Monterey, CA Make-A-Wish For Seniors Foundations Gaining Momentum

by Richard Kuehn on 10/13/12

View From A Non-Profit Serving Carmel, Carmel Valley, Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Monterey, Pacific Grove, Pebble Beach, Salinas, Seaside And Soledad California Most readers are probably familiar with the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a great non-profit which helps children with terminal diseases make a wish, and then fulfill it thanks to generous donors.  But now, as our elderly population booms, people are starting to pay increasing attention to the final wishes of seniors.  Hospice organizations have gained in popularity, and non-profits are starting to crop up to fill the void of helping seniors not just remain comfortable, but fulfill their final wishes or just help them celebrate a special occasion when they can't afford to on their own.  USA Today profiled a number of them like Wish of a Lifetime Foundation.  When a 70-year old man in the latter stages of pulmonary disease expressed his desire to receive postcards from destinations around the world, they started a social media campaign and he received 1,400 postcards from destinations all over the world.  "We are talking about a generation that has been through so much," founder Jeremy Bloom told a reporter.  "They have encountered so much of this nation's history, from the boats of Pearl Harbor to the Great Depression to Vietnam and so much more.  I just wanted to find a way to show that we appreciate them," he said.  Another organization called Twilight Wish has a similar mission.  "We have a lack in our country of showing and honoring those who have paved the path for us that we care," founder Cass Forkin said.  "I wanted to change that."  His organization recently sponsored having a 100-year old escape from her nursing home for the day and celebrate her birthday in a hot air balloon.  Other non-profits with missions like this are called The Bucket List Foundation, Forever Young Senior Wish Organization and Seniors Having One Wish (S.H.O.W.).  How wonderful that these organizations have been able to raise enough money to grant more than 2,000 wishes to date.  These seniors have witnessed so much during their lifetimes, they need our respect and compassion.

 

 

 

Please note that this blog reflects my personal opinion and may or may not reflect the opinion of HandsTo Help Seniors and the individual members comprising the Board of Governors.