You can sponsor a child at the Lou Ann Long Girls’ Hostel in India in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.
What should I know about Children Incorporated’s work in India and the Lou Ann Long Girls’ Hostel?
From snowcapped Himalayas to tropical beaches, India is truly a nation of contrasts. It boasts a rich history spanning tens of thousands of years. In fact, the earliest known civilization in South Asia once called India’s fertile Indus Valley home. Today, with the world’s second-largest population, India includes a staggering variety of ethnicities, languages, religions and cultures. Its wealth of natural resources and vibrant cultures, however, belie the abject poverty in which so many of India’s citizens live.
The small town of Yadgiri, located in the southern Indian state of Karnataka, is no exception to these maladies. Drought is a constant threat in this agricultural community, and employment opportunities are severely limited. Field laborers earn an average of only forty cents a day and struggle to provide even the most basic necessities for their children. Moreover, with shorter life expectancies, much lower literacy rates, and a markedly inferior social and economic status than males, young women in India begin life at a disadvantage. For this reason, the Lou Ann Long Girls’ Hostel serves as a beacon of hope. It provides boarding, nutrition and a quality education for area girls who come from families living in poverty. Here, these deserving young women receive the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances they face.
What is the sponsorship experience with Children Incorporated Like?
The sponsorship relationship enables a sponsor to help support a child by means of monthly contributions, and through the exchange of correspondence with a sponsored child, if the sponsor so desires. A sponsor’s friendship and encouragement is priceless to a child in such circumstances. Indeed, many children value the relationships they establish with their sponsors as much as they value the financial support they receive from them. There is an opportunity to build a relationship between sponsor and child that can be quite profound.
Our current monthly sponsorship rate is $35, and it goes toward providing basic necessities such as school supplies and fees, food, clothing, and access to healthcare, among other services.
How long can I sponsor a child at the Lou Ann Long Girls’ Hostel?
We hope that you will assist your sponsored child until he or she leaves our program. This may occur when a child graduates from high school, moves out of our service area, or for a variety of other reasons. Due to the transient state of many families and the difficult circumstances of the regions where they reside, we cannot predict or guarantee how long a child will remain enrolled in the Children Incorporated sponsorship program, although we make every effort to provide services to children for as long as possible.
When a child leaves our program, it is our policy to select another child for you to sponsor, in the hope that you will accept sponsorship of the new child and continue to partner with us in changing lives. Unfortunately, we usually lose contact with children once they leave our sponsorship program (as we do not maintain personal addresses or contact information for any of the children). Even so, the positive impact of your generosity – both on the individual child and on his or her community – endures!
Will I receive updated information about my sponsored child at the Lou Ann Long Girls’ Hostel?
Yes. We will send you updated information and an updated photo about once a year, although the frequency may vary depending upon the child’s location. The typical progress report includes information about the child’s grade level in school, hobbies, and interests.
How do I pay for my monthly sponsorship?
Sponsorship contributions may be made by check, money order, credit/debit card, or ACH transfer (debit from a checking or savings account). Checks or money orders may be mailed to Children Incorporated at P.O. Box 72848, North Chesterfield, VA 23235. Contributions via credit/debit card are accepted online or over the phone, and we can mail you an application to authorize an ACH transfer. The current sponsorship rate is $35 a month.
You may also set up automatically recurring contributions (as charges to your American Express, Visa, Mastercard, or Discover Card; or as debits from your checking or savings account). Please call our office or send us an email at sponsorship@children-inc.org for more information.
Are there deadlines for sending additional monetary gifts for the child I sponsor?
Yes. It takes time to process a monetary gift and send it to your sponsored child’s site. To send additional monetary gifts to your sponsored child, please ensure that the gift arrives to our North Chesterfield, Virginia office at least sixty days prior to the date you would like it to be received by the child. We will accept donations after this deadline, but please be aware that they may arrive late to your sponsored child.
May I write to the child I sponsor?
Yes! Corresponding with your sponsored child can be a delightful experience, and you will find your sponsored child’s site address enclosed in the child’s informational brochure. Our site volunteers will translate your letter, if necessary, and deliver it to the child you sponsor.
What should I write about?
The children enjoy learning about the lives of their sponsors. Writing about your own family (children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, etc.) is always a good place to start. The children also like to learn about your part of the world, what you do for a living, your hobbies and interests, and about any pets you may have.
What if I have specific questions regarding the child I sponsor?
If you have questions or concerns about your sponsored child, please call or email our office. Depending on the nature of a child-specific question, we may need to contact our volunteer coordinator at the site your child attends for the requested information, but we will get that information to you just as soon as possible, provided it does not violate the child protection and privacy policy to which we adhere.
Is it possible to visit my sponsored child at the Lou Ann Long Girls’ Hostel?
It is possible to visit sponsored children; however, since we work with a network of volunteers and sites, we simply cannot guarantee that all sites are open to sponsor visits. Circumstances vary from area to area. If you are interested in visiting your sponsored child, please contact us for specifics relating to the child and site.
If your sponsored child’s site does allow visits, we ask that you contact us at least 45 days prior to your planned visit. The sponsorship staff member who oversees your sponsored child’s site will assist you by making arrangements with the site, the child’s parents and our volunteer coordinator. You will need to fill out our visit request forms, as well as familiarize yourself with our child protection policy, to which we ask that you adhere; this includes a background check at your expense.