For Necco Stevens, volunteering is rooted in a simple belief: each person can make a difference in the lives of others. 

“I want to be a person that’s known for giving back,” Necco said. “I feel like it’s my duty to do my part to make the world a better place while I’m here. My goal is to leave the earth a little better than it was when I got here.” 

In her year in a half  as a Make-A-Wish Arizona volunteer, Necco has helped families navigate the wish journey, celebrating milestones alongside them and sharing in the excitement as wishes take shape. 

Along the way, she has seen how a wish can bring excitement, anticipation and joy to an entire family. 

One of the first families she worked with had never traveled before. As she walked them through their wish plans, she watched their joy and anticipation build with every conversation. 

“That was amazing,” she said. “Just to see them experience the process and the enthusiasm in their eyes.” 

Moments like that have shown Necco that a wish impacts far more than the child at the center of it. Parents, siblings and loved ones all share in the anticipation, excitement and memories created along the way. 

“The siblings, those families, it’s a lot for everybody,” she said. “Just seeing the happiness and joy in her face was special to me.” 

Years before becoming a Make-A-Wish volunteer, Necco worked with medically fragile and emotionally fragile children. To this day, that experience helps her connect with families.  

“It was the most rewarding job in my life,” she said. “Those kiddos are just so special.”

When she discovered Make-A-Wish Arizona, she found an opportunity to reconnect with work that felt meaningful while helping create joyful memories for families navigating difficult circumstances. 

“It’s full circle for me,” she said. “It’s something that I take as a privilege. I get to do this.” 

For Necco, wishes provide families with something invaluable: time to celebrate, create memories and look forward to something joyful. 

Watching that excitement build continues to inspire her. 

“Just the ability to have something even to look forward to,” she said. “They’re so freaking excited.” That feeling keeps her coming back. “It just makes me want to do it more,” she said.