Carolina Ayala de Freeman, Wish-Granting Volunteer
When Make-A-Wish volunteer Carolina Ayala de Freeman became involved with our chapter in 2003, she never dreamed that it would hit so close to home. Just three years after becoming a volunteer, her husband was diagnosed with leukemia. Although it's not exactly the same experience that our wish families go through, according to Carolina, "I can completely relate. I remember being in the store with my husband and because of his compromised immune system, we'd drop everything and run out the door when someone would sneeze." She added, "I sympathize with parents because I understand their worry and concern."
Thankfully , her husband is doing well and this experience has actually helped her connect with wish families, "I think when they know that I have gone through something like this and that my husband is doing well, it provides them with hope. Kids are much more resilient than adults."
A wife, a mom of a 20-month-old and a full time employee, Carolina is a remarkable volunteer who finds the time to brighten the lives of others, not only in English, but also in Spanish. This volunteer extraordinaire grants wishes and also donates her time translating important Make-A-Wish documents from English to Spanish. This is a much-needed and important task as we have many Spanish speaking families and communicating with them can be challenging.
We recently asked Carolina why she does what she does. Her responses follow.
Q: Why do you choose to volunteer?
A: All the excitement that comes when the kids realize that the wish is going to happen. The excitement that you can see in their eyes.
Q: What words describe your Make-A-Wish volunteer experience?
A: I had an idea that volunteering would be hard, time consuming and costly. But it hasn't been. It's been rewarding, fun and easy.
Q: What do you think separates volunteering for Make-A-Wish from other non-profit organizations?
A: As a volunteer, you can put so much creativity in the wish… you can see the wish unfold from the beginning to the end. It's a lot of your own creativity. I don't know how many other charities offer this same kind of hands-on experience.
Q: What qualities do you think are important to being a Make-A-Wish volunteer?
A: You have to learn how to relate to all kinds of people. That's the only way that you have to break the ice. You have to be very good with organization skills and have a lot of charisma and passion for helping others. Have to be compassionate.
While we are always accepting new volunteers to fulfill our mission, we also have a special need for bilingual volunteers throughout our territory. If you are interested in becoming a Make-A-Wish volunteer, please call us at 800.304.9474, email at volunteer@nwwishes.org or join us at an upcoming volunteer training.
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