Residents at SMP Health - Ave Maria donate to Make-A-Wish North Dakota
Apr. 27—JAMESTOWN — The Community Service Group at SMP Health — Ave Maria presented $600 this week to Billi Jo Zielinski, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish North Dakota.
It was the latest project taken on by the small group of residents, which started in 2022 as the result of a resident's desire to help St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.
"This is unique," Zielinski said after accepting the donation. "This is my first time coming to an assisted living center and I think that's awesome."
To raise the $600, the residents made hot and cold packs, which were given away for a freewill donation. They made aprons and fudge and sold them as well.
The Community Service Group is made up of five to 10 residents, said Peggy Widmer, Ave Maria activities director. One of those members, Laverne Morlock, has participated in a number of projects, she said. She helped make the hot and cold packs for the Make-A-Wish North Dakota fundraiser.
"To help other people," she said as to why she participates in the group.
Widmer said the residents were active in their communities and wanted to give back to the community.
Zielinksi said the donation will make a difference to children.
"Donations like this from caring individuals — I just love that they were service leaders in their communities before coming to SMP Health — Ave Maria and that they're still giving back in their lives and they're giving to kids who need a little boost in their lives," she said. "So this $600 will boost wish experiences. ... it could help for an excursion or buy some life jackets for a pontoon wish or computer gaming equipment. So every dollar counts and every dollar truly makes a difference."
The members of the Community Service Group decide what project to do, Widmer said, and are supported by Ave Maria staff. The projects have included making pillowcase dresses for little girls and hygiene kits that were sent to Africa through Orphan Grain Train, making dog and cat beds for the James River Humane Society, baking cookies for A Moment of Freedom's bake sale and making little hearts for the NICU at Sanford Medical Center in Fargo. They have purchased sandwiches and drinks for the Jamestown Police Department and raised money for St. Jude Children's Hospital and Running of the Pink.
The work of the group hasn't gone unnoticed. After learning about their projects, Gov. Doug Burgum wrote a letter to the group in March, recognizing their efforts.
"As your list of compelling causes and projects suggests, your willingness to share your talents, energy and time to improve lives, express gratitude and empower others is inspiring and testament to a generation instilled with the desire to help one another be successful," he wrote. ...The commitment you have made as a group, and as individuals, reflects a mindset of compassion, action and leadership that reminds each of us that our ability to change the course of someone's life is a choice we make every single day."
Widmer said the group's next project is expected to be raising funds for Running of the Pink in June.
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Billi Jo Zielinski, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish North Dakota, said the nonprofit helps kids from 2 1/2 years old to 18 years old who have a condition that is a critical illness, not necessarily terminal but that may place the child's life in jeopardy at the time of referral is eligible for a wish.
"We grant about 50 kids their wishes each year across the state of North Dakota and there's a need for people to make sure we're reaching every eligible child in Jamestown and beyond," she said.
Volunteers such as Toni Wegenast in Jamestown and others are part of that wish journey for families, she said. They visit with the family and child to discover what would give them the most hope and joy during their diagnosis.
"If you know of anyone who is having a benefit for a kiddo who may have cancer or if you are a medical professional, a school nurse, a social worker, a doctor, whoever may have information about a child's condition and they haven't been introduced or even if they have been introduced to Make-A-Wish, making sure that they know about our programs so we can walk alongside them and just give them a chance to be a kid again and give them the opportunity to decide what would give them the most joy," Zielinski said.
Make-A-Wish has granted 1,100 children their wishes since the chapter was founded in 1985, she said.
People can also help through in-kind support such as donating airline miles and following them on social media to learn about events.
Zielinski said helping also gives people joy.
"I think that's what I've been discovering over this last decade of being part of Make-A-Wish is that it really does bring you happiness to be a part of something bigger than yourselves," she said. "And whether you are a kindergartener or living in an assisted living center you still want to add value to your community and I think that is a really amazing thing that we give an opportunity for people to give through Make-A-Wish to the kids and families that we serve."
To volunteer or for more information,
or call (701) 280-9474 or 800-362-9474.
