PUNXSUTAWNEY — Make-A-Wish® Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia is seeking volunteers to join its team of wish granters.

From helping children brainstorm ideas for their wish to organizing fundraisers, volunteers are essential to carrying out the Make-A-Wish mission, representatives said.

As members of “wish teams,” volunteers are the faces of Make-A-Wish in their local communities. Working together with Make-A-Wish staff, the “wish team” is assigned to a local child and meets with their family to begin the wish journey. Some volunteering may be done virtually. To become a wish volunteer, individuals must be at least 21 years of age, pass a criminal background check and attend a training session.

Make-A-Wish will host a virtual volunteer training session via Zoom from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 15.

Those interested in volunteering should fill out a brief interest form at wish.org/greaterpawv/vol

to be contacted shortly thereafter with next steps.

Megan, a Make-A-Wish volunteer, witnesses the power of a wish come true every day in her role. She has provided compassionate support for wish families and facilitated the fulfilment of wishes for more than 10 years.

“Being a part of Make-A-Wish has made me grow as a person,” Megan said. “I don’t know a better way to help impact anyone. Getting to help someone’s wish come true is so cool. Nothing brings me joy like meeting a wish kid.”

For more information on the impact wishes have on children facing critical illnesses, contact Regional Manager Lacy Bair at lbair@greaterpawv.wish.org or (814) 938-8888.

Make-A-Wish® Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia is a nonprofit organization that creates life-changing wishes for children, aged 2 ½ to 18, with critical illnesses. Currently, the local chapter is one of the most active in the country, having fulfilled more than 21,500 wishes. For more information, call Make-A-Wish at (800) 676-9474 or visit wish.org/greaterpawv.