Make-A-Wish^® Illinois

Wish Celebration Volunteers work in pairs, partnering to establish a meaningful connection with the wish child and family to build hope and anticipation leading up to the child’s wish. Once a child’s wish is discovered, you will help your wish child by planning wish celebrations for two wish children per year.

The average assignment requires 1-2 hours each month, over the course of 1-6 months. Time investment typically includes coordinating with and getting to know the wish child and family, coordinating with your partner, and planning and carrying out meetings, boosts, send-offs, and celebrations.

Start Your Volunteer Journey

1. Watch the Volunteer Orientation (14 minutes)
2. After watching the recorded orientation, complete the volunteer application.
3. Complete a Criminal Background Check – Once we receive your completed application, you will receive information about the required background check through FirstAdvantage. As standard procedure, all volunteers and staff members are required to complete a background check for the safety of our wish children and families.
4. Register for Wish Celebration Volunteer Training (Two Parts): When your background check is approved (1-3 days), you will receive a welcome message with a link to WishNet (our volunteer portal). Then, you may register for the live virtual training. Part 1 is self-paced (30 minutes) and part 2 is a live virtual training (75 minutes).