We Help Children's Wishes Come True

Wishing Star Foundation 139 S. Sherman
Spokane, WA 99202
(509) 744-3411

Office Hours
Monday-Friday
9am-4pm
other times by appointment

 


Giving from the Heart

Benefit Dinner and Auction
November 21, 2008

Wish Conductors Needed!


Christmas Giving

Become a Christmas Giving Sponsor to a wish family in need.

Steps to Wish Granting

Each wish experience is unique for the child and their family. There is a general process by which a child is referred, qualified, and granted a wish.

Step One- Make a Referal
Anyone can refer a child to Wishing Star! Call 509-744-3411, 1-800-685-6956, contact a member of a Wishing Star Chapter or compete the on-line referral form. If you do not know all the information, you can send a general email inquiry to paulan@wishingstar.org.


Step Two - Determine Eligibility

To qualify for a wish, the child must meet the following criteria:

  • The child is between the ages of 3-21. The child must not be married.

  • The child currently lives in Central or Eastern Washington or Idaho. (Certain portions of Northeastern Oregon may qualify.)

  • The child has not already received a wish from another wish-granting organization.

  • The child's doctor declares the child has a life-threatening illness.

After a child is referred to Wishing Star, the family is contacted. The family fills out a short informational packet, including a "Release of Information" for the physician. Once the packet is returned, the Wish Case Manager sends the appropriate paperwork to the child's physician. The physician declares the illness life-threatening or not life-threatening.



Step Three - Wish Visit

The family is notified of eligibility. A "Wish Visit" is scheduled. Specially trained volunteers meet with the child and the family. At this time the child identifies three wishes.

The wish granting team determine the most appropriate wish to grant. The wish conductors notify the family which wish has been selected.



Step Four - Granting the Wish

Volunteer wish conductors and staff set out to create a magical experience for the child.

Every effort is made to include the immediate family in the child's wish. At the conclusion of the wish, wish conductors reconnect with the family to hear about the wish experience.

The wish experience touches dozens, often hundreds, of people who help with the wish.



Step Five - Beyond The Wish

After the wish, Wishing Star continues to serve and support wish families through a variety of Beyond the Wish events and programs.

We send birthday cards, as long as the wish child can be contacted.
We identify and serve eligible wish families for the Christmas Giving Program.
We host a variety of wish-family events throughout the year.
We provide tickets to concerts, sporting events and other family activities.
Wish families often stay connected by becoming Wishing Star volunteers.
Wish families are an excellent source of referrals within their own communities.