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Stories written by Shelley Callahan

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Thanks to You, Children Are Receiving Brand New Shoes

Thank you for providing kids with much-needed items throughout the year

Joseph*, like many of our sponsored children, is being raised by his grandmother. Joseph and his siblings live in Arizona and were abandoned by their mother after their father died. Suddenly, Joseph’s paternal grandmother found herself raising children again with no income and no means to support them. She can scarcely provide food and shelter for her grandkids, and she has virtually no money to keep them clothed properly. Thankfully, Joseph has a caring sponsor who […]

Welfare in the Wake of Disaster

The El Refugio Welfare Center in Honduras was built in response to damage from a hurricane

Built in response to the devastation of Hurricane Mitch in Honduras more than twenty years ago, our affiliated site El Refugio Welfare Center continues to support children in the rural town of El Progreso to this day. In 1998, Hurricane Mitch claimed thousands of lives, causing catastrophic flooding and landslides. It remains the second deadliest Atlantic hurricane on record, causing over 11,000 fatalities in Central America — 7,000 of those being in Honduras alone. The damage […]

Escaping a Poor Education

In El Salvador, the Marillac School provides a quality academic experience for children

In the town of Santa Tecla, located six miles west of El Salvador’s capital, San Salvador, our affiliated project, the Marillac School, is providing children with the opportunity to receive an education — and a quality one at that. Founded in 1940 by the Sisters of the Order of St. Vincent de Paul, the school serves as not only an escape from the harsh realities local students face growing up in poverty but an escape […]

A Blooming School in El Salvador

Escuela Santa Luisa’s improved school buildings are impressive

Abundant in rivers, lakes and fertile, tropical farmland, El Salvador’s natural beauty traverses a vast central plateau bordered by Pacific coastal plains to the south and rugged mountains to the north. For centuries, several Mesoamerican nations called this land home, including the Lenca, Olmec, Maya and Pipil/Cutcatlec. However, this small and densely populated Central American nation is particularly susceptible to natural disasters such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and has been plagued by chronic political […]

Thanks to You, Sponsored Children in Paraguay Have New Clothes and Shoes

Girls from Hogar Medalla Milagrosa are thankful for the support from their sponsors

For many children living in poverty, having a sponsor is their only means of receiving basic necessities such as food, clothing and educational assistance. Some may never receive brand new items such as blankets and shoes without the support of a caring sponsor. Thanks to you, children, such as the girls from Hogar Medalla Milagrosa in Paraguay, and others around the world, are being provided for in ways in which their parents are cannot. We […]

Looking for the Bigger Picture

Long-time sponsor Laura DeCook reflects on her sponsorship experience

When I received an email earlier this year from sponsor Laura DeCook about a bake sale fundraiser she was hosting, I was thrilled to hear about her efforts to help her sponsored child, Caroline*, beyond her monthly sponsorship contribution. What I didn’t realize at the time was just how much more Laura was doing when it came to being involved in Caroline’s life — and the lives of other children as well. I would soon […]