Smith Grants Wish to Houston-Area Child

Smith has a longstanding history of giving back to our communities. Our uncompromising commitment is further propelled by our own employees’ desires to donate their time, money, and efforts to worthy organizations.

A shining example of this is Janet Williams, Operations Supervisor – General Component Inspection from our Houston distribution center, who is an active participant of the Friends for Wishes organization. Friends for Wishes is a charity that fundraises on behalf of Make-A-Wish, a nonprofit group that helps children with critical illnesses by granting each of them a lifechanging request.

“This marks my fourth year volunteering at Friends for Wishes,” Janet explained. “The idea of asking Smith to sponsor a child came to me two years ago. I thought it was long shot, but Smith agreed to donate the entire cost of a wish.”

Janet was handed a list of children whose wish Smith could grant.

“Picking a child was the hardest thing to do because you want to help them all,” she said.

Last year, Smith sponsored a teenager named Jessica, whose wish was to attend speech therapy.

“These children have had it rough their whole lives because they’re not like other kids,” said Janet. “It’s a joy to fundraise enough money and grant even one child their wish.”

Janet was faced with making a similar decision this year. After careful consideration, Janet decided on Clay, an eleven-year-old boy from Conroe, Texas, located just north of Houston. Clay has been diagnosed with a nervous system disorder, and his wish was to visit Morgan’s Wonderland, the world’s first theme park designed for individuals with special needs.

“Clay is a special little boy,” continued Janet. “All he asked for was a trip to Morgan’s Wonderland. It’s a 25-acre theme park just for special-needs children, even those who require wheelchairs or crutches. When I first saw Clay and his wish, I felt like he was the one.”

Thanks to Smith’s generosity, Clay went on a trip to San Antonio, Texas, where he was able to enjoy the swings at Morgan’s Wonderland. He also had the opportunity to visit Disney Animation and the San Antonio Aquarium, where he played with a sloth.

“Working with Friends for Wishes touches my heart in a way I can’t describe,” said Janet. “I was so happy to be a part of this.”

Smith’s donation allowed Clay to make some lifelong memories with his family.

“The Foundation continues to grow bigger, which means that more kids are getting their wishes granted,” said Janet. “I love seeing Smith’s name on the board of sponsors at Friends for Wishes. Every child that has had their wish granted is also up there, and I look forward to seeing those lists continue to expand.”

Learn more about Smith’s other CSR efforts here in our Newsroom or on our Instagram (@smithweb).