Finding Joy

By Melissa Treacy

What has changed lives, spread hope and cheered hundreds of seniors across America started with a simple lunch and a spark of inspiration.  

Cass Forkin, 46, of Doylestown, Pa., was at lunch with her daughter, Jessica, at a local diner when she overheard a few older ladies scrounging to pay for their meal.

“I spontaneously treated them to lunch, and a comment one of them made stayed with me,” she said. One of the ladies hugged Forkin and thanked her, saying she didn’t know people still cared. This gesture that cost only $20 made a big impact on the seniors’ lives, and it lead to an epiphany for Forkin, who found her calling.

“I realized what we’re missing in this country. The older generations think we’ve forgotten them, and it’s my calling to show that we haven’t,” Forkin said.

So, just two months later, in July 2003, she founded Twilight Wish. The mission is, “To honor and enrich the lives of deserving elders through wish-granting celebrations, connecting generations.” It helps seniors who do not have financial means or loved ones to make their own wishes come true. 

“What happens if you have a lifelong wish and it’s not fulfilled?” Forkin asks. She said instead of spending money on the arts and culture or big foundations, people should invest just a little in people.

“We ignore elders. I went into senior homes, and hope, joy, respect and comfort were missing,” Forkin said.

She took a second mortgage on her home, quit her high-paying job and switched from a driven career path to running a small non-profit from her home.

Now, Twilight Wish has served hundreds of seniors, and Forkin’s idea of granting wishes takes many forms. From helping to take a handful of seniors to a Phillies game to organizing a fishing trip, some wishes don’t seem spectacular, but they make seniors feel special.

Some seniors get hearing aids, dentures or lift chairs, Bibles or even radios. Other seniors wish big, such as the 75-year-old Vietnam veteran who recently had what he called “the best day of his life” while riding in a fighter jet doing tricks.

While Percy Swanson, 94, met his favorite star, Vanna White, Joanne Fulcoly rode on a Zamboni during a Flyers game for her 75th birthday, and 56 retired nuns, with an average age of 84, received two golf carts so they could get across their property.

Sometimes, seniors seek out help with an application and details on their wish. Other times, a nursing home asks Twilight Wish to come in and get the job done. On some occasions, Twilight Wish approaches a home and asks what it can do for the residents.

Forkin also hopes to change America’s culture by promoting the value of seniors and helping younger generations treat elders better.

“This is about enriching the human experience for everyone,” Forkin said.

She said that if you give people a mechanism, they will show they care by giving time, money or whatever they can.  

While some are logistical nightmares that take up to a year to coordinate and involve a dozen people, other wishes are simple same-day affairs. The point is that someone took time to ask and to make it happen.

“All of our wishes are special and all bring joy in some way to the lives of the recipients, but there are truly some that you never forget,” said volunteer Mary Farrell.

“These are easy things to do, but someone needs to sit down and make time,” Forkin said. The organization now has nine regional offices in eight states, including the headquarters in Bucks County, Western Pennsylvania, Southern California, Illinois, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Arizona and Georgia.   

Expansion plans for 2008 include opening regional offices in Missouri and Nevada and acquiring corporate sponsors.  

Forkin always hopes for more sponsorship, and she says it comes when it’s needed. “This organization is on angel’s wings,” she said.   

Last year, Twilight Wish was financially struggling and Forkin even considered closing doors and telling her employees she couldn’t pay them.  

“I got a call from this anonymous donor and he asked what we needed. I said, ‘$25,000 for payroll,’”  said Forkin. The next day, the bank account was flush with money. A year later, Twilight Wish is flourishing.  

For more information, go to www.twilightwish.org or call 877-893-9474. Donations can be sent to P.O. Box 324, Fountainville, PA 18923.