Ja'Bree's Wish

A walk in Philadelphia and an unexpected encounter with a homeless person left a lasting impression on 13-year-old Ja’Bree. When he got home, he could not stop thinking about how many people live in shelters without clean clothes, food, and necessities.
When Ja’Bree, who suffers from a neurological condition, learned last spring that he was receiving a wish from Make-A-Wish, he remembered how he felt seeing the homeless person. Ja’Bree decided that his one true wish was to be a superhero for the day and distribute much needed supplies to individuals living in poverty in Philadelphia.
Ja’Bree’s wish immediately lifted our hearts and we knew that this would be a unique wish for an incredible young man. The wish experience needed to be as special as the teen who envisioned it. 

We went to work to find a local organization who could benefit from Ja’Bree’s wish and chose Project HOME - a Philadelphia non-profit empowering individuals to break the cycle of poverty and homelessness. We also contacted our local corporate partners and the response to support Ja’Bree’s wish spread quickly.
Excitement was building the morning of September 29 when Ja’Bree was picked up fully dressed as a superhero, ready to take on the day of helping his local community. When he arrived at the Hub of Hope, a shelter of Project HOME in Philadelphia, Ja’Bree was amazed at how many people were involved in supporting his wish.

Greeted by our dedicated partners who brought supplies - water, hygiene products, and bagged lunches donated by Wawa - Ja’Bree and his family began distributing those supplies to hundreds of individuals.
It was an experience he will never forget. Project HOME recognized Ja’Bree as a future leader in Philadelphia, leaving him humbled and overwhelmed by all the events that day.
His mother said “I applaud him, I think his character is more ambitious than anybody would think from a 13-year-old. He’s so unselfish, so this was perfect.”
Ja’Bree’s wish was not only an impactful experience for him, but it had a ripple effect on the community that will last forever. One young man’s wish not only fed his soul, but the souls of hundreds throughout our region.