About Us
One Simple Wish has been making small miracles happen for foster children and vulnerable families since December 2008.
We offer everyone a glimpse into the life of a child in the foster care system or a family in need. Our goal is to connect people, one to one, to create
rewarding, meaningful relationships between the giver and recipient.
Here on our website you can browse through hundreds of wishes posted on behalf of some of the most deserving, yet invisible children and families in the United States.
Wish granting is simple and affordable, with most wishes ranging between $5 and $100. We allow everyone the chance to make a direct impact on the lives of those in need...anytime, from anywhere.
Our Mission | Endorsements | Founder & Board of Directors
Our Mission
Just like our name says, our mission is simple: to brighten the lives of those in need. Our website features hundreds of wishes made on behalf of foster children, impoverished families and at-risk youth in the United States.
We allow our donors to directly impact their lives by making these wishes come true. We believe everyone has the right to know exactly where their money is going and we make that possible through our Wish Granting program.
You don’t have to be a saint, a magician or a millionaire to make a miracle for a child or family in need. You just have to care enough to reach out.
Please take a moment to browse our site and find out more about the families and children we serve and how you can make someone’s wish come true. On a personal note, as a foster/adoptive parent myself, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for seeing in these children what I know exists in all of them...hope.
Thank you!
Danielle Gletow
Founder, One Simple Wish
Endorsements
Some kind words about our work…
One Simple Wish has done an amazing job helping to brighten the lives of the abused, neglected and homeless teens in our care. Many of these youth have never received a birthday gift or found something special just for them under the Christmas tree.
Jeffrey Fetzko, ACSW, LSW, CFRE
Executive Director, Somerset Home for Temporarily Displaced Children
The reason One Simple Wish stands out is that it is something that everyone can get involved with in some way. Even though I don’t have a lot of additional money at the end of the month, I can log onto OneSimpleWish.org and find a child whose wish is within my means and I can change someone’s life.
-Megann Anderson, J.D.
Executive Director, New Jersey Alliance for Children, Youth and Families
We are very grateful to One Simple Wish as the wishes they grant strengthen the relationships of the mentoring matches by providing them with opportunities to bond in various educational, cultural and recreational outings. Our volunteer mentors are also thankful as many are not in a position to spend money on the children.
-Susan M. Dunning
Executive Director, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Mercer County, Inc.
One Simple Wish helps the Club go that extra step in letting kids know people care about their success and appreciate their efforts. We thank you for making this fall special for our kids and look forward to working with you in helping our kids reach their full potential.
-David E. Anderson
Executive Director, Boys & Girls Club Trenton and Mercer Counties
Since our partnership we have had approximately 20 wishes granted, some being trips to the aquarium, art supplies for our school sites and tickets to go to a museum. These items provide experiences for the youth in our program that we cannot provide for them. It also reduces the expenses placed on a volunteer who already give their time.
-Robert Jakubowski
CEO, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Burlington, Camden and Gloucester Counties
One Simple Wish has made such a tremendous impact on so many lives. Danielle Gletow advocates and goes beyond the call of duty for others to be happy.
-Evelyn Nieves- Lalama
Division of Children and Families, Patterson
One Simple Wish is truly a godsend to many people. An example of a filled wish was a camp scholarship for a child in foster care. Foster and Adoptive Family Services was struggling to send all the children who applied for a week at overnight camp this past summer. Danielle found a sponsor that allowed us to send another child in foster care to camp. The camp scholarship is very important to our children because it is often an opportunity to connect with siblings from whom they have been separated.
-Mary Jane Awrachow
Executive Director, Foster and Adoptive Family Services
Graduation photos. A trip to the movies. A double-dutch jump rope. Many kids could simply ask their parents to buy these items, and they will do so without hesitation. But many families our agency PEI Kids serve cannot afford these purchases as they worry about necessities like food and shelter. The children and the families we serve have faced horrible situations – child sexual abuse, abandonment, trauma and loss. Many of these children have stopped wishing for things they know they cannot have. There are no fairy tales with happy endings in their worlds. Because of One Simple Wish, children in our programs are having happy endings.
I have seen firsthand in the eyes of the children we serve the joy and happiness this organization has given them. And it is not just the gift itself. Many of these children have been hurt and disappointed by the people in their lives who are supposed to love and care for them. To have a complete stranger purchase a gift for them helps restore their faith in humankind.
-Nicole Cody
Communications & Outreach Associate, PEI Kids
While One Simple Wish (OSW) is a relative newcomer to the New Jersey nonprofit scene, its impact has been substantial, and on a variety of fronts. Not only does OSW generously and prolifically grant wishes on behalf of foster children, at-risk youth and impoverished families, but, through its creative, community-based marketing and public relations/fundraising activities, the organization raises awareness of issues around these fragile populations. Through its important work, OSW provides an eloquent voice for those whose cries are rarely heard.
-Karen Andrade-Mims
Executive Director, UIH Family Partners
Founder & Board of Directors
Danielle Gletow - Founder & Executive Director
A passionate advocate for childrens rights, Danielle has been active in childrens causes for over a decade and has been a foster parent in NJ since 2006. Among other awards and achievements, she has twice been honored with the Cherish the Children Award from the Mercer County Coalition for Abused, Neglected and Missing Children. Danielle also possesses over 12 years experience in digital marketing, having worked for top agencies in NJ and NY. She currently resides in West Trenton, NJ with her husband, Joe, their two daughters, Mia and Lily, and their dog, Duncan.
Kimberly Eaves-Gelb - President, Board of Directors
Kimberly Eaves-Gelb has over 12 years experience in the arts including graphic design, painting, photography and theatrical set design. Since 2004, she has been a freelance graphic designer under KAE Graphic Designs, with the majority of her clients stemming from the healthcare and non-profit industries. She is currently the lead graphic designer and brand manager of Capital Healt, a 589-bed, acute-care, two-hospital system, located in the heart of Trenton. Her work for Capital Health includes print advertisements, logo design, collateral creation and managing the integrity of the brand. Kimberly is an active member of the Arts Council of Princeton and received a degree in Marketing from Monmouth University. She lives in Lawrenceville with her husband, Charles, daughter, Peyton and dog, Samson.
Bridget Dalrymple
Bridget has been an active volunteer in her community for over 20 years. She has served on the executive boards of local area women’s club and school associations. Bridget has chaired fundraising committees for sports teams and school auctions in addition to coaching elementary and middle school cross country. She currently serves on the board of an independent school’s parent association as well as volunteers with an area adult running club. Bridget believes that reaching out and helping to relieve the everyday stresses of another can be a tremendous impact on that person’s ability to keep moving forward. She currently lives in Princeton Junction with her husband, 4 kids and 2 dogs.
John Fallon
John Fallon is Vice President of Consumer Marketing at Vantage Learning in Newtown, PA. Prior to joining Vantage Learning, he held various marketing and communication positions with Films Media Group, American Chemical Society, Business Publishers, and Capitol Publications. John graduated with an MA in Communications/Public Relations from Rowan University, Glassboro, NJ. He received his BS in Marketing from Fairleigh Dickenson University, Madison, NJ. John and his wife Susan, a fourth-grade teacher in Lumberton, NJ, live with their two daughters, Emily and Danielle and son Jack in Delran, NJ.
Frederick Parnell Joiner
Frederick is a senior administrator with the Arc Mercer, a non-profit that advocates for individuals with developmental and physical disabilities. Since 2008, he has been responsible for the development and operation of a successful business enterprise that employs over a 150 persons with disabilities. Prior to joining the Arc Mercer he founded a privately held business enterprise that consisted of limited liability corporations in construction, janitorial and maintenance services.
James Manahan
Jim is a private practice attorney and partner in the law firm Bernstein & Manahan, LLC, a full service general practice law firm located in Lawrenceville, NJ and Newtown, PA. Jim has engaged in the private practice law since 1983 in the states of New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Rider University (Magna Cum Laude) with a Bachelor of Arts degree and Rutgers University School of Law with a juris doctor degree. Jim is the immediate past president of the Rider University Alumni Association and a recent member of the Newton Township telecommunications advisory committee. He continues to serve in a volunteer capacity in various organizations.
Julie Davidson Meyers
Julie Davidson Meyers has two decades of not-for-profit experience. Julie is passionate about making a difference and believes strongly that “everybody has a responsibility to everybody else.” She has worked with the American Cancer Society, HiTOPS and the National Kidney Organization. Julie hold’s a Master’s Degree for NYU, was a fellow with Princeton University’s Matthey School, and was recently honored by Women in Development of Mercer County. Of all her accomplishments, Julie is most proud of being a “Mommy” to daughters Dylan and Aliya and believes the only thing we can truly leave to our children is the belief that every person can do good and every one of us can make the world better.
Karen Mineo
Karen Mineo worked at Merrill Lynch for 25 years in the areas of training, employee relations, performance management, talent management, leadership training and professional development. For most of her career at Merrill Lynch, Karen trained Financial Advisors (FAs) via online training, classroom skills-based programs for initial and advanced FAs and was responsible for the FA professional designations curriculum. Karen is currently opening up two financial services firms with a group of ten individuals. Forte, LLC is an investment management firm and Archetype, LLC is a financial planning firm. She is the Marketing Director of both companies.
Karen has extensive experience with the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), by serving on the SIFMA Continuing Education Committee for 4 years and as the National Chair of the committee for 2 years. Karen completed the Securities Industry Institute (SII), which is the premier financial services professional development program at Wharton. After graduating from the program, she served as a SII Board of Trustee for 6 years and 4 years on the Curriculum Committee.
Karen served on the HiTOPS (non-profit organization for adolescent health and well being) Board for six years and helped with numerous fundraising efforts, committee structure and promoting the organization in the Princeton/Mercer County area. She has held numerous leadership positions for various Cornell University alumni organizations and boards for approximately 25 years. She was part of Women Build/Habitat for Humanity for one year, building six condos in PA.
Karen has her BS from Cornell University and her Masters in Instructional Design, Development and Evaluation from Syracuse University. She has two children. Jessica is 24 years old and lives in Miami and Zach is 21 years old and is graduating from Cornell University in May, 2011. She lives in New Hope, PA with Bruno and his three children.
Dawn Puskas
Dawn has over 14 years of experience in marketing, currently with the Ferrara & Co agency on Princeton, servicing Church & Dwight’s Arm & Hammer brands. Prior to that, Dawn held various corporate and agency positions, and had developed and executed strategic marketing plans for numerous national brands, including French’s, Frank’s RedHot, Tylenol, Arm & Hammer, and British Airways. She is also the co-owner of the Rita’s Water Ice franchise store in Pennington, NJ. Dawn received her BS in Marketing for Rider University. She resides in Ringoes, NJ with her husband Tom and two daughters, Gabrielle and Sydney.
Lisa Quackenbush
Lisa graduated in 2003 with a Bachelors in Psychology and continued her education at Monmouth University and obtained her Master’s in Social Work in 2008. She has worked in various social work fields in the past ten years including working with individuals and families involving special needs to working with the community. Lisa’s passion is working with children - she interned at a special needs school for children and worked in the Division of Youth and Family Services adoption units. Lisa is currently employed with the Division of Youth and Family Services in Adoption Operations helping children achieve a forever home. Lisa lives in Ocean County with her fiancé and their two dogs.
Ruth Savage
Ruth Savage has been volunteering at One Simple Wish for more than a year and has also been an active volunteer in Ewing, NJ since moving to the area in 1995. Over the years, Ruth served as co-president of her sons’ elementary school parents’ association and coordinated the annual school holiday sale for over 500 students to purchase affordable wrapped gifts for family. She was treasurer for the middle school PTA and the high school wrestling team, and currently is active on the high school parent’s committee to promote a safe post-prom party. As an employee of the Ewing School District, she started “Towels for TASK”, an annual employee fundraiser and coordinates a garden beautification project. Ruth is a graduate of Penn State University with a BS degree in Marketing and lives with her husband Jonathan, also a PSU grad, two sons, Joshua and Zachary, and “Titan” the dachshund.
Kat Swift
Born in Berlin Germany, Kat has always had the desire to volunteer her time and energy to charitable organizations. Since the young age of 7, Kat has been volunteering to help raise money for the Pennsylvania ballet at their ballet boutique. While in college, Kat joined Zeta Tau Alpha sorority whose main philanthropic pursuit was the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Awareness foundation. Through her ties with Zeta Tau Alpha, Kat was chosen as a co-committee chair for the 2005 Philadelphia courage night, a black tie event raising over $50,000 for breast cancer awareness in young women. In the fall of 2008 Kat assisted the Women of the Waters and Fairmount Park conservancy with the Third Annual Water Works Celebration. In the spring of 2009 Kat will be assisting the Komen Philadelphia Affiliate with a campaign call Pretty In Pig which will be centered around a larger-than-life, clear pink piggy bank for donations at the Race for the cure site in Philadelphia. Kat currently resides in center city Philadelphia.
Natalie Tolle
Natalie Tolle graduated from Rider University with honors and is currently enrolled in Rider’s MBA program. During her undergrad she worked as an Assistant Account Executive for Rosetta and did much community service during her two terms as NJ Future Business Leaders of America – Phi Beta Lambda State Secretary. After graduation she interned at One Simple Wish and fell in love with the organization and its mission. She currently lives in Bordentown, NJ and works for Oxford Communications, an award winning integrated marketing agency headquartered in Lambertville.
Tee Williams
Tee Williams has been a professional fundraiser for nearly two decades. Currently the Director of Leadership Giving at The College of New Jersey, Tee has also worked for public television, Princeton University, as well as Rutgers University. Her development experience extends from major gifts, to corporate and foundation relations, as well as planned giving. She has a deep and abiding commitment to the arts, education, and social justice. A graduate of Douglass College, Tee lives in Ewing with her husband and two sons, Evan and Kellen.
Navarrow Wright
Navarrow is the President of Maximum Leverage Solutions, a consulting firm that delivers internet, social media strategy and technology development consulting to its clients. Navarrow co-founded with Hip Hop mogul, Russell Simmons to create a social media site catering to the hip-hop perspective, Global Grind.com. With more than 17 years experience in the technology and media industry, Navarrow has established himself as someone who can conceptualize and develop advanced technology solutions for leading global organizations. He speaks to youth groups up and down the east coast for various organizations and was recently given a commendation from the city of Newark for his work with events that have a positive impact on young people. He has made it his mission to be a voice for technology adoption in underserved areas and to ensure that the entrepreneurial spirit is developed in urban youth.
