Volunteering at Give Kids The World Village

Bob, Bob, John & me

Once a week the village
celebrates Christmas

 I always want and try to do something which can make a difference. Last year our company JNELC, raised $2,180 for Give Kids the World (GKTW) at our Asian reception in Hong Kong and since then, I wanted to volunteer at the village.

So, before the IAAPA exhibition in Orlando, I had an amazing opportunity to volunteer for 6 days at GKTW Village!

I would like to say a huge thank you to my company JNELC and also my Managing Director Jeroen Nijpels for supporting me on this.

I was very blessed to be able to volunteer at the GKTW village, and everyday I was there, I used to come back to my hotel room with a big smile. 

I smiled a lot there, as it was not possible to have any other emotion. It was truly a magical place. I loved every second that I have spent there.  

Running JJ's Train

I learned how to operate most of the rides in the village and the train was my most favourite. I used to love seeing kids running towards the train with their big eyes full of joy and happiness, wanting to be at the front seat as a driver and they used to get their parents to be their passengers. There was not a single child who didn’t want to ride the train again and again. The most wonderful thing is that all the rides in the village have wheelchair accessibility, so everyone has the chance to enjoy these moments. 

Till today I feel grateful for this amazing opportunity and these smiles and laughs will stay forever in my heart! It is such a heart warming feeling.

GKTW sign at the entrance

I also met many great people who were volunteers at the Village. There was a girl who came all the way from Germany to volunteer for the whole year!

I was the biggest fan of three senior gentlemen.

Aminata (volunteering for one year)

One of these beautiful mornings, I was volunteering with two Bob’s and John and all of them were over 70’s. What impressed me the most is how much love and dedication they put for this Village. Bob number one came all the way from New York to volunteer at the village and at the time he was telling me how excited he was as his wife who was 70 was going to come and volunteer with him. Bob number two, was showing me how many thank you letters he received from different families for doing what he is doing with all his heart for the past three years. This magical place is not just magical for families who stay there it is also magical for the volunteers!

I am just really thankful for this volunteering opportunity and for meeting all these amazing people who are making a difference.

Last but not the least, I would like to thank Steven Amos from GKTW. I had a chance to decorate one of the villas in the village for Christmas and helped them in arranging medals for “IAAPA Charity 5K Run and 1 Mile Walk, Footprints from the Heart 2018”. 

With GKTW amazing people

Getting the medals ready 
for the race

Volunteering at Twinkle Hope’s
Rockin’ Spa

Once again thank you! 

I treasure these moments and I hope to be back this year.

Give Kids The World Village is a nonprofit resort in Kissimmee, Florida, USA for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families.  Children between ages of 3 and 18 who have been diagnosed with a life-threatening illness by a licensed doctor are eligible for a GKTW wish. The resort's focus is providing accommodations and access to donated park tickets.

GKTW village was founded by Henri Landwirth, a Belgian who immigrated to the United States after surviving the Auschwitz and Matthausen concentration camps.

The Story of GKTW begins with a little girl named Amy, a wish, and the desire of one man to make that wish come true.
Amy had leukemia and a wish to visit Orlando's theme parks. To facilitate this wish, a respected hotelier was asked to provide a complimentary stay for Amy and her family. Although the hotelier gladly obliged, the remainder of Amy's travel plans took too long to arrange, and her wish was never granted. Time simply ran out, and Amy had passed away.
This unfulfilled wish inspired the hotelier to make a vow that no child in need would ever be failed again. That man was Henri Landwirth, and his desire to ensure that Amy's story would never repeat itself is a mission Give Kids The World has fulfilled since 1986.

Source www.gktw.org/about/