Volunteering at Give Kids the World

Last week I had the chance to go to Give Kids the World and volunteer with my friend Kelly. We were responsible for decorating two of their villas for the holidays. How fun huh?

Give Kids The World is a non-profit organization that exists only to fulfill the wishes of all children with life-threatening illnesses and their families from around the world to experience a memorable, joyful, cost-free visit to the Central Florida attractions, and to enjoy the magic of Give Kids The World Village for as long as there is a need.

It was so great spending the day making two of the villas festive for the holidays. We put up some icicle lights outside, wreaths on the doors, and trees covered in beautiful ornaments. I loved the idea that the families would come back and find it all decorated.

It really put me in the holiday spirit spending the day with such a great giving group of people. It was so wonderful knowing that people like this are out there. Kelly and I even made plans to schedule a day once a month to go back and work a volunteer shift.

With the holidays being just around the corner, you might be wondering how YOU can help out. In addition to volunteering at the village (check out all the info on that here), there are other ways you can help out. You can purchase things from their online store or at the Memory Market at the village (which is what I did today). Or you can make a straight up donation.

How does your donation help? Well $25 provides unlimited ice cream and tasty toppings served in our Ice Cream Palace for an entire week for one family. $50 equips a family for fishing and horseback riding. $100 grants a year’s worth of family holidays packed into one fun-filled week. No matter the size of your donation, it goes towards making a child’s dreams come true.

This year you have the chance to make your donation count TWICE. December 2nd is #GivingTuesday. #GivingTuesday is a global giving campaign.  Their goal this year is to raise $60,000 within a 24-hour time period, and you can help make that happen by donating on December 2nd!

Your generous donations will not only allow them to continue fulfilling wishes of children with life-threatening illnesses and provide them an experience of a lifetime at Give Kids The World, but they will also count twice! That’s right. An anonymous donor will match every donation made on #GivingTuesday, up to $20,000.

On December 2nd, visit www.gktw.org/givingtuesday to make your donation.  This donation page will only be accessible on December 2nd and will be open for 24 hours. Please make your donation within this time frame in order for your contribution to count towards #GivingTuesday, and for the matching gift.

So what are you waiting for? Set an alarm on your phone, a reminder in Outlook, and put a post-it on the fridge to remind you to make a donate on #GivingTuesday – I know I will!