In late 1986, Jean Ingraffia-Delosreyes was working as a personnel manager at the CompuPro in Hayward when she went to a dinner that would change her life. It was a fundraising dinner for a local congressional candidate, and Jean and her boss sat next to two volunteers from the newly formed Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area chapter at the dinner.

“I said, ‘tell me a little more about that.’” Jean recalls. “And that's how I got involved basically from then on.”

In 1987, Jean became one of just a handful of volunteers at the three-year-old chapter, housed in a small office on Mission Street in Hayward. At the time, the chapter had no paid staff and was entirely run by volunteers.

The first wish she was involved with was for wish kid Gynger, who wished for a computer. Unfortunately, Gynger passed away before they could deliver the computer, but Gynger’s grandmother shared a token of her gratitude with Jean, which she has kept to this day.

“It was a coloring book that Gynger produced when she was four or five years old,” says Jean. “I thought it was so sweet, this published coloring book.”

Jean took on many roles with the chapter, but interviewing wish kids remains her favorite. “What amazes me is the courage that these families have because they're going through so much,” she says. “They’re not able to get away from it. They go to bed thinking about it and get up in the morning thinking about it. But a wish gives the families respite. It gives them something else to think about other than having to go to the hospital and doctor visits.”

Over the next few years, wishes multiplied and the team expanded. The chapter needed more space and relocated to a bigger office in San Leandro, Jean found herself in the midst of the organization's transformation. Jean grew with the chapter and assisted with the transition from grassroots to professional organization.

“It amazes me to look back and see how much Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area has grown over the years,” says Jean. “It was all worth it seeing the end result of where the chapter is now.”

Jean joined the Board of Directors in 1990, when the chapter moved offices again, this time to San Francisco. She took on the role of the area coordinator, responsible for organizing volunteer activities, fundraising, and events in Alameda, Contra Costa, and Solano Counties. She even used her background in human resources to help draft the first employee handbook for the chapter.

Even though she says that public speaking is not her forte, Jean spoke at various fundraising events, including local crab feeds, volleyball tournaments, softball tournaments, Sonoma-Cutrer events, the annual signature gala, and much more.

Although Jean resigned from her role as area coordinator in 1995, she continued to volunteer as a wish granter to this day.

“Helping grant wishes and bringing smiles to these children’s faces has been incredibly rewarding,” says Jean. ““I love volunteering with Make-A-Wish because I feel I have been given so much, and I just want to give back. Over all these years, I’ve found Make-A-Wish is where I want to be.”

For 36 years, Jean has dedicated her time, effort, and expertise to our wish kids and families, while also playing an instrumental role in the growth of our chapter. "Jean is our chapter's longest-serving active volunteer," says Senior Volunteer Manager Daniel Marlay. "We are lucky to have had Jean volunteering with us for so long, and still so passionate about the mission."

Reflecting on her journey, Jean shares, “I find it fulfilling to put smiles on wish kids' faces. It’s hard to believe I’ve been a volunteer here for all these years. I’ve been involved in so many aspects of Make-A-Wish, but, of course, the most rewarding part for me is making wishes come true for our wish kids.”