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Stories written by Shelley Callahan

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February 2025 Impact Report

Thank you for supporting children in need this past month

Our volunteer coordinator, Tonia, at Sparta Elementary School in North Carolina, recently wrote to us to express how awesome she thinks you, our loyal sponsors and donors, are for the support you provide for children at her school: “Because of the financial support our students have received from their sponsors, I have been able to purchase clothes, book bags, school supplies, and toiletries throughout the school year. It is so exciting and rewarding to see […]

A Namesake School in New Orleans

Samuel L. Green Charter School has stayed true to its roots

A vital port on the renowned Mississippi River, the city of New Orleans is steeped in culture and history. Even so, areas of the city have long struggled with poverty and its socioeconomic effects — even before the devastation of Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In the storm’s wake, countless businesses — and even hospitals — opted not to reopen, leaving residents of an already-troubled community severely underserviced. Recovery has been slow, and in an area […]

Needing Just the Basics at Langston Hughes

Our volunteer coordinator talks about the value of hygiene items and clothes

It had already been a fantastic day visiting two of our affiliated sites in New Orleans, and we still had one more to do before returning to our hotel for the evening. Shayne, Kris, Renée, and I made our way from Foundation Preparatory Academy to Langston Hughes Academy in the Fairgrounds neighborhood of the city. When we arrived, we met Maria outside of the school, and we all went inside together, where we were greeted […]

Staying Warm in the South

Even in New Orleans, winter clothes are a big need for children living in poverty

Our first day visiting our affiliated sites in New Orleans was a huge success and so much fun, and I woke up on the second and final day of our trip excited for what the day had in store for us. Just as we had done the previous morning, Shayne picked up Renée, Kris, and me at our hotel, and we drove with her to our first school, the Phillis Wheatley Community School, where we […]

A Quiet Refuge in New Orleans

Foundation Preparatory Academy is a true safe haven for kids

After our wonderful visit to Arthur Ashe Charter School in New Orleans, it was time to move on to our second affiliated site — Foundation Preparatory Academy, which serves kindergarten through 8th-grade students from all over the city. Renée, Kris, Shayne, and I all got into Shayne’s car to make the short drive from the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans to the Fairgrounds neighborhood, where Foundation Preparatory Academy was located. On the way, Renée explained […]

The Crescent City of Charter Schools

Our Director of Development visits her first affiliation in New Orleans

Renée Kube, Kristen Walthall, and I arrived in New Orleans on a Tuesday afternoon in early December 2024 with the plan to visit our five affiliated sites over the next two days. In New Orleans, Children Incorporated partners directly with Communities in Schools (CIS) Gulf South to help implement our sponsorship program within the local schools, and their Chief Program Officer, Shayne, graciously offered to pick us up and be our tour guide for the […]