Elderly Worcester County residents may get the chance to fulfill lifelong dreams through the Twilight Wish Foundation, a program dedicated to granting the desires of seniors who meet eligibility requirements.
The graphic for Twilight Wish Foundation is pictured.
Graphic courtesy Twilight Wish Foundation Worcester County Facebook
By Tara Fischer, Staff Writer
Elderly Worcester County residents may get the chance to fulfill lifelong dreams through the Twilight Wish Foundation, a program dedicated to granting the desires of seniors who meet eligibility requirements.
Similar to the Make-A-Wish Foundation, which fulfills the wishes of seriously ill children, the Twilight Wish Foundation grants the wishes of those 65 and above or permanent residents of an eldercare facility who meet the poverty threshold. Local chapter director and founder Carolyn Dryzga brought the program to Worcester County in March.
The original organization was started in 2003 by Cass Forkin in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. According to the official website, the idea was conceived when the founder “witnessed a group of three senior ladies paying for an inexpensive brunch at a diner by counting their dollars and cents.”
Forkin paid their check and was graciously thanked by the older women. The do-gooder claimed that the ladies were surprised to receive kindness, which inspired Forkin to focus on ensuring young people give back to the aging community. As such, the Twilight Wish Foundation was born.
The website describes the initiative’s goal as making the world a “nicer place to age.”
“A Twilight Wish granted recognizes seniors for all that they have done throughout their lives and shows them they are appreciated and of value to society,” the national chapter’s online page reads. “Wishes can connect a senior to many things: a lost passion, such as getting their book published; people they haven’t seen in years, such as siblings separated for over ten years being reunited in their 90s; and rediscovering their purpose in life, such as returning to the classroom to read to students one more time. Every wish we grant is helping to build a culture that values and respects our senior population.”
Twilight Wish grants various types of wants and necessities, Dryzga said. There are simple needs wishes, which provide items like clothing, hearing aids, appliances, and lift chairs; “celebrating life wishes,” which facilitate family reunions and hometown visits for hospice and limited life expectancy patients; and “living life to the fullest” wishes. These include riding a motorcycle, publishing a book, meeting a celebrity, or attending a sporting event. The program also focuses on veterans’ wishes, as one-third of all recipients are former military personnel.
The foundation has already fulfilled many wishes this summer through multiple chapters nationwide. The program helped a lifelong Elvis fan visit Graceland, facilitated a Yankee stadium and clubhouse tour, provided new reclining lift chairs, and assisted in a visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC.
As of 2024, the organization has 20 active chapters throughout the United States. On March 26 of this year, Dryzga officially founded a Worcester County division in partnership with the Worcester County Commission on Aging, a group that works to “enhance the quality of life for all older Worcester County citizens by managing community-based senior programs.”
Dryzga, also a member of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Ocean Pines and Ocean City, said she learned of the Twilight Wish Foundation through her daughter and son-in-law.
“I was immediately interested and knew it was something I could do for the rest of my life,” she said. “…The habit of caring for elderly family members has started to disappear.”
The local chapter just granted a wish on Wednesday, July 17, to an 80-year-old Worcester County Development Center client. Entertainer Amber Fraser of Amberlina’s Adventures dressed up in a Minnie Mouse costume so the living facility resident could fulfill her dream of interacting with the Disney character.
Two men from the same center will get the chance to ride in a hot rod in August. Dryzga, responsible for identifying eligible recipients and organizing logistics, said that she had secured a 1929 Ford Roadster or a 1929 Ford Sedan for the occasion from Ocean City Cruzers Club member Ronnie Young. The exact date is yet to be determined.
On the horizon, a 98-year-old World War II veteran will visit the Iwo Jima monument in Arlington, Virginia. Dryzga said this wish is still a work in progress, but she is nailing down arrangements to make it happen.
Grantees must be at least 65, a United States citizen, have an annual income of less than 200% of the current federal poverty level, or be residents of a nursing or assisted living facility, and have the cognitive and physical capacity to receive the wish.
“The poverty level established by the government is around $30k,” the Worcester County chapter director said. “Some elderly individuals only receive social security, and that’s it. It is tough to do something nice for yourself with that.”
The Twilight Wish Foundation also prefers individuals with a history of giving back through community or family.
Dryzga said that 6,000 wishes have been granted since the foundation began in Pennsylvania. Currently, the collective national chapters fulfill desires on average once a day.
The Worcester County branch founder maintains that the program is a “wonderful opportunity to put smiles on the faces of our elder community.”
Individuals looking to get involved in the Worcester County chapter of the Twilight Wish Foundation can contact Dryzga directly at twfworcoa@gamil.com or by calling 302-889-0040 or 215-519-3670.