How a Make-A-Wish Volunteer Hears a Child’s Voice - Without Words
Anna Laura Everhart found New York City a bit overwhelming when she moved here for college and set out to find a way to connect with her new community. Volunteering for a local organization, she thought, might create that bridge.
That was six years ago and to say Anna Laura has connected with her community is an understatement. In her time as a wish-granting volunteer for Make-A-Wish Metro New York she has granted 38 wishes – six in 2020 alone, a year when everything was more challenging. Today, Anna Laura is an interior designer at BAM Creative, a leading multidisciplinary design firm, as well as a Certified Personal Trainer. She brings her creativity and problem-solving skills from both of those areas into her volunteer work for Make-A-Wish. We recently had a chance to chat about her role:
Q: Over the years you’ve worked on a lot of wishes for nonverbal children. How is that experience different from working with verbal wish kids?
A: Some people are intimidated or think it’s harder to volunteer for a nonverbal wish child. It’s not at all! You have the exact same goal – getting to the heart of the wish for that child. Just because they can’t speak doesn’t mean there isn’t a wish that’s truly meaningful for them. And the process of discovering that wish is the same whether they can speak or not – you’re just including the parents more. You use them as a resource to peel back the layers of what their child is interested in, excited by and makes them happy. It’s like being a detective and solving a mystery.
Q: How does it make you feel when you grant a wish?
A: It’s crazy how much I feel their joy. If they’re going to Disney World for the first time, I feel like I’m going to Disney World for the first time. Their excitement makes me excited. And the best part is seeing their ideas come to life. As a creative person myself, to see the germ of an wish idea flourish, expand and come to life is so satisfying.
Q: How has your company, BAM Creative, supported your volunteer work for Make-A-Wish?
A: BAM Creative was an established corporate donor to Make-A-Wish when I joined the firm and they had been looking to provide more employee volunteer opportunities. Our work is such a natural fit for so many of the wishes Make-A-Wish grants. I recently worked on a room renovation wish for a little girl who wanted a calm yet cheerful room that could accommodate a hospital bed and medical equipment. I have experience designing pediatric healthcare settings and that was really helpful in setting up a lovely room that served both her emotional and physical needs.
Q: What’s the one thing you wish people knew about being a Make-A-Wish volunteer?
A: It’s literally so easy. It’s not a time commitment at all – that’s a real misconception. It takes an afternoon to go on a wish interview. Plus, the wish kids and their parents are really awesome. There’s no reason not to do it.
Thank you, Anna Laura for your outstanding work as a Make-A-Wish volunteer. We look forward to granting many more wishes with you in the years to come!