T: 9-5 W: 9-5 Th: 9-5 F: 9-5 Weekly: 32 Total: 309 Brianna Fuller

3/22/19
Journal 10
This week was very busy for me, and I got some more new tasks to be responsible for. One of my

supervisors is going to be out of town and gave me as many tasks as she could think of for me to finish

before she gets back. The seeds I ordered came in. I got some instructions for about five more boxes to

complete. I need to organize our files that did not qualify (DNQ) for a wish, and the deceased I will begin

to organize next week. I worked on our March welcome calls. I tied up some lose ends on files we have

been sitting on for a while. And was put in charge of our 3, 6, 9-month updates to family’s.

I am really excited the seeds I ordered for our bereavement cards came in this week! I did have to

send out a bereavement card for a wish child who was not terminal, was not a rush wish, but she

unexpectedly passed away. I have come up with a template for the cards, and all we have to do is insert

the child’s name, handwrite a note on the card and include the seeds! I have loved adding this to our cards

for parents who are grieving. It may not be much, but it shows them that we have really put some thought

and effort into what they are going through.

Another wish coordinator gave me the task of completing about five boxes for her by the end of

next week. I have decided I will split up the work between this week, and next. I gathered all the wish

files for our kiddos, and got all the t-shirts, buttons, and luggage tags for each box. The families fill out

what sizes they will need, and what kinds of things their child likes. I will finish the boxes by including

things they would enjoy this week. This is time consuming to complete these boxes, because sometimes if

the wish is non-traveling you can have many people involved from the family, and many shirts to gather.

Also, the parents put random sizing often, so you must figure out what size will match the one they wrote

down. For example, a mom could put a 3T, or boys 5-6, but our sizes go by small, medium, large, extra-

large, 2X, and 3X, both for youth and adults!

 A new task of mine is to go through all the DNQ, and deceased files and pull any of kids who are

now eighteen or above. We must keep the files until then, and then we can discard them. This week I did

the DNQ, and next week I will tackle the deceased files. The tricky part is that these files are everywhere

around our office, and in the basement. It is pretty much a wild goose chase for files!

Since completing February welcome calls, I have begun to work on our March ones! I also have a

system for when I call a couple of times and the family does not answer. I have a file containing all my

“attempted” calls. I will go through them at the beginning of each week and call the parent’s again. If they

don’t answer, or if we have the wrong contact information, I will get in touch with their nurses, or

physicians to see if I can catch them at their next appointments. I have recently moved along a lot of 2017

files the previous interns were just sitting on! Some were just the wrong contact information and all it

took was getting in touch with their social workers to welcome them to our wish family! Also, we have

been getting a lot of rush wishes recently, and so I have to be on top of those and call the parent’s right

away when we get any information qualifying them for our program. I am typically on the phone for a

while because I do my normal call welcoming them to our wish family, and then I complete our wish

intake form, where I must ask them a lot of questions. We do this right before we get volunteers, so I took

on this role to move the process along even more quickly than before.

The biggest challenge this week has been giving parent’s updates on where they stand. I was told

to draft an email/call to parent’s for kids that are at the 3, 6, & 9-month mark in the waiting process. We

typically send out little postcards, and bracelets but the previous interns were severely behind. This week

I completed all our December kids, which has twice as many files as any other month. What this means is

I had to individually email each child’s parents. I put their name in every email and include where they

are in the hold (3 months). It would be easier to send a generic email, and blind copy every parent, but I

was given specific instructions to make each one personal. This took almost a whole day to complete.

With each email we send or receive, we have to print it and put it in their file. Also, I had to include if we

have all the documents we need, and if not, what documents we need.
 I am very grateful that so many people rely on me to get so much work done, but at times it is

exhausting. I have been bringing snacks with me to work, and I will take a break and walk outside for a

minute, or just enjoy my snack and watch a quick YouTube video on my phone to distract my mind for a

minute. Also, my supervisors keep a close eye on me and when they can tell I need to walk away to clear

my mind for a second, they let me know. I am stubborn, but will eventually give in. I just really must

finish whatever task I am currently on, then I can take a second to breathe. No other interns are given the

amount of work I am, but I think it is pretty cool I get to have so much responsibility! It is a lot, but they

know I will get it done, so that is why they keep giving me more. I really enjoy this company and have

been making connections to ensure if any spots open, I can apply for a job.