Skills by Wishes: The kick-off

Becoming a wish fulfiller

On September 30, 2023, Saar’s wish became reality. It was not only an unforgettable day for her but also for ITsPeople and everyone involved in realizing Saar’s wish! To be part of a wish fulfillment form A-Z was very special. Make-A-Wish has so many inspiring initiatives for organizations and individuals. After the Business Challenge, ITsPeople was eager to contribute even more, and passionately in search of the next adventure to add value. It was back to the classroom to participate in the Skills by Wishes program!  

What is Skills by Wishes? 
Skills by Wishes is a training program from Make-A-Wish in which you are trained to become a wish fulfiller. The training lasts four months with a time investment of approximately 25 hours. The classroom was not only filled by ITsPeople colleagues but also by employees from Rabobank. The classroom was divided in groups of four people where each individual got their own role. From Creative to Organizer and from Networker to Connector.  

ITsJudith: from creative to connector  
ITsPeople colleague Judith is not only one of the most positive and colorful people you will ever meet but she is also extremely creative. She is impressed by the concept of Make-A-Wish. Very strong marketing, good brand awareness, the willingness of people to contribute and of course a beautiful mission. Therefore, she was more than happy to take a look behind the scenes by participating in Skills by Wishes. Normally the role Creative would suit her best. For this process she chose to step out of her comfort zone and went for the role Connector. In the role of connector, you are the contact person between the wish child and family, and the team that will fulfill the wish. Finding the connection and keeping the connection is something that comes naturally for Judith. The challenge was especially the emotional rollercoaster accompanying this process and letting go of your own perspective.  

What does a wish journey look like?  
A wish journey is the experience, from the beginning to the end, of the most desired wish with the wish fulfillment itself as highlight. Counting down the days to the actual wish fulfillment but also the after-experience to preserve the memory as long as possible are part of this! Counting down the days can for example be done by an advent calendar, where until the day of the wish fulfillment, a box can be opened with a hint or present. The after-experience can be done by a photobook or an after-movie for example. The ultimate goal is to give a child with a critical illness a day away from “the world of being ill” and experience the most desired wish fulfillment.  

Wish designing: the most desired wish, at the right moment, with the right ingredients 
The Skills by Wishes kick-off has taken place and Judith and her team are working towards creating the most unforgettable wish fulfillment. In the design of the wish (wish designing), all roles within the Skills by Wishes program are combined to create the best possible wish fulfillment. It starts with a creative idea which will be tested with all involved parties, such as partner organizations, the parents and where possible the wish child itself. During this whole process the wish team is the linking pin between all parties to create the most desired wish, at the right moment, with the all the right ingredients.  

Judith and her team are passionately working towards understanding what the most desired wish is and translating this into the most desired wish fulfillment. This will result in such a wonderful and indelible memory, that the illness and everything connected to it will not be the main theme, for the longest possible period, in the life and experience of the wish child.  

Would you like to participate in Skills by Wishes with your organization? Subscribe here! 

“The ultimate goal is to get the wish child out of the “world of being ill” for the longest time possible and experiencing the most desired wish fulfillment.” 

Judith Huis in ‘t Veld – Project Manager