Volunteering at GKTW

[Dismom+two]

I mentioned to DH that I would love to volunteer to GKTW next time we were down in Florida, he asked me to send him the link so he could read about the place. He told me this morning to go and fill out the volunteer application...I reminded him that we have no trip planned and I meant NEXT time we go.
He told me that he has a free plane ticket that will be expiring so it needs to be used so GO and fill out the application.

SO...I am going to go and do that right now!!

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Very cool!!!

 

[Dismom+two]

Very cool!!!

Dave...your the one that did the segment aren't you?
It was actually your tour that inspired me. What a nice job you did.
I have found on facebook the GKTW and I sign on as a fan. One of my friends from high school that I just recently reunited with back about a year ago told me that he and his family was blessed to spend a week there. His daughter has a heart condition and through Make a Wish...they were able to stay there. So now it has hit a bit closer to home and I want to give some time to help.

 

[bawstngrl]

I am not sure it is something you can do on a trip......I did look into it this and was told
1)you have to fill out an app. (can be done online)
2)Then you have an interview and have to attend one of the monthly orientations. After that they place you in weekly or monthly shifts.

They may have a program for people who want to come and spend time there ....you can contact them and see

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Dave...your the one that did the segment aren't you?
It was actually your tour that inspired me. What a nice job you did.

Thank you very much. I was pretty inspired by the place myself. I'm looking into leading a volunteer trip myself. Let me know how it goes.

 

[crazytp93]

I am thinking of volunteering while I'm down there in April. Does anyone have the link?

 

[Dismom+two]

I am not sure it is something you can do on a trip......I did look into it this and was told
1)you have to fill out an app. (can be done online)
2)Then you have an interview and have to attend one of the monthly orientations. After that they place you in weekly or monthly shifts.

They may have a program for people who want to come and spend time there ....you can contact them and see

They do have something called Voluntourist...that you can volunteer a day or two while you are in the area. I am going to fill it out and send it in and see what happens. It doesn't hurt to look into it.
I have no problems cleaning tables after breakfast or dinner...which is something that Dave mentioned on the segment.

 

[bawstngrl]

They do have something called Voluntourist...that you can volunteer a day or two while you are in the area.

That is cool.....seems like it is easier to volunteer if you are NOT in the Orlando area...LOL

 

[Teddys~Mom]

I lurk on this forum constantly but have never posted. I want to say thank you to the OP and to all others who've done it or are considering doing it. My son and I spent a week there in 1994 and it was a truly blessed experience. This spirit of volunteerism here is beyond unique. It inspired a life long love of Disney in my DS and even his doctors all agree that he is better for his visits to WDW. He has outlived his prognosis by eight years so far, he turns 19 in a few months.

Now if I can just figure out a way to get our insurance company to cover the trips as a therapy....LOL I tried attaching a pic of him on our last trip but I need to make more posts first. Damn my lurking behaviors...

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

I am thinking of volunteering while I'm down there in April. Does anyone have the link?

Here you go.

http://www.gktw.org/volunteer.asp?a=2

 

[Dismom+two]

I lurk on this forum constantly but have never posted. I want to say thank you to the OP and to all others who've done it or are considering doing it. My son and I spent a week there in 1994 and it was a truly blessed experience. This spirit of volunteerism here is beyond unique. It inspired a life long love of Disney in my DS and even his doctors all agree that he is better for his visits to WDW. He has outlived his prognosis by eight years so far, he turns 19 in a few months.

Now if I can just figure out a way to get our insurance company to cover the trips as a therapy....LOL I tried attaching a pic of him on our last trip but I need to make more posts first. Damn my lurking behaviors...

I am really happy that you have come out of your lurking...welcome to the posting world!!
It's wonderful that your son is doing well.
I wish I lived closer that I could volunteer on a weekly basis. I think it's great what GKTW is doing and I am sure without so many volunteers...they would not be able to do it so easily. I feel by helping out this way..its the least I can do.

 

[maroo]

I lurk on this forum constantly but have never posted. I want to say thank you to the OP and to all others who've done it or are considering doing it. My son and I spent a week there in 1994 and it was a truly blessed experience. This spirit of volunteerism here is beyond unique. It inspired a life long love of Disney in my DS and even his doctors all agree that he is better for his visits to WDW. He has outlived his prognosis by eight years so far, he turns 19 in a few months.

Now if I can just figure out a way to get our insurance company to cover the trips as a therapy....LOL I tried attaching a pic of him on our last trip but I need to make more posts first. Damn my lurking behaviors...

Yeah...a trip to Disney may be cheaper than therapy!! Especially that water therapy they have us doing occasionally! We should talk to our insurance company about that!

I am so glad your son is doing well.

We just went to GKTW on a Wish Trip in Oct and it was wonderful.

We ran into several volunteers that were there just for the day. There are lots of things you can do that really help them (or seem to!) that require none, if any, training. There is probably mostly training in knowing how to help the kids, what to say, not to say, etc.

I mean...you can help, even if you don't know how to make a banana split yet!! Our volunteer got to make his first ever banana split for me and it was YUMMY!!

Thank you all...for volunteering! And giving to GKTW...it means so much to all of the families!!

 

[grumblegrumble]

what ages do you have to be to volunteer?

 

[Jacksmom99]

what ages do you have to be to volunteer?

I think you have to be at least 12. At least that's what it looks like on the info from the website. Jack (DS9) and I really wanted to look into our whole family doing this on next year's Christmas trip. I can't think of a better Christmas gift to give my kids than having them experience volunteering at such a special organization. DH was really moved when he learned about this organization a few years ago, and has talked about volunteering there when we retire. Once I heard Dave's report, I started thinking about the whole family doing it. However, DS and DD are too young, so I'm not sure how we can get it done.

Kim

 

[Teddys~Mom]

I am really happy that you have come out of your lurking...welcome to the posting world!!
It's wonderful that your son is doing well.
I wish I lived closer that I could volunteer on a weekly basis. I think it's great what GKTW is doing and I am sure without so many volunteers...they would not be able to do it so easily. I feel by helping out this way..its the least I can do.

Thank you! It's nice to post. I did used to post under the name Densgirl but since the divorce...lol...it no longer makes sense. I was still fairly lurker-ish, however.

We were just so blown away that a place like this existed and was predominantly run by volunteers and donations. As a family with a chronically ill child, it was nice to see so much good in the world. It not only restored DS's faith but really, some of my own too.

 

[Teddys~Mom]

Yeah...a trip to Disney may be cheaper than therapy!! Especially that water therapy they have us doing occasionally! We should talk to our insurance company about that!

I am so glad your son is doing well.

We just went to GKTW on a Wish Trip in Oct and it was wonderful.

We ran into several volunteers that were there just for the day. There are lots of things you can do that really help them (or seem to!) that require none, if any, training. There is probably mostly training in knowing how to help the kids, what to say, not to say, etc.

I mean...you can help, even if you don't know how to make a banana split yet!! Our volunteer got to make his first ever banana split for me and it was YUMMY!!

Thank you all...for volunteering! And giving to GKTW...it means so much to all of the families!!

I love the pictures of your family and you and your daughter. She is beautiful! Yes, I can't say enough either about our visit there.

Hee hee, lets band together and try to get insurance companies to recognize the powerful force of Disney! Now that sounds like a good use of our time and energy, huh? LOL

He has his good and bad days but on his really bad days you can almost always find him going over his Disney spreadsheets. One of our doctors swears it's very healthy for him to always have a trip in the offing. Gives him something to strive towards and I sort of agree with that.

I hope your DD is doing well also

 

[maroo]

I love the pictures of your family and you and your daughter. She is beautiful! Yes, I can't say enough either about our visit there.

Hee hee, lets band together and try to get insurance companies to recognize the powerful force of Disney! Now that sounds like a good use of our time and energy, huh? LOL

He has his good and bad days but on his really bad days you can almost always find him going over his Disney spreadsheets. One of our doctors swears it's very healthy for him to always have a trip in the offing. Gives him something to strive towards and I sort of agree with that.

I hope your DD is doing well also

I do agree that Lauren is a beautiful girl...but I can not claim her as mine. I am "not the Momma" ... at least that is what they call me. They sometimes call me their "aunt" because they get tired of explaining my relationship to their family...which really is none! I am just their friend. Lauren's mom, Lisa, is my best friend and I am Lauren's assistant sometimes at night and on the weekends when her Mom is at work (and her Dad is taking care of her little brother).

We have a whole TR...our Wish Trip...link below. It was a magical trip.

Lauren has severe, progressive CP. She is losing her strength fairly rapidly and almost died after her last surgery, so her doctor signed her up!

My "day job" is working to follow up on insurance claims (for cancer patients - adults)...so I know way too much about them not wanting to pay claims! We fight with them regularly on Lauren's, too...so I am ready to try to convince them!! Disney IS therapy, people!

Have you ever visited our Wish Trippers Unite thread? We have current Wish Families and past Wish families that post. We talk Disney, Wish Trip planning AND about all of those medical things we have in common.

Here is a link to the thread...

Wish Trippers Unite Thread

We really are a little sub-community on the Dis!

I am glad your son is doing well. I think we ALL should ALWAYS have a trip in the works! And I also plan with some serious spreadsheets! Isn't that why they made Excel?

 

[Teddys~Mom]

I do agree that Lauren is a beautiful girl...but I can not claim her as mine. I am "not the Momma" ... at least that is what they call me. They sometimes call me their "aunt" because they get tired of explaining my relationship to their family...which really is none! I am just their friend. Lauren's mom, Lisa, is my best friend and I am Lauren's assistant sometimes at night and on the weekends when her Mom is at work (and her Dad is taking care of her little brother).

We have a whole TR...our Wish Trip...link below. It was a magical trip.

Lauren has severe, progressive CP. She is losing her strength fairly rapidly and almost died after her last surgery, so her doctor signed her up!

My "day job" is working to follow up on insurance claims (for cancer patients - adults)...so I know way too much about them not wanting to pay claims! We fight with them regularly on Lauren's, too...so I am ready to try to convince them!! Disney IS therapy, people!

Have you ever visited our Wish Trippers Unite thread? We have current Wish Families and past Wish families that post. We talk Disney, Wish Trip planning AND about all of those medical things we have in common.

Here is a link to the thread...

Wish Trippers Unite Thread

We really are a little sub-community on the Dis!

I am glad your son is doing well. I think we ALL should ALWAYS have a trip in the works! And I also plan with some serious spreadsheets! Isn't that why they made Excel?

Silly me! Not to self, check out the information in people's siggies a littlemore clearly. How sweet that you do so much for Lauren and her family. I know if it weren't for my close friends I'd have probably lost it a long time ago Thanks for that link, I'll check it out!

Now that I finally have enough posts....here is the handsome Teddy at the F&W Festival last year.

 

[Jennygt]

I feel so lucky that my son is healthy. I would love to volunteer during our next trip. Thanks for sharing all of your stories. I am going to check out the application and order my Tshirt today!

 

[DWFan4Life]

This would be a great idea. Thanks for this information, I will try to convince my DS to volunteer if he wants to help.

Have a nice day.