definitely "all about the child." But it isn't just what they do in the sense of the wish; it's even about what happens AFTER the wish. They continue to include and involve families as much as they can. Many of the families I have worked (and I feel truly blessed to work with such incredible and inspiring people) with always feel they want to be able to give back to the organization in some way at some time. Make-A-Wish allows them to do that in so many ways: from volunteering to work at various events, like "Sunflowers for Wishes," to speaking on behalf of Make-A-Wish (telling their story), to growing up and becoming a wish-granter themselves. I think the best way to sum up my review is to tell a little story: My sister-in-law volunteered to help out at an event with me, which was a wish delivery party and after seeing what the organization does, she remarked, "I am truly amazed at what a fabulous organization this is! I will ALWAYS try to donate to Make-A-Wish as I can see firsthand what it is they do for children...Thank you so much for allowing me to be a part of this..."