Although we are not always considered to be an emergency relief organization, it is amazing how quickly we actually can respond to helping children and families in our programs when sudden needs arise. Today we hear from Michelle at James D. Adams Middle School about how our Hope In Action Fund has come to the rescue for her over the last year, especially when needed after devastating flooding in Eastern Kentucky.
“We cannot say a big enough ‘thank you’ to Children Incorporated for being one of the very first to reach out and help us.”
Michelle’s Note
“What a year it has been here in Floyd County! We came out of the challenges of COVID-19 thinking it may be a more normal school year, only to get hit by one of the most destructive floods that we have ever seen. Despite the challenges, I am so proud to have been on the front lines here working with my fellow resource center coordinators to help people make it through those early days when they had just lost everything they owned.”
“As our community always does in times of crisis, we came together, and we used what we had to make sure that our people were taken care of. We cannot say a big enough ‘thank you’ to Children Incorporated for being one of the very first to reach out to us and help us provide necessary clothing and shoes for families who were living in emergency shelters after the flooding. As always, your assistance was invaluable and so appreciated.”
“Immediately after the flooding, I quickly filled out a Children Incorporated sponsorship application for one of my students, Nicole*, who was living in a shelter. She and her mom had just moved to the area when the flooding happened. I was so thrilled with how quickly she was able to get a sponsor, and with the additional funding through your Hope In Action Fund, I was able to get her clothing and other needs while she and her mother were living in a camper at the state park. Now, with the help of many resources, she and her mom have an apartment and are getting back on their feet. She has also been matched with a truly wonderful sponsor who has sent her some really encouraging letters which I have loved sharing with her.”
“Children Incorporated has also helped us in a major way this year with one of our students named Peter.* Peter is an intelligent young man who unfortunately has a terrible home life. His mother has basically left him here in Kentucky and moved away, and he has been going from relative to relative trying to find a place to stay.”
Thanks to their sponsors, children at James D. Adams Middle School receive basic needs items all year long.
“Despite the situation he is in, Peter continues to be a great kid who so many of us see real leadership potential in. His guidance counselor came to me and asked about sending him on a trip that they take every year to the state capital where they participate in activities that teach them about government, and I just knew we had to make a way for him to get there. I emailed Children Incorporated and explained the situation, and you all were able to help us get the needed funds to send Peter on the trip. We also were able to use some of the funds to help him present his project on lizards at the state science fair. Without this extra help, I don’t know if either of these activities would have been possible.”
“I also found out that one of our students, Rachel*, did not have a bed. A local furniture store donated a mattress so that her bed would no longer be on the floor. With Children Incorporated funds, I was able to get her a comforter set and blanket. She was so happy when she saw it! She said, ‘This is the one I looked at when I was at Wal-Mart, and my mom said we would have to wait.’ It truly was an awesome feeling to be able to help her in that way.”
“These are just a few of the ways Children Incorporated has helped me make it through such a difficult year. I am so thankful for our partnership and the difference it has made in so many of our students’ and families’ lives over the years.”
Sincerely,
Michelle
*Names changed to protect the children.
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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD WITH CHILDREN INCORPORATED?
You can sponsor a child 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.