IRES belongs to the Council of Multiple Listing Services–our very own Lauren Hansen was the 2017 president of the organization and regularly participates in conferences and workshops. This year, as part of the 2018 CMLS Conference Above and Beyond, the host MLS has chosen to support the Give Kids The World Village—a wish-fulfilling, fanciful, carefree retreat for children with life-threatening illnesses and their very deserving families and has issued a challenge to participating MLSs.
This charity is based in Orlando, Florida. While discussing among the IRES staffers, we were delighted to find out we have a personal connection with the organization!
IRES Resource Specialist Tiffany Thatcher shares her personal experience with the charity:
Give Kids the World Village is an amazing nonprofit resort, where kids with critical illness and their families can go to forget about their worries. The village provides families with a fully furnished villa, transportation, meals, and so much more. The amazing thing is, it is at no cost to the family. The Founder of the village was Henri Landwirth, a Holocaust survivor, who wanted to grant the wish to visit the theme parks in the Orlando area for a girl with leukemia named Amy. Henri wanted to create a place where kids can go to forget about the hospital visits and just be a kid. Henri’s dream and Amy’s wish have since turned into a wonderful place where I had the honor of volunteering.
I volunteered at Give Kids the World for about 3 years while I was working and interning for the Walt Disney World Resort. As a volunteer, I helped with things such as putting on plays or talent shows for the kids, and helping clean.
My favorite task was volunteering at the ice cream palace. Here, kids can get ice cream any time of the day. I had a little girl go in during the morning hours with her family and they were so excited to have ice cream for breakfast. I could tell that, for a brief moment, all their cares were gone. Her mother thanked all of the volunteers for their time and said, this is the first time in a LONG time that her family has felt normal and were able to rest. My time at Give Kids The World not only opened my eyes but opened my heart to how much the little things matter.
Give Kids the World Village lets every child that has stayed at the village put a star on the ceiling and it is truly amazing how many families the village has been able to help. I know our effort to help the Village will make a difference. Please consider making a donation to this cause, so that Amy’s wish can continue on for other children.
Please consider helping IRES support such a giving organization. You can help turn a wish into a star.
IRES MLS: Come Home to Colorado 