This past June a group from the Delphi United Methodist Church went on a mission trip to Give Kids the World in Kissimmee, Florida. Give Kids the World is a non-profit organization serving terminally ill children between the ages 3-18 and their families all around the world. The organization and its 84 acre village was established in 1986 by Henri Landwirth, a holocaust survivor. Mr. Landwirth started the village because of a little girl named Amy who had leukemia. Amy wished to go to the Orlando theme parks. Henri Landwirth, who was a hotelier, agreed to give Amy and her family a complimentary stay, but the remainder of her travel plans took too long to arrange and her wish was never granted. Amy passed away. This inspired Mr. Landwirth to make a vow that no child in need would ever be failed again. His desire was to ensure that Amy’s story would never repeat itself.

Since 1986, Give Kids the World has served over 154,000 families and continues to do so. With a child’s visit, they get free accommodations to the villas, tickets to different theme parks, meals, and entertainment throughout the day at the village. Volunteers help work with the children at the different buildings throughout the village. The building include The Castle, is where children make a wish and then Stellar the fairy puts it up in the castle where it stays forever. La-Ti-Da Spa is a place where children can go get their faces painted, airbrush tattoos, hair dyed and a manicure. Towne Hall is where the children and their families eat all of their meals and where they have different parties throughout the week. . When working at these places, volunteers get to interact with the children and develop bonds that will be cherished forever.

The week that the teens from Delphi United Methodist spent there was very emotional, yet humbling the families there radiate with optimism, it brings a smile to your face, making you want to stay there forever. If you have never thought about volunteer work, I encourage you to definitely consider doing so at Give Kids the World. Dacota Shockley stated, “It is was one of the best weeks in my entire life because I was able to center myself around kids.” I was fortunate enough to be one of the volunteers this summer. That one week changed my mindset on life entirely as I watched these children embrace life even though they don’t know when their last day might come. I challenge you to try not to rush your week at school. Try not to count down the days to Friday. Instead, cherish each and every day that you have. Think about those children that might not get those days in between and live life in the moment.

The link for Give Kids the World is : http://www.gktw.org/