Home Is Where the Heart Is

Why families in Kentucky don’t just leave and start over

Since I first started visiting our affiliated projects in Eastern Kentucky in April of 2015, I have been reporting on the burden of poverty that our sponsored children and their families face every day. With a lack of jobs and scarcity of resources for people in need in this region of the United States, I often get asked when I return home: Why don’t people in need just move somewhere else? It is a question […]

A Lack of Transportation in Kentucky

In Lawrence County, many children and adults don’t have the means to leave their homes

In late August, Shelley Oxenham, U.S. Projects Specialist for Children Incorporated, and I traveled to Lawrence County, Kentucky to visit Louisa Middle School and Lawrence County High School. The two schools are located in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field region in a very rural part of the state. The county is one of the largest in the state, meaning the distances between stores, homes, schools, and businesses are vast. There is no quick trip to […]

A Haven in Colombo

The Chrishanti Lama Sevana Center is a refuge for poor children in Sri Lanka

The country of Sri Lanka has always valued the importance of learning, and even more so after gaining their independence from Britain in 1948. Since then, the government has made education a high priority, and it has paid off. The literacy rate is over ninety percent — the highest in all of South Asia – and enrollment in school for both boys and girls is just as high. This is in large part due to […]

Touching the Lives of Children in Sri Lanka

The Touch a Life with Hope Center offers children a chance at a better life

Sri Lanka is an island country in South Asia, just below India, that is known for its natural beauty, wildlife, and tea and cinnamon exports. Its heritage rich in Buddhism, Sri Lanka is the oldest democracy in Asia. And although thriving with regard to tourism and commerce, many people in the country live in poverty — especially children who have been removed from their homes by the government because of abuse and neglect, like those […]

A Tremendous Impact: An Interview with Kristine Carlson

The wife of the late Dr. Richard Carlson speaks with our CEO, Ron Carter

When I started working for Children Incorporated in 2003, one of the first things I heard about was Dr. Richard Carlson’s mention of the organization in his landmark best-selling book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. I was told that Dr. Carlson’s kind words about Children Incorporated had generated literally thousands of new child sponsorships, and that even more lives had been changed by contributions resulting from the same. I recall that Mrs. Marian Cummins, who […]

Appreciating the Sweetness in Life

An interview with sponsor Kathy Niles

After hearing story after story from her friend Hilary about child sponsorship through Children Incorporated, Kathy Niles decided she wanted to sponsor a child of her own. Little did she know that sponsorship would lead to unforgettable travels with her friend, getting to know several children – and an even deeper understanding of and appreciation for Native American culture. We caught up with Kathy to find out about her experiences as a child sponsor, and […]