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Thanks!

Though considered a “national” organization (working with children and facilities across the country), we are also proud to work with other philanthropic charities in our very own community. During the past few months, our Warehouse Team has been extra busy packing and wrapping pallets upon pallets of toys for countless non-profits who – like KIDS WISH NETWORK – call the Tampa Bay area their home.

We have had the pleasure of donating Gift Banks to: Child Abuse Council, Tarpon Springs Police Department, Homeless Coalition of Pasco County, Project Care Outreach, Pasco Kids First, CHIPS (Clearwater Homeless Intervention Project), Arnette House, PARC, MARC, Children’s Medical Services, Harbor Treatment for Children, and CASA Community Shelter.

“The wonderful generosity of KIDS WISH NETWORK helped make over four hundred families have a great holiday this year. These are children and families who without your support would not enjoy the holidays that so many us take for granted. You helped make Christmas possible and have made a difference in the lives of so many children. Thanks also for the wonderful work you do all year.
- Child Abuse Council

“This year Kid’s Wish Network helped make the children and youth of the Arnette House’s holiday season much brighter. Our children and youth who are with us at the holidays, often worry about not being with family and friends. They worry, “will I be forgotten”, “will anyone remember to bring me a present”, “what will Christmas Day be like at the Arnette House”. They experience anxiety and sadness, but because of the generosity of the Kids Wish Network, staff can help dispel a little of their worries and fears and help make their holiday season as comforting and enjoyable as possible. Thank you Kids Wish Network!”
- Arnette House

“Thanks so much for the incredible donation of the Hope for Holidays Gift Bank. We’ve already begun distributing some of the items to our Healthy Families participants who often come to us greatly in need of the kind of items you’ve supplied. Thanks again to Kids Wish Network for this donation. We’re so pleased to be working in partnership with you to help our program participants have a brighter holiday season!
- Pasco Kids First

The ancient African proverb states, “It Takes A Village To Raise A Child”. We never claim to be “the village” but in conjunction with these big-hearted organizations, we hope to make a difference not just during the holiday season, but all year round!

~Susan
Facility Coordinator

Alicia
Editorial Department

Following an early breakfast, we headed down to the “Santa Train”, which turned out to be a very beautiful old Blue Train. It was sitting patiently waiting for us at the station behind the Kingsport Chamber of Commerce. When the ‘Food City’ trucks pulled up, everyone joined in and got to work loading the train with all the toys and food which had been packed in bins the previous evening.

When I first boarded the train, it looked very roomy and I wondered why everyone who had taken this trip before talked about what little space we would have on Saturday. Well, it didn’t take long for me to see why! The bins holding the gift bags for the boys and girls were stacked high and they blocked out all the light coming in from the windows. We also had tables full of larger toys that would not fit in the gift bags and would also need to be handed out. Then there was another carriage full of food bins and another carriage from which we would be constantly replenishing our supply to pass out. I was really starting to get excited!

So, while we went to lunch, the train departed Kingsport to make its way to Pikeville, KY where we would meet up with it the following day. But, just to recap on lunch, it turns out that I’m a ‘Southern Food’ lover! What delicious tasting food.

Back at the hotel, there was work to be done and I happily joined the CSX girls in their preparation for the big day. More volunteers started to arrive late in the afternoon and over dinner that evening I got to know some new friends that I would be working closely with on Saturday. It was fun! They even had a Christmas tree in the room which was very festive! Don’t I have a hard job? LOL

Stay tuned in to read the next installment…

Ashley
Distribution Department

The last Holiday of Hope party we hosted there was a huge success! I’ve heard about some of the activities our Facility Coordinators have planned for this coming Saturday and I simply can’t wait to hear all about it when they get back in on Monday!

We’ve sent the hospital a “gift bank” of toys and gifts worth hundreds of thousands of dollars for the sick children there and I’m eagerly waiting to hear the stories of how happy the kids are. I can practically see all those smiling faces now!

I’m sure it’s going to be a big hit that’ll be tons of fun for everyone involved, especially the kids. It really is all for them and they truly deserve it.

Stay tuned for when the girls get back. They’ll be so full of great stories that they’ll be eager to blog about them!

Shelley
Executive Director

What happened next is one of the many reasons I do what I do; I got to tell everyone WHY I work at Kids Wish Network. It’s such a wonderful and rewarding feeling to fund wishes for these very special children, I told them. It’s great to give them a glimmer of happiness that they will never forget. I learn about new places and towns I otherwise never would have heard of.

I really enjoy telling people about what I do at work all day: helping to make wishes come true for hundreds of children.

How many people in this world can say that?

Megan
Development Department

Melissa
Development Department

Alicia
Editorial Department

Day 1: Food City in Kingsport, Tennessee

Following an early flight, I finally arrived in Kingsport, Tennessee. What an amazing sight to see when we pulled into the car park at their local Food City. All I could see was mountains of toys, our toys! This packing event has been a tradition in these parts for many years now and they knew exactly what they were doing. What wonderful people! To the “uneducated eye” it might appear chaotic but boy did they have a system going. We packed 5,000 gift bags for boys and girls in approx. 3 hours. I felt so proud to see all the wonderful toys that KWN donated being packed into these Santa Train Gift Bags.

People were constantly thanking me, as the KWN representative, and complimenting us on the size of our donation and the wonderful variety of quality toys this year. Jamie from Food City, who has been involved in this event for the past seven years, said that donations were so low this year that without our donation, they would have been in big trouble. Apart from packing toys, Food City also had volunteers packing their donated food items for the train. There were a lot of smiles and laughter and everywhere there was an overall “feel good” atmosphere. It was dark when we finally came up for air after the job was done. It was an amazing thing to see everyone come together for this wonderful holiday tradition with a common goal: to reach out to the less fortunate, in particular the children and families of the Appalachians, and make their holidays a little brighter.

Stay tuned for Day 2…

Ashley
Distribution Department

For many people, Thanksgiving is about food, family and spending time with the ones they love. It is a time to remember what is important and to give thanks for all the ways they have been blessed.

Thanksgiving is such an awesome holiday. It is a day to slow down and take a look at all the wonderful things we have. It is a chance to escape from the toils of daily life – and the struggles we face each day – and truly be happy for what we have.

I try to remember what is important on a daily basis. I always like to think about the positive things in my life, and not get caught up in the snares of the world. But sometimes it is hard to focus on the good things, especially when you feel like there are too many problems you are facing.

Working at Kids Wish Network for the past five months has put life into a new perspective for me. I talk to so many different families who are struggling with issues that make my worries seem menial. Their strength and courage is truly a testament to the kind of people they are and the kind of faith they have.

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful for not having to face the issues that families across this country deal with every day. I know that there will be curveballs thrown at me in the future, and for that, I am thankful that I am working here because I will remember the ability of our families to pull through the tough times and maybe it will help me do the same.

Elizabeth
Wish Department