Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia received a $5,000 First Federal Charitable Foundation grant it will use as a Wishmaker donation, which will completely underwrite the wish of a child living in Luzerne, Columbia, Schuylkill, or Carbon counties with a diagnosed life-threatening medical condition.
The $5,000 Wishmaker amount is the average cost of a wish and is derived from the cost of the organization's most popular wish request, a one-week trip to Disney World for a family of four. The entirety of all Wishmaker donations are used to fund the wish expenses.
Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia serves 57 counties in Pennsylvania and the entire state of West Virginia. Since 1983, the Northeast Pennsylvania chapter has fulfilled the wishes of more than 19,000 children.
Maggie O'Brien, the organization's Northeast PA Regional Manager, said that, although Make-A-Wish cannot cure a child, the organization has found that receiving wishes has a favorable effect on a child's attitude toward medical treatment.
“When a child receives a wish, he or she experiences excitement, happiness, and comfort. These emotions can work miracles. We have many examples of children going into remission and remaining healthy, leaving no doubt that our program can make a difference,” O'Brien said. “Now in our 40th year of granting wishes, and with more than 20,500 wishes fulfilled, we are proud to note that 82% of our wish kids are still alive. We have learned that where there is hope, all things are possible. The 2022 Wish Impact Study results provide quantitative data to lend credibility to what we have known anecdotally all along - that wishes have significant impact on mental and emotional health. By surveying a large majority of wish alumni, parents, and medical professionals, we now have statistical data to support our belief that wish experience contributes substantially to the physical, mental, and emotional health of our wish kids and families.”
Megan Kennedy, executive director of the First Federal Charitable Foundation said “Our foundation is honored to be able to help the Make-A-Wish foundation make a dream come true for the a family dealing with a serious health issue of a child.”
The Greater Pennsylvania West Virginia Make-A-Wish chapter was founded in 1983. It is the eighth chapter to be chartered since Make-A-Wish was founded and is currently the most active chapter, in terms of granting wishes, in the world. The chapter was the first to fulfill 700 wishes in a year and is the only one to reach its wish potential percentage. The organization anticipates fulfilling another 550 wishes this year alone.
The First Federal Charitable Foundation was established to support worthwhile community causes. It strives to nurture nonprofit institutions and programs that will effectively serve those in need from the community, empower nonprofit institutions and programs that will expand their presence in and services to the area, and promote opportunities for new nonprofit institutions and programs that will serve the unserved.
Nonprofit organizations with a 501(c)(3) IRS designation located in Luzerne, Schuylkill, Carbon and Columbia counties are eligible to apply. Any organization whose headquarters is in another county but services either Luzerne, Schuylkill, Carbon or Columbia counties may apply for a grant to be used in one of those counties.
For more information on the foundation or to obtain a grant application, email
CAPTION: Make-A-Wish Greater Pennsylvania and West Virginia received a $5,000 First Federal Charitable Foundation grant it will use as a Wishmaker donation for a child living in Luzerne, Columbia, Schuylkill, or Carbon counties. Pictured are Make-A-Wish children, from left: Landen, 8, who has cancer and wished to be a police officer; Jax, 7, who has a rare autoimmune disorder and wished to have kayak adventure gear; and Ana, 10, who has a blood disorder and wished for a playset.