The Forgotten Generation: Granting Wishes for Seniors in Need

Stephanie Berger: [00:00:00] What we might think of a basic wish that wouldn't really change our outlook, it can change someone else's outlook depending on what they're going through. We just... I just granted a wish this week. Lynette has a service dog, and the AC didn't work in her car, so she couldn't take her service dog anywhere.

She wasn't driving anywhere. She felt housebound, and she said, "I felt like I lost my sense of purpose." So we are paying to have the AC repaired. The switches needed to be replaced in the car as well, and she says, "I feel like I got my sense of purpose back."

Jeff Holden: Welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. Our purpose and passion are simple, to highlight the incredible nonprofits that make our communities stronger. Each episode is a chance for these organizations to tell their story in their words, [00:01:00] sharing not just what they do, but why it matters to the people they serve, to their supporters, and to all of us who believe in the power of community.

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There are some ideas that feel so obvious once you hear them, you wonder why they [00:02:00] didn't exist sooner. We all know the power of a wish. We've seen what it can do for a child, how it brings joy, restores hope, and in so many cases, changes an entire family's outlook in the middle of something incredibly difficult.

But what happens when those same needs show up later in life? What happens when someone who was given everything finds themselves alone, struggling, or simply needing a little help to get through the day? That's where Silver Wishes comes in. In this episode, I sit down with Stephanie Berger, president and co-founder of Silver Wishes, an organization born out of a simple but powerful question: Why do wishes have to stop at 18?

What started as an idea during COVID, shaped by her own family's experience, has grown into a movement that's restoring dignity, independence, and hope for seniors who are too often overlooked. And here's what makes this conversation so compelling. These aren't bucket list [00:03:00] wishes. They're real life, right now needs.

Things like a working air conditioner, a safe place to sit, or the ability to drive again. Small things that create massive shifts in someone's quality of life. This is a conversation about empathy, community, and about what can happen when one act of kindness turns into a ripple effect far beyond what anyone expected, a dandelion effect, if you will.

And some of the stories in this episode, well, just listen. Stephanie Berger, welcome to the Nonprofit Podcast Network. 

Stephanie Berger: Hi. Thanks for having me. 

Jeff Holden: I'm excited because we haven't done an organization that specifically appeals to the needs of seniors. Mm. And as much as I don't like the word senior- ... because I think it starts much too young in many cases, this is gonna be really, really neat to have this conversation, especially since it's modeled after something that people are [00:04:00] familiar with- Mm-hmm

for youth. 

Stephanie Berger: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: So let's, let's get into the conversation. The organization was your brainchild. Mm-hmm. And it didn't come out of the blue, but it came out of a, an, an experience that you had and thought, "Wow, we could do this in a different way, but similar." Ta- talk to us a little bit about that. 

Stephanie Berger: Right. So I was a volunteer wish granter for Make-A-Wish Foundation.

I saw the power of a wish for a child and their families, and I thought, "This is the coolest thing ever, but why do wishes have to stop at age 18?" And at the same time, you know, when I came up with this idea, it was COVID, we were all housebound, but my mom at the same time had been housebound for seven years.

Scott Thomas: Mm. 

Stephanie Berger: And my, also my grandma would pray and say, "I don't wanna wake up in the morning." And I thought, "My mom's not the only senior housebound. My grandma's not the only one whose social circle has gotten smaller. Her body's giving out. She's lonely. [00:05:00] Let's make wishes happen for another population that's going through a tough time."

And you're right, seniors are not talked about. They're kind of like the forgotten generation. Mm-hmm. Yet they've done so much. So it's, it's an idea where we can now honor them. 

Jeff Holden: And sadly, the fastest growing population of homeless is seniors right now, and, and it, it's understandable. You can imagine they're maybe even in their own home, but they can't afford to pay the property taxes- Mm-hmm

and insurance because they're on fixed income, and everything keeps going up, and all of a sudden, horrifically, they lose their home, and they become homeless. 

Stephanie Berger: You're absolutely right. 

Jeff Holden: And others who are, you know, just on the edge, there's so many needs- 

Stephanie Berger: Mm-hmm ... 

Jeff Holden: that the senior population has at this point, just because things have changed dramatically.

And, and I agree with you, that's, it's, it's not right. Right. It's, it's just not right for all that they've given- 

Stephanie Berger: Mm-hmm ... 

Jeff Holden: and where they are, and had the understanding that if they did all these things, they would be good. 

Stephanie Berger: Right. 

Jeff Holden: And unfortunately, that's not [00:06:00] necessarily the case. Who do you find is actually the requestor, let's say- Mm

for a wish? Is it family members? Is it the senior themselves? Is it... How does that happen? 

Stephanie Berger: You know, it, it varies. It's an interesting question, because a lot of the family members have either left the senior, the loved one, and so the senior is alone, and the family's prideful. They're embarrassed, so they don't want to ask for help.

Mm. We're actually getting a lot of the wishes from neighbors, friends, caseworkers, social workers, but sometimes family members, but I guess not as often as coming from friends and neighbors that are actually see the senior that's going through the tough time. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah, who actually may see them more often than the family member- Right

who could be a bit distant and- Mm-hmm ... once a week, once a month, whatever it may be, whereas that neighbor's there every single day- 

Stephanie Berger: Right ... 

Jeff Holden: and sees something going on. Maybe the car's sitting in the driveway with a flat tire- Mm-hmm ... or [00:07:00] the windows are open and it's 110 degrees outside. What's wrong? 

Stephanie Berger: Right.

And a lot of times, if the family is aware of the plight, they usually can step in and help. 

Jeff Holden: In terms of categories and, and requests for support, what do you find more often than not? Is it... I'm imagining it would be maybe home maintenance or vehicle maintenance or something like that or, or, or a health benefit to some degree.

But I know from our prior conversation- Mm-hmm ... that's not always, always necessarily the case. Yeah. It could be something really simple. 

Stephanie Berger: The wishes are coming in all shapes, all sizes, because every senior's going through a different battle and different obstacles. I thought coming from Make-A-Wish, I was expecting bucket list wishes.

We've only had a very ha- small handful of those. There are actually wishes, like you said, they're very small to just help overcome a financial strain, a lot of food gift cards, gas gift cards. Mm. But also there are wishes to help keep them in [00:08:00] their homes longer. We've had several wishes for mobility aids, mobility scooters, walkers.

For a while, the most popular wish was a power lift recliner chair. Just getting out of a chair on their own gives them that independence to be able to do something without relying on someone else. And other wishes are bigger. They are their home repairs to allow them to stay in the home longer, and every wish usually helps them overcome an obstacle that they can't overcome on their own.

Jeff Holden: And for the benefit of those listening, I, I wanna put this out there because in many cases it may not be a wish that you could satisfy from a d- monetization standpoint. Mm-hmm. In other words, yeah, we couldn't afford to, to buy a roof for that particular individual. 

Stephanie Berger: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: But if there's a roofing company that happens to hear this and says, "Hey, you know what?

We'll get them a roof." 

Stephanie Berger: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: You know, "We'll, we'll fix that 1,200 square foot house roofing for them." [00:09:00] So it's not that it's undoable, it just depends on how it gets done in some cases. So there are in-kind opportunities for people who maybe have that business who can get in touch with you to say, "Hey, if this comes up, we're here."

Stephanie Berger: Absolutely. Yeah. We would love that, and that's a great example. We just got a wish nomination yesterday for a woman who escaped the Paradise fires. I think that was, like, in 2018 maybe. Mm-hmm. She drove out through the fires, and it was a very traumatizing experience for her. Was in a shelter for a week, moved to Lincoln, and bought an old home, and then her husband passed away.

So she's a widow, and she refuses to drive. It's too traumatic after that experience, and now her AC doesn't work, and so her wish is for a new AC unit. That's a lot of money for Silver Wishes, but if we can get the help to even cover a portion [00:10:00] of it or an AC company to donate a unit, like you said, it helps us if we, we can spread our donor dollars farther if somebody can help- Mm-hmm

us with the bigger projects. 

Jeff Holden: Tell me how one goes about even getting into the system to be considered for a wish. What's that look like? 

Stephanie Berger: We just have a simple nomination form on our website, silverwishes.org, and anyone can nominate the senior, or the senior can nominate themself. And if the senior isn't comfortable on the computer, they can call us, and then we'll have a volunteer fill out the form with them over the phone.

And then once a month, the board reviews all of the wishes that have come in for the month, and we talk about what impact does that wish have on the senior, and can we financially afford to make it happen. Mm-hmm. And then will it change the senior's outlook on life going forward? 

Jeff Holden: I love that. So the, the consideration, which would have been the next logical question, how do you vet the award- Mm-hmm

that's the [00:11:00] process. Yeah. It's really what the impact is to the senior. 

Stephanie Berger: Right. 

Jeff Holden: And which is why I see some wishes, or you shared some wishes that I thought, "Well, that's, that's kind of unusual," but it gave that person such sense of pride or- 

Stephanie Berger: Yeah ... 

Jeff Holden: enthusiasm, excitement. It just changed- their life because of that, that wish 

Stephanie Berger: And it's so true what we might think of a basic wish that wouldn't really change our outlook, it can change someone else's outlook depending on what they're going through.

We just... I just granted a wish this week. Lynette has a service dog, and the AC didn't work in her car, so she couldn't take her service dog anywhere. She wasn't driving anywhere. She felt housebound, and she said, "I felt like I lost my sense of purpose." 

Daarrell Teat: Yeah. 

Stephanie Berger: So we are paying to have the AC repaired and the windows.

The switches needed to be replaced in the car as well. And she says, "I feel like I got my sense of purpose back." And so we take for granted, we hop in a car, we go places. Right. She wasn't able to do that. 

Jeff Holden: How about [00:12:00] collaborators? Who else do you work with in the community, maybe other non-profit organizations or, or you mentioned caseworkers, so that's coming from some sort of social service that's- Mm-hmm

suggesting. What does that look like? 

Stephanie Berger: So we get nominations. We, we love it when other organizations nominate a wish, especially because it helps our vetting process. A lot of caseworkers are social workers that help with transitional housing. Seniors, like you said, are living on the streets, yet when they move into transitional housing, they don't have anything.

Mm. So they might have a wish for a kitchen table or a chair or a new bed. We do get wishes from Seniors First. People call in there all the time. They're desperate. They don't know where to turn, and Seniors First will point them in our direction. Or if we get a wish for a senior that we can help out with a need, and then we talk to other non-profits in the area.

I'd love to share a story about Mildred. 

Jeff Holden: Oh, please. Okay. 

Stephanie Berger: Absolutely, 

Jeff Holden: yes. 

Stephanie Berger: Mildred is [00:13:00] 87 years old, and she took in her five great-grandchildren to care for full time. They come from two sets of parents, and there's two sets of twins, ages 8 to 12. Their wish was for new school clothes for the kids. She couldn't afford to get them dressed to go to school, and we debated as a board, is this for Mildred or for the kids?

Well, it's a financial strain that Mildred was facing, so we granted her a shopping spree with the promise to buy herself some items, and then she could also treat the kids to some new school clothes. We brought Lost But Not Forgotten with us, so that wish reveal. They came with loaded backpacks of back to school supplies for all five kids.

The kids were jumping up and down. They were grateful. Well then, Lost But Not Forgotten, their hearts melted from the experience and decided we're taking those kids shopping for Halloween costumes. So [00:14:00] they did that, then they went and told the Moose Lodge. The Moose Lodge says, "Well, we're buying the family cr- Thanksgiving dinner."

Another organization heard about it, says, "We're going to get them Christmas gifts and a Christmas dinner." And then the Alliance Defending Families and Children- Sure, Tiffany 

Jeff Holden: Loeffler ... 

Stephanie Berger: they deci- they heard about it, and they got them all new bunk beds. So it's that ripple effect when you work together as a community, different organizations are involved, great things can really happen.

Jeff Holden: That is one of the best domino effect descriptions I think anybody shared- 

Stephanie Berger: Mm ... 

Jeff Holden: in the studio because it just cascaded from, you know, your small involvement to another organization to another- Yeah ... to another to another. So that was five different- 

Stephanie Berger: You're, you're right, and w- our involvement was very small.

I mean, we did give her a big shopping spree, but it's called the dandelion effect. Those seeds, one wish, the seeds blow, and they scatter- Yeah ... and that ripple effect just keeps planting. 

Jeff Holden: And I like that 'cause I saw that on your website as well, and it was like, ah, [00:15:00] I like, I like the analogy to- Yeah ... what that looks like.

In terms of funding, how is the organization funded? 

Stephanie Berger: So we try to diverse our funding. We do two fundraisers a year. We have our big one every May, and then we have a small one. We're a beneficiary of the Lincoln Community Foundation in the fall with a bingo night. And then we do grants, but we really do rely on individual donors, corporate donors, and in-kind donations like we talked about- Mm-hmm

earlier for materials, supplies, and we're always looking for corporate sponsors. 

Jeff Holden: I can imagine. As they are out there too, it's just a matter of finding the right organization- Right ... the right business that says, "Hey, this is who we service." 

Stephanie Berger: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: You know, we wanna make sure that we're doing all we can for our community as well.

Stephanie Berger: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: If there were an opportunity, let's say somebody's extremely philanthropic- 

Stephanie Berger: Yeah ... 

Jeff Holden: and is either one of those [00:16:00] 40, 50-year-old beneficiaries of, you know, a, a senior who has now left, you know, some sort of a, a significant 

Stephanie Berger: Windfall. 

Jeff Holden: Well, yeah, w- windfall. 

Stephanie Berger: Mm. 

Jeff Holden: Uh, yeah, we see this great transfer of wealth taking place, and they go, "Boy, you know, I, I remember mom and dad."

Mm. "That was really important to me. I'd like to, to give you a blank check." What would it look like if that opportunity presented itself, what- money wasn't an object, and you, you had this big sum to do something with? 

Stephanie Berger: It would be huge for Silver Wishes because we are a small nonprofit. It would allow us to say yes to a lot more wishes.

A lot more seniors would have their lives changed going forward. We don't want to say no because the wishes are too big or too expensive, so to have that kind of donation would allow us to reach and impact even more seniors. 

Jeff Holden: You know, and it seems to me, it, [00:17:00] it just seems like this is obvious. Why isn't there an organization like this?

Mm. But there wasn't. 

Stephanie Berger: There are. 

Jeff Holden: Okay, okay. 

Stephanie Berger: But they're a little different. And so AARP has Wish of a Lifetime. Theirs is different. They celebrate seniors that have given back, and it's usually, like, trips or celebrations. Mm, mm-hmm. They wanna celebrate the aging process. It's not to help overcome an obstacle, and that's how we differ.

We wanna help change an outlook on life going forward, where they're just celebrating the seniors, but they are granting wishes. 

Jeff Holden: Uh, and I do see the distinction, and that, that is a difference. Mm-hmm. Uh, definitely a difference. In terms of how we met, I wanna share that because it was really unique. We were at an awards presentation, and we were doing, uh, an episode for the attendees who were recognized at that presentation, of which you were one of them, and so was another organization in [00:18:00] town.

And as you two were talking, you realized that you granted his mother a wish. 

Stephanie Berger: Yeah, that was bizarre. That- 

Jeff Holden: Right? 

Stephanie Berger: That was the best thing ever 'cause it was like I got to see the wish come f- full circle. He... I had never met him before. He had never even heard of Silver Wishes till he got the award, and then he said something struck a chord.

And he texted his mom, and he said, "Hey Mom, who was that group that granted you that wish?" And she texted back Silver Wishes, and he says, "They're here tonight." And so he introduced himself, and we- His mom had had a string of bad luck health-wise. She felt like she had been swindled, and she just felt like everything was going against her.

And so she had bought this one car that did not turn out as promised, and it had a terrible paint job on the hood. And every time she looked at it, she said it reminded her of being swindled. And so we received [00:19:00] the wish nomination to replace the hood. Just by painting it. We re- we repainted the whole car for her, and this gentleman had said it really did change her outlook on life, and that is the coolest thing.

After five years now, I'm starting to hear the stories of how it has changed people. 

Jeff Holden: And how ironic that it would be another non-profit leader that runs into you- Yeah ... who was the beneficiary. 

Stephanie Berger: Yeah. You 

Jeff Holden: know? 

Stephanie Berger: And he didn't nominate her for a wish. It was her neighbor. Oh, and this is really cool because Christina is the wish recipient who got this wish.

She also took part in the Dandelion Effect. She nominated her neighbor also for a wish because she had just lost her grandson suddenly, and she took the flowers that we gave her during her wish reveal, and she pressed them and made an arrangement for her neighbor to pay it forward and bring some joy to her neighbor as well.

Oh, 

Jeff Holden: how sweet. 

Stephanie Berger: [00:20:00] So yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah, and there you can see you changed the entire mood, the attitude, the demeanor of an individual just with a paint job. 

Stephanie Berger: And that's what they said. When she showed up the very first time, she was sad, embarrassed, and head hanging low. When she picked up the new painted car, they said her whole personality had changed.

Jeff Holden: Sure, so a sense of pride again. Yeah. Oh, that's wonderful. 

Stephanie Berger: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Let's take a minute to hear from those who make this program possible, and then we'll return to hear more from Stephanie Berger, co-founder of Silver Wishes. 

James Beckwith: I'm James Beckwith, president and CEO of Five Star Bank. We're dedicated to supporting non-profit organizations who advocate for the strength, resilience, and vitality of those they serve.

When non-profit organizations thrive, our community does too. By supporting the Nonprofit Podcast Network, Five Star Bank [00:21:00] is amplifying the voices and meaningful impact of our nonprofit community. We're Five Star Bank, a trusted nonprofit partner. How can we help you? 

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Hello, 

Scott Thomas: this is Scott Thomas with CapTrust in our Sacramento office. I specialize in working with local nonprofits and associations. Annually, we survey private and public nonprofit organizations across the country to better understand challenges they see in today's environment. In our more recent survey, we heard concerns about proper board governance, mission-aligned investment, and how to implement alternate investments.

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Jeff Holden: At Western Health Advantage, healthcare isn't just a service. It's a shared value. As a nonprofit leader, you need a health plan that understands the importance of mission-driven work. Western Health Advantage is a local not-for-profit health plan that supports [00:23:00] organizations like yours with affordable, flexible coverage options for your team.

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It's a partner in your purpose. Explore your options today at westernhealth.com. Western Health Advantage, 

Scott Thomas: healthcare with heart, designed for those who give back. 

Jeff Holden: Those are the stories that I think are so engaging because many times we don't see the impact. We don't get, we know it's out there. Right. And we know something good is happening and we're doing what we need to do from a metric standpoint, but we don't get the feedback from a personal standpoint.

Stephanie Berger: Totally. 

Jeff Holden: And when you hear it that way Yes, we granted this wish, and this was the recipient's request, and it was [00:24:00] fulfilled. But to hear what that did for the individual as a result of the fulfillment, that's the greater impact. 

Stephanie Berger: Mm-hmm. You 

Jeff Holden: know, that's what we do this for. Mm. That's why we do all the things that we do.

Stephanie Berger: Right. And I mean, there are so many great organizations that are making an impact too, but it is really rewarding when you get to hear those success stories. Right. 

Jeff Holden: So back to reality. 

Stephanie Berger: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: The, you know, big dream vision check is a dream. 

Stephanie Berger: Yeah, right. 

Jeff Holden: But the day-to-day is here. What's the greatest need of the organization?

Stephanie Berger: I would say volunteers. We did just expand our service area in January, so not only are we in Placer County, we're in Citrus Heights, Fair Oaks, Carmichael, and Orangevale, and we need volunteers in that area specifically to help research wishes, fulfill wishes, even just get our name out there, that we even exist.

Mm-hmm. That's one of our biggest challenges. A lot of people have never heard of [00:25:00] us before. 

Jeff Holden: And I can appreciate that. That's so many organizations. It's part of the reason we exist- 

Stephanie Berger: Mm-hmm ... 

Jeff Holden: for the, with the Nonprofit Podcast Network, is to help great organizations have a presence someplace in a consistent way.

Stephanie Berger: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: And you can go and find something. You don't have to worry about it disappearing. It's not a one-time thing. And it's tough- 

Stephanie Berger: Mm-hmm ... 

Jeff Holden: because there are a lot of nonprofits, and there's, there are a lot of great organizations doing a lot of good work, but it's hard to know that there's one for this- Right

or, or one for that. 

Stephanie Berger: Where their focus area is. 

Jeff Holden: E- exactly. Mm-hmm. Exactly. In terms of the organization itself, how many people do you employ? Are there any employees? 

Stephanie Berger: We are a working board, and everyone's a volunteer. I get a very small stipend that is a restricted donation from a board member. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. 

Stephanie Berger: Uh, so I, I don't really even consider myself an employee, but so we don't have any full-time staff.

Jeff Holden: About how many volunteers do you have? 

Stephanie Berger: We have about 85. 

Jeff Holden: [00:26:00] Oh my gosh. 

Stephanie Berger: Yes. 

Jeff Holden: That's wonderful. 

Stephanie Berger: Yes. But that also includes people that are just helping at Christmastime when we do our Christmas tree deliveries, so that's the majority of those volunteers. 

Jeff Holden: When somebody like yourself is, especially a, a, a co-founder- 

Stephanie Berger: Mm-hmm

Jeff Holden: who has been there from the beginning, you know, you, you saw the need. We can't not see the need. 

Scott Thomas: Right. 

Jeff Holden: I mean, all you have to do is go shopping a- anywhere, and you can see, you know, seniors who you know are challenged. Maybe they're in that center or that mall because it's cool- 

Scott Thomas: Yeah ... 

Jeff Holden: and they're trying to get out of the heat.

Right. Or cold and it's warm. Mm-hmm. Whatever the, the situation is, it's really difficult to remove ourselves from whatever that situation is that we serve. 

Stephanie Berger: Yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Right? 

Stephanie Berger: Right. 

Jeff Holden: And I see it with every nonprofit leader. Y- you name it. It c- it could be, you know, animal. Well, you can't get away from animals. You see it, and then they feel th- there's- That's '

Stephanie Berger: cause we're so passionate about 

Jeff Holden: it though

yeah, that's, that's right. Yeah. And, and then the empathy just exudes. 

Stephanie Berger: Yeah. [00:27:00] 

Jeff Holden: But there's times when you just kinda have to say, "I, I am a human. I do need a break from it." And that's, that's... We're gonna go beyond the mission for a second here- Right ... and just ask a few questions- All 

Stephanie Berger: right ... 

Jeff Holden: so people can learn a little bit more about Stephanie as the person.

Stephanie Berger: Okay. 

Jeff Holden: So let's, uh, let this, since I said animals, let's start there. Dog or cats? 

Stephanie Berger: Oh, dog. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. If you're going on a drive, would you prefer a podcast, music, or silence? 

Stephanie Berger: Worship music. 

Jeff Holden: Worship music. Uh-huh. Okay. Great. Best piece of advice you've ever received? 

Stephanie Berger: Well, again, it goes back to Silver Wishes, but it's Bob Goff.

I read it. Sure. He inspired me in his Love Does book, and he said, "Just stand on the edge of yikes and jump." 

Jeff Holden: There's a, there's a similar one. I know Bob Goff does a lot of series through the local churches too. That, that's very similar. It's like, "Do [00:28:00] something every day that scares the heck out of you." 

Stephanie Berger: Yes.

Jeff Holden: You know? 

Stephanie Berger: That's it, yeah. 

Jeff Holden: Yeah. I, I like that. What's a perfect day off look like for you? 

Stephanie Berger: Oh, the perfect day, probably going on a hike. I love to hike, and checking out our local trails, but also going to the coast and doing trails along the coast. 

Jeff Holden: What was your first car? 

Stephanie Berger: A Buick Century. I don't know what year it was.

It was a hand-me-down, but it had the velour bench in the front, so. 

Jeff Holden: And then guilty pleasure? 

Stephanie Berger: Turning off all devices and reading by the pool. 

Jeff Holden: Wonderful. 

Stephanie Berger: Mm-hmm. 

Jeff Holden: Well, thank you for that. Yeah. That's, uh... It's always fun to see y- where people are in a, in a, uh, a scope of their private space- 

Stephanie Berger: Yeah ... 

Jeff Holden: which makes it, you know, fun to understand how they got to where they are.

If somebody's interested in supporting the organization, where would they go? 

Stephanie Berger: To our website. 

Jeff Holden: [00:29:00] Okay. 

Stephanie Berger: Silverwishes.org. 

Jeff Holden: Great. 

Stephanie Berger: We have a page on how to get involved, where you can fill out a volunteer application, and there's also a donation page. We also have just information about all of our wishes are posted there with stories and about who we are.

Jeff Holden: And I want you to give the number too, if you could, because I mentioned... W- when you mentioned that, I thought, "Wow, that's... Yeah, that makes sense," 'cause a lot of seniors don't have access to a computer. 

Stephanie Berger: Mm. 

Jeff Holden: Or a lot of people aren't even computer literate- Right ... you know, depending on their age or their, their access as they were growing up.

So what is the number? 

Stephanie Berger: So our phone number, 916-287-7172. 

Jeff Holden: Okay. I will put all of this in the show notes too so it's easy. If somebody's listening, they can just go right there- Great ... and get that information if they wanna share it with- 

Stephanie Berger: Awesome ... 

Jeff Holden: somebody who might have an interest. 

Stephanie Berger: Good. 

Jeff Holden: Stephanie, what a neat organization.

I love the mirroring for an organization we all know in, in, in Make-A-Wish, but the application to the senior population, to people that, as you said early on, tend to be [00:30:00] forgotten. Mm-hmm. And can easily be forgotten because they're not as visible, and especially if they're in that house, they've been in that house for 35 years, and they're with a walker or- Yeah

you know, disabled. And to recognize those people and to give a venue for them to get recognized in a variety of different ways i- is just amazing. 

Stephanie Berger: Well, thank you. 

Jeff Holden: It, it really is. And, and what you and that team of 85 volunteers are doing— ... is, is really incredible, and, and we appreciate that, so thank you.

Stephanie Berger: Well, thanks for having me. It's been a joy to just share, share about Silver Wishes. 

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