United Way of Greater New Bedford, Fun 107, & WBSM are once again teaming up to fulfill Holiday Wishes for families and individuals on the SouthCoast.
We are seeking nominations of families and individuals who have fallen on hard times due to loss of job, death or severe medical conditions of spouse or child, unanticipated bills that arise due to natural/unplanned disasters, etc. The ideal nominee is someone who is active in the Greater New Bedford area, needs assistance beyond the services provided by traditional health and human service agencies, has realistic and obtainable needs, and is often reluctant to ask for help even in dire situations.
In past years, we’ve worked with families who have:
- A child with a rare genetic disorder in need of specialty medical equipment and therapy
- Fled a domestic violence situation and need to furnish an a apartment
- A pipe burst leading to sewage flooding their basement making the house unlivable until cleaned
- The need for a new fridge to keep insulin cold for a grandmother raising her granddaughter with diabetes
To be considered for Holidays Wishes, families/individuals must meet the following criteria and all pieces of the application must be submitted or application will be marked incomplete:
- Families/individuals must be willing to be photographed, video recorded and/or have their name stated on-air. (Anonymous nominations will be considered in the case of domestic violence and other sensitive situations.)
- Nominees must live in Acushnet, Dartmouth, Fairhaven, Fall River, Freetown, Marion, Mattapoisett, New Bedford, Rochester, Wareham, or Westport.
- All nominations must be submitted with at least 2 references. Only 1 of those letters may be from a family member and must be a minimum of 100 words.
- Nominees must exhibit a need that cannot be filled with traditional services provided by health and human service agencies and have an obtainable need that can be filled by Holiday Wishes.
- Nominations that demonstrate the family's community involvement may strengthen their chances of being selected.
Nominations must be fully submitted by October 31, 2022 to be considered, any incomplete applications will not be considered. Nominations received will be reviewed by a committee in November, 10 Families will be selected to have an in-person/zoom interview, 5 families will be selected to be featured during Holiday Wishes on Fun 107 and 1 will be selected to be featured as the Mini Miracle on WBSM. United Way will contact selected nominees. Please do not reach out to Fun 107 or WBSM, all questions should be directed to United Way of Greater New Bedford – 508-994-9625 or vgrasela@unitedwayofgnb.org.