Wishes
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Because we want to be sure that our visitors find the most relevant resources, we've listed these organizations in order of relevancy from most specifically relevant to most generally relevant to the topic of this page.
2-1-1
Population served: Everyone in the United States (check the website for availability in your area)
2-1-1 is the telephone number of a call center that offers information and provides referrals to health and human services for everyday needs and in times of crisis. Services vary from community to community.
Examples of service referrals include:
- Basic human need resources: food banks, clothing, shelters, rent assistance and utility assistance
- Physical and mental health resources: medical information lines, crisis intervention services, counseling, drug and alcohol intervention
- Employment support: unemployment benefits, financial assistance, job training, transportation assistance and education programs
- Support for older Americans and persons with disabilities: home healthcare, adult daycare, congregate meals, Meals on Wheels, respite care, transportation and homemaker services
- Support for children, youth and families: childcare, family resource centers, summer camps and recreation programs, mentoring, tutoring and protective services
Grahamtastic Connection
Contact: (207) 324-0888 Ext.209
Population served: Critically ill children, 18 years of age or younger, living in the United States
Grahamtastic Connection provides free laptops to critically ill children for educational purposes. The Grahamtastic "lending library" lends laptops to children when hospitalized or bed-ridden so that they can continue to connect with their teachers and classrooms, to obtain education materials and to submit homework assignments.
- The child's social worker or healthcare team member makes the request, and the laptop is then shipped to that contact for a determined length of time
- When the child is finished with the computer, the social worker or healthcare team member mails the laptop back to Grahamtastic Connection so they may prepare it for another child's use
Children's Cancer Recovery Foundation
Contact: (800) 238-6479 or (717) 545-7600
Population served: Children, infancy through age 17 diagnosed with cancer, in the United States
Children's Cancer Recovery Foundation strives to touch the lives of those living with cancer with a positive, uplifting message through a variety of unique programs.
- Bear-Able Bags Program provides items to hospitals that children and teens enjoy such as board games, hand-held games, dolls, cards, coloring books, crayons, markers, puzzles, stuffed animals and more. Cancer Recovery Foundation works with more than 200 oncology centers nationwide
- Camp Scholarships Program provides scholarship assistance to help children to experience therapeutic riding, music, art, skiing and other types of camps and activities
Children's Wish Foundation International, Inc. (CWFI)
Contact: (800) 323-9474
Population served: Children under age 18 with a life-threatening illness, worldwide
CWFI fulfills wishes for children and unlike other wish-granting organizations, does not have a minimum age. However, if the child's health allows it, the wish fulfillment is reserved until the child is old enough to fully enjoy and remember the experience.
- Offers Wish Fulfillment Program, which provides a trip to a destination of the patient's choice and includes travel arrangements, lodging, entertainment tickets, expense money and volunteer support
- Offers the Family Focus Program, which provides a memorable evening out. CWFI offers gift cards and certificates for families to enjoy a special dinner together or a trip to a local family entertainment center, theater tickets or entrance to sporting events, a circus, etc. In addition, CWFI arranges for weekend getaways
- Offers Hospital Enrichment Program, which places educational and entertainment materials in hospitals that care for children (toys, books, electronics, dolls and children's clothing). In addition, CWFI hosts festive parties at many hospitals
- Offers Young Minds Program for children under age 3 or whose cognitive level is under age 3. This program can offer:
- TV with DVD player and DVD collection
- CD player with music collection
- Toy and doll collection
- Comfort station with rocker
- Activity assortment
Dream Foundation
Contact: (805) 564-2131
Population served: Adults 18 and over who have a terminal illness, a life expectancy of less than one year and who meet financial guidelines in the United States
The mission is to help patients and their families realize a final wish.
- Grants a wish to adult patients with a life-limiting illness
- Provides toys to children of Dream recipients
A Special Wish Foundation Inc.
Contact: (800) 486-9474
Population served: Children, infancy through age 20, who have a life-threatening illness in the United States and Russia (Moscow)
A Special Wish Foundation is dedicated to granting the wishes of children with a life-threatening illness.
Three Wish Programs are available:
- A Special Gift - Computers, televisions, stereos, video games, even a puppy are included among the wishes granted
- A Special Place - The Foundation handles all travel arrangements for the child and members of the immediate family to a wish destination. This includes air transportation, hotel expenses, meals, expense money and all other aspects of the travel wish
- A Special Hero - The Foundation arranges for a personal visit with a special hero, whether it be a sports figure, government leader, rock star or other entertainer
Cancer Fund of America, Inc.
Contact: (800) 578-5284
Population served: Cancer patients living in the United States
Cancer Fund of America helps cancer patients, hospices and other non-profit healthcare providers by way of sending products free of charge directly to them.
- Offers seasonal gift boxes
- Offers toys for children
- Offers clothing
Childhood Leukemia Foundation (CLF)
Contact: (888) 253-7109
Population served: Children (up to age 21) with cancer and their families in the United States
The Childhood Leukemia Foundation offers a wide range of services at no charge to children living with cancer and their families. Its goal is to ensure that children with cancer know they are not alone.
- Works with social workers and child-life specialists in hospitals and treatment centers to organize parties and special events
Clayton Dabney Foundation for Kids with Cancer (CDF)
Contact: (214) 361-2600
Population served: Children (infancy through age 21) who have progressed to the last stage of a terminal cancer in the United States
CDF provides needy families with assistance to grant wishes.
- Provides financial aid to families in need
- Provides wish-granting
- Funds local events for the child's entertainment, toy drives and gift baskets
Kids Wish Network
Contact: (888) 918-9004
Population served: Children, ages 3 to 18, with a life-threatening illness in the United States.
Kids Wish Network is dedicated to infusing hope, creating happy memories and improving the quality of life for children.
- Provides wishes to children
- Assists the families of children who participated in the program who have died before the age of 21 to ensure a proper end-of-life ceremony
- Provides gifts to hospitalized children if hospital participates in program
Make-A-Wish Foundation
Contact: (800) 722-9474
Population served: Children 3 to 18 years of age at the time of referral, with a life-threatening medical condition
Make-A-Wish Foundation grants the wishes of children to enrich the human experience. The applicant may not have received a wish from another wish-granting organization.
The steps for getting a wish include a referral from the child's parents/guardian, healthcare team or even the child; medical eligibility as determined by the doctor; a visit by the wish team to learn about the child's wish.
- Most common wishes fall into four categories: I wish to go, I wish to be, I wish to meet, I wish to have
- Local chapters
Operation Liftoff, Inc.
Contact: (314) 298-9770
Population served: Patients age 18 and under in the United States
Operation Liftoff arranges air transportation for children with a life-threatening illness and their parent(s) for a treatment trip when specialized treatment is not available in their geographical area.
- Offers group trips (Disney World) to teenagers who face a life-threatening illness
Starlight Children's Foundation
Contact: (310) 479-1212
Population served: Children (through age 18) with a chronic life-threatening illnesses or life-altering injuries in the United States
Starlight Children's Foundation is dedicated to improving the quality of life for children by providing entertainment, education and family activities.
- Offers Great Escapes - a program created to provide families with a chance to spend recreational time together to relax, regroup and return home with a renewed sense of strength and hope
- Offers Hospital Happenings - provides parties and entertainers to offer hospitalized kids comfort, companionship and a break from treatment
- Offers Fun Centers - mobile entertainment units containing a DVD player and the latest Nintendo game system that roll bedside in hospitals
- Offers PC Pals - offers laptop computers to provide patients access to a variety of entertaining and educational software, Starlight's media programs and filtered Internet access. Allows hospitalized patients to email and instant message their friends and family
Cleaning for a Reason Foundation
Contact: (877) 337-3348
Population served: Women who are undergoing treatment for cancer in the United States and Canada
Cleaning for a Reason Foundation offers free professional housecleaning and maid services to improve the lives of women undergoing treatment for cancer - any type of cancer.
- Provides names of more than 60 cleaning company partners in the United States and Canada that offer services
- Offers a website listing of companies by state and/or the ability to submit a request form from their website
