A Volunteer Point of View
Mr. & Mrs. Crescencio Ruiz heard about Disney on Wheels and volunteered to come and serve. They were curious to know why previous volunteers continue to return year after year.Below is their testimony. Will Mr. & Mrs. Ruiz come again?
“Albert Einstein once said ” Only a life lived for others is a life worthwhile”.
This weekend, The Li’L Abner foundation undertook the daunting task of taking forty five special needs children to The Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World. It was their 6th year of such an endeavor, but the first year when there were more than 16 children. These children had all sorts of afflictions. Some were blind, non-verbal, wheelchair bound, and had down syndrome. Others ate through a feeding tube, were autistic, and had tendencies to be aggressive.
Being first time volunteers, my wife and I were very apprehensive about the weekend. Would we be able to help these kids have a magical time? With what we knew, could we make a difference? Pretty soon on Saturday morning, it became apparent to us that this trip was not for these children. It was for us, the volunteers. Being a person of faith, I cannot help but to equate this event with the teachings of my religion.
Jesus Christ said “When you give a dinner or a banquet, do not invite your friends or your brothers or your relatives or rich neighbors, lest they also invite you in return and you be repaid. But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, the blind, and you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you. For you will be repaid at the resurrection of the just.”
This is exactly what happened this weekend at this three day banquet hosted by Li’l Abner Foundation and their families. The message was very clear to us. We who have everything should be humble and thankful that we can give back our time, treasure and talent. Those who are afflicted and seemingly damaged are highly favored in the eyes of God. It is we who have the privilege of being with them, not the other way around.
Laura and I are truly thankful for being chosen to serve. We continue to hope and pray that God abundantly blesses all of those who participated in making this trip a success. But above all, we was ask that God keeps us very near to those forty five special needs children, because we know that they are closer to Him than we can ever hope to be.
With great affection,”
Crescencio & Laura Ruiz
2025 Disney on Wheels is on the way.
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