We started bright and early this morning. We left the hotel by 6:15am in order to arrive at Give Kids the World by 7:00am. I discovered that mornings are the busiest times around the village; therefore it’s the optimum time to interact with the families. I was assigned to the castle, and it has been my favorite shift so far! It was full of sentimental moments as I helped the wish children decorate their golden stars and shake loose their pillows from the sleepy pillow tree. After decorating their stars, they place them in a magical chest where Stellar, the star fairy, retrieves them and places them on the castle ceiling. The families can return as soon as the next day to locate the wish child’s star. They also receive a “Star Passport” that contains a bar code in which I scanned to retrieve digital photos from their stay at Give Kids the World. This may seem like a simple service provided by GKTW, but it was quite impactful. The families have so much to keep track of such as children, wheelchairs, and toys. It’s great that the village relieves them from carrying a camera as well.
As a part of the pillow tree ceremony, the volunteers are responsible for choosing a pattern of pillow that matches the child’s personality. I loved this part, because it was like giving a personalized present to the wish child. From a stock room full of various patterned pillows, I dug through the shelves to find the perfect on for each wish child. Seeing them find their carefully chosen pillow hidden in the tree trunk made my entire day. They were all so excited for various reasons. Tillman was pumped, because his pillow was covered in safari animals. Ariana was ecstatic, because her’s was pink. Rylan was all smiles, because his was printed with rocket ships. This simple process of picking pillows allowed me to learn the kids’ names, observe their interests, and begin building a relationship with them. It was a very special event not only for the families, but for the volunteers as well. I hope to continue strengthening my bonds with these wonderful kids as I work in other areas.
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