At the heart of Give Kids The Word Village, you’ll find volunteers. They come as individuals or groups, they volunteer with their company, or even pick up a shift during vacation. No matter where they come from or who they come with, they make hope come alive.

Wish kid Gavin and his family experienced firsthand the power and love of Give Kids The World volunteers during their wish trip in June 2019. Gavin is from Lithia, Florida and his wish was to visit Give Kids The World.

“Once he learned about the Village, watched the videos and heard he could return to enjoy the Village year after year, he was sold,” said wish mom Christina.

When asked about their experience with volunteers, one particular memory came to mind. The family formed a special bond with volunteers Steven and Kathy and their youth group from Texas.

“We saw them almost every day. Kathy found me one morning and told me each night the youth group would reflect on the day and share their favorite moments. One of the kids mentioned playing with Gavin. I was brought to tears when she shared that.”

Gavin’s family wants to pass on the magic they felt to others, so they signed up to volunteer. What are they most excited about? To “hopefully volunteer as ice cream scoopers, help with party games, and help make the star experience magical for each family!”

Dee Dee Martin, director of Volunteer Services, says “our volunteers are beyond committed, they are passionate. We ask so much of our volunteers and they always deliver. I believe if none of the Village staff were here, our volunteers would step in and keep this place running for our families.”

To all of the amazing volunteers: We could not create magic without you. You truly make hope come alive for families like Gavin’s. Now, you can help others create magic by starting the ripple effect.

From now until the middle of October it will take over 14,000 volunteers to make wishes come true – and we need everyone’s help to start the ripple effect! Share this with your friends, organize a volunteer shift, and recruit a friend or a group to volunteer because hope starts with YOU.

Apply to volunteer today and add “Hope Ripples” under the group name.