This holiday season, vipHomeLink is partnering with Make-A-Wish® to help fund more wishes for children with critical illnesses. From now through the end of this year, 100% of revenue associated with new annual vipHomeLink app sign-ups will be donated directly to Make-A-Wish.
To document this partnership, our production team headed to Monroe Township, New Jersey, to showcase The Samuel & Josephine Plumeri Wishing Place and explore how children’s wishes are granted.
Before dawn, our vipHomeLink team entered the majestic building to set up for what would be an exciting day of filming. vipHomeLink’s Vice President of Content Jeff Roos (dressed in vipHomeLink plaid) produced and directed the interviews with the help of his top-notch production crew.
Alfred Bentley, founder and CEO of vipHomeLink, started by explaining the essence and importance of Make-A-Wish’s mission (and yes, it’s personal).
“Make-A-Wish is an incredible organization,” said Bentley. “As the father of a wish child, I can attest firsthand what an amazing impact this dedicated team of professionals at Make-A-Wish has on the lives of so many children with critical illnesses.”
Next, we got a chance to speak with Tom Weatherall, the president & CEO of Make-A-Wish New Jersey, who explained how Make-A-Wish reaches up to 80% of children with critical illnesses in the Garden State. (ICYMI: Watch our video now to see how vipHomeLink and Make-A-Wish hope to give children hope this holiday season.)
“A wish creates an opportunity for hope and the ability to experience life beyond illness,” said Weatherall. “Our friends at vipHomeLink understand through personal experience the unique and meaningful impact of a wish.”
Our team also spoke with Senior Wish Coordinator Jennifer Bennett (pictured above) and Chief of Staff Chris Bogusz (pictured below) to learn the tremendous impact of Make-A-Wish has upon New Jersey’s children and how they manage to grant life-changing wishes.
“Wish kids needed a space to come to get their imagination stimulated and to get past their current situation of being in a hospital bed, hearing hospital machines, and having doctors and nurses come in,” said Bogusz. “They needed a magical place where they could go and dream up the most intense wish they could think of. That is one of the reasons this special place was built.”
“We use the word the term pretty loosely,” said Bennett. ” ‘Just come to the castle,’ and families don’t realize it is an actual castle. So when they come in, you can see the joy on their faces, realizing this space is for them.”
Caroline Brenneis, our digital lead and script supervisor, made sure we kept the message on point (and snapped the pictures of the stained glass windows and immersive décor for this blog. Thanks, Caroline!)
As vipHomeLink helps transform the way homeowners manage, organize, and maintain their home, we’re also hoping to help grant life-changing wishes to children with critical or life threatening illnesses. Help us by subscribing to an annual $48 membership, and we’ll donate 100% of the revenue directly to Make-A-Wish foundation of New Jersey.
Plus, we’ll help you take better care for your home through reminders and recommendations that improve safety and reduce the risk of insurance claims. vipHomeLink offers many engaging features, tailored maintenance alerts, and expert vipTIPS to simplify the experience of homeownership and help you enjoy your home.
“It’s our strong belief that a safer home is also a happier home,” said Bentley. “Now, in the spirit of the holiday season, we are hoping to help make a difference in other children’s lives.”
