Connect With A Wish

Enhancing the lives of children in Hampton Roads foster care

Filming + Editing + Visual Storytelling

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Overview

Connect With A Wish was founded in 2014 as an initiative to grant a wish to every child in Virginia Beach foster care. Since then, CWW has expanded and taken on new projects to address more needs in the system.

I wanted to make an informational video about CWW to not only showcase all of the good things they are doing for the community, but also make people aware of the reality of children in foster care.

My Role

I was the director, producer, and editor for this project.

The Team

Joy Rios (Founder)
Alison Fagan (Program Manager)
Alexis Caravas (Videographer)

Tools Used

Storyboarding, Final Cut Pro X, Canon XCS, Lavalier Mic

The Problem

Largest fundraising event cancelled due to COVID-19

Operating a non-government funded non profit organization is incredibly difficult to do when it solely relies on donations from the community. I have witnessed how hard Joy Rios and team work to plan fundraising events for CWW.

Due to COVID, CWW was unable to hold its largest fundraising event of the year. Because of this, CWW experienced a great decline in donations and were forced to figure out how they would reach donors in a virtual space.

The Opportunity

Capture the mission of CWW through visual storytelling

In March 2022, I was able to visit CWW to film for the virtual open house fundraising event.

After watching too many Architectural Digest Celebrity Home Tours, I decided this would be a fun way for Joy, Founder of CWW, to tour viewers around the facility and give them a glimpse into the work that goes into this organization.

The Solution

Connect With A Wish Virtual Tour

Connect With A Wish has used this video for many events including virtual open house, prom, and their gala event "Wish Upon A Star."

Community leaders have commented on the amazing work of CWW as captured by this video and how having a glimpse into what the every day looks like really put into perspective just how hard the team is working to make an impact in the Hampton Roads community and beyond.

Check out their website to learn more.

Reflection

Special thank you

This project would not have been possible without the help and guidance from Founder of CWW, Joy Rios and Program Manager (and my best friend), Alison Fagan.