If you had one last wish on this earth, what would it be? That may be an unfair question, one you would only know the answer to if you had a year or less to live.
The Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP) of Jane Addams Hull House Association helps supply volunteers for the Fairygodmother Foundation. This Chicago foundation, based in Lincoln Park, grants wishes of terminally ill people from all over the country. They've granted last wishes to nearly 400 people from 43 states.
These are some fulfilled last wishes. A 50-year-old mother who was dying of congestive heart failure wanted to take a trip to LePeer, MI, to visit her son in prison. She was provided with a hotel room, meals and gas money. A 38-year-old man who was dying of AIDS wanted to visit his best friend of 20 years in Florida. He was provided with airline tickets and meals not only for himself but for his mother and sister. A 37-year-old wife and mother of two boys was terminally ill with breast cancer and wanted to take her family to Disneyland. She was able to get airline tickets for four and the use of a limo to and from the airport and back to her home.
Volunteers are needed for a planning committee for an upcoming ball. Volunteers are also needed for fundraising, public relations, advertising, photography, printing, office help, database entry, computer help, public speaking/ outreach, and of course, wish granting.
The Fairygodmother Foundation is one of over 100 nonprofit agencies RSVP serves. RSVP of Hull House Chicago helps individuals 55 and older find worthwhile service opportunities throughout Chicago. RSVP volunteers serve from a few hours per year to over 40 hours per week, providing hundreds of services in nonprofit organizations.
Chicago RSVP volunteers serve as homeland security assistants, tutors and mentors, clerical assistants, receptionists, nutrition aides, patient care workers, volunteer pharmacist aides, and museum guides. Chicago's 900+ retired and senior volunteers annually provide 220,000 hours of service at 105 nonprofit sites, making our communities better places to live. For more information, call (312) 922-2183, ext. 210.
The Mission of Jane Addams Hull House Association is to improve social conditions for underserved people and communities by providing creative innovative programs and advocating for related public policy reform. |
