Pamela Reynolds
Soci 200
April 28, 2014

Community Observation Paper
Making Children’s Dreams Come True

What was observed during my experience-
I spent the day working with a group of people who volunteer for the organization called “Making Children’s Dreams come True”. Established in 1991 Making Children’s Dreams Come True Has helped over 3000 children with life threatening illnesses achieve their dream. Many have come to them with no hope and feel they have no reason to fight for their life and have lost the desire to go on. They give them a reason to fight and something to bring joy to them and their families. MCDCT partners with physicians and children’s hospital to reach as many children as possible. They have been named one of the top organizations in Virginia for helping children.
They have made it their mission to reach as many children as possible and to fulfill their dreams. They offer them hope for the future by granting the dream they felt was out of their reach. They have sent children on the trip of their dreams with their family, given computers to help them learn, and built many things for their homes to make it easier for them to get around. Whatever their wish may be MCDCT makes it a priority to fulfill as many as they possibly can. Their success can be measured in the faces of the children and families they have worked with and by the many letters they have received from the physicians and caregivers telling them what a difference they have made in a child’s life.
The people that work for this organization work tirelessly always looking for donors and sponsors for these children. They are in constant contact with physicians and hospitals so that they may be able to reach as many children as possible. I was able to follow long with one of their main fundraisers as she visited several businesses looking for donations to help support their efforts. They love these children as if they were their own and do everything within their power to ensure they are able to fulfill their dreams.
How did this experience affect me-
When my husband was a young boy his brother suffered from a brain tumor and tragically passed away at the age of 8. He has talked many times about how before his brother died the “Make a Wish Foundation” was able to provide his brother and their family with a trip to Disneyworld. He has said this was something his brother had always wanted to do and their parents could not afford to take them especially with all his brothers’ medical bills. When they were able to go, his brother for the first time in years was happy and had the time of his life. He stated he could not remember seeing his brother look as excited and happy as he was to be able to take this trip. The foundation provided for all the expenses while they were there and even made arraignments for his brother to attend a private meet and greet with the Disney characters. He was in a wheelchair and was not able to do everything he wanted while at Disney but did everything he could. Knowing firsthand how things like this that most people take for granted really affects the children and their families has made me more aware of all my own blessings. I will continue to volunteer as often as I can to this group and hope to help other children experience one of their dreams that otherwise may not have been possible.
What are the needs of the population that I interacted with-
Making Children’s Dreams Come True is an organization that has helped over 3000 children with life-threatening illness achieve the dream they never thought would be possible. They are based out of Lynchburg, Virginia and help mainly children in our local area. They strive to reach as many children as possible and make it their mission to never turn away a child. Many of these children come from families simply struggling to make ends meet after paying all the medical expenses associated with their child’s illness. They come from all over