One wish to change a life: The activist making dreams come true for foster kids
Every year, over half a million children in the United States spend time in the foster system. Although the care is temporary, it does not need to equal short-term love. Danielle Gletow is dedicating her life to help these children feel supported. “Every single bit of kindness matters,” she says.
Gletow and her husband Joe began a family by fostering kids. During this process, she realised that children in the system needed more than just their basic needs met. To thrive, kids require confidence, the courage to dream, and a firm foundation from which to build their futures. So Gletow founded One Simple Wish. The online platform allows users to crowdfund items like new clothes, season passes to theme parks, and tablets for kids and young adults. “You can always make a foster child’s life better, even if you can’t provide a home,” Gletow says. With each wish granted, a child’s faith in the goodness of people is restored.
Impacting others is not always defined by grand gestures, but small displays of love. “It’s not all about the wishes,” Gletow says. “It’s about creating a space for foster kids’ voices to be amplified.” By empowering the children to speak up and make their desires known, their self-belief grows. “Kids can accomplish incredible things when they feel loved, heard, and seen,” Gletow says. Nurturing vulnerable children into grounded grown-ups is not just wishful thinking, but a reality.
