Make a Wish!

We've all heard of organizations that step in to help grant wishes for terminally ill children - but did you know that there are also groups who do the same thing for senior citizens nearing life's end?

Jeremy Bloom's Wish of a Lifetime
One such organization, Jeremy Bloom's Wish of a Lifetime, makes wishes come true for low-income seniors. According to a letter from the group's founder, former NFL football player and two-time Olympic skier Jeremy Bloom, "Most elderly men and woman have something in their life that they have always wanted to do or see, but because the majority of their discretionary income and lifelong savings goes toward paying medical bills or other expenses, they are often not able to live out these dreams. The JBWOL foundation wish fulfillment program aims to change that, creating opportunities to ensure each of these very special wishes can come true."

The JWBOL has fulfilled wishes ranging from providing craft and scrapbooking supplies to sending a group of World War II and Korean War veterans to visit the war memorials in Washington, D.C.

Twilight Wish Foundation
The mission of the Twilight Wish Foundation is "to honor and enrich the lives of deserving seniors through wish granting celebrations that connect generations." Recently, the Twilight Wish Foundation has provided hearing aids to an elderly woman with profound hearing loss and organized a pregame tailgate party at a longtime Philadelphia Eagles fan's nursing home. The group grants wishes ranging from basic needs and comfort items to granting final wishes.

Forever Young
Founded in 2006, Forever Young's mission is to honor senior citizens by helping them fulfill their dreams and giving them hope for the future. Among granting other wishes, the organization has helped an elderly mother travel to meet her dying son, arranged for a WWII pilot to sit in a modern airplane and discuss technology changes, arranged a first-ever date for a 79-year-old paralyzed woman, provided an electronic wheelchair to a man with only one functioning arm and leg, granted a final romantic vacation to a husband and wife of 63 years and helped a Pearl Harbor survivor return to Hawaii to be reunited with his ship and fallen comrades.

Each organization's Web site - we've provided links to all of them - post wish applications online. We encourage you to visit each site to learn more about honoring a beloved senior citizen!