Did you know that each of us at Phil volunteer some of our time to help a worthy cause aside from the work we do each day?
Meet Tanya, our wonderful and talented coordinator. Besides the immense responsibilities she holds at the heart of our company, she also volunteers as a wish grantor for the Make-A-Wish Foundation, a non-profit organization that grants wishes to children with life-threatening medical conditions.
Before becoming a volunteer, Tanya had to go through a thorough selection process. “To optimize the quality of the service, volunteers must undergo rigorous interviews and paperwork including a criminal background check and an extensive reference check. The foundation has very strict criteria for service, trustworthiness, confidentiality, effectiveness and resourcefulness which is totally understandable.”
What does a wish grantor do?
Tanya explains: “A wish grantor is responsible for the entire wish process from start to finish. It includes: meeting with the family and interviewing the child, determining the wish, making arrangements with the office for the wish, keeping the family up to date on the progress of the wish, completing the paperwork after the wish and writing the wish story.”
“The commitment is sizeable,” Tanya continues, “especially on a volunteer basis. Each wish usually takes up to one year to complete from start to finish and the wish grantor personally guides the family and their child through every step of the process. Most recently, I have been working with a 5-year-old suffering from acute lymphoblastic leukemia whose first choice for a wish involved meeting the host of a well known cooking TV show. If that doesn’t work out, Britney Spears will do! While the Make-A-Wish office arranges for all of the travel planning and other accommodations, I ensure that the family is kept up-to-date on everything and act as their liaison with the office.”
Tanya has learned a great deal by being a volunteer. She enjoys seeing her efforts improve the lives of these children and their families. “It is amazing to see how each one of us can make a difference. These children have such an inspiring zest for life. We immediately and magically forget our own little problems when we see what they have to endure.”
This lesson in humility also applies to Tanya’s work at Phil. “Seeing how much good a small team like Phil’s can do for an organization gives me hope that if we all do our part, no matter how big or how small, we can make a difference. We can do so much good with only one hour a week, and be part of building a better world.”
Thank you Tanya for setting such a wonderful example, for your dedication and for your involvement as a volunteer for such a great organization. We are all very lucky to have you!
