*Note: This blog was written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although much has changed regarding our sponsored children’s learning experience in the past months, our On the Road stories remain relevant in regards to our volunteer coordinator’s work and the impact of sponsorship on children in our program thanks to our sponsors. We are pleased to continue to share stories with you about our work.
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Hear Anthony’s story about how he received help thanks to our Shared Hope Fund, as we highlight some of our work around the world at the end of 2020.
As our sponsors and donors know, everything they do for children in our program provides them with life-changing support while also offering them hope for their future — and this applies to children who don’t currently have sponsors as well. Thanks to contributions throughout the year to our Shared Hope Fund, we are able to help thousands of children who are enrolled in our program so they don’t have to go without vital basic needs while they wait for sponsorship.
Hear Anthony’s* story about how he received help thanks to our Shared Hope Fund, as we highlight some of our work around the world at the end of 2020.
A shared Hope story
Anthony lives in Richmond, Virginia, and is in elementary school at our affiliated project, Blackwell Elementary.
Anthony, pictured here, was in desperate need of new shoes.
During the warmer months, students at Blackwell wear flip flops and sandals to school. But when the weather gets colder, children start to wear tennis shoes and boots.
Our volunteer coordinator at Blackwell Elementary, Jeffery, noticed that Anthony was wearing a pair of shoes that were obviously and painfully too tight. Jeffrey contacted Children Incorporated and expressed that Anthony’s need for shoes was so immediate that there was no time for him to wait for a sponsor. Children Incorporated approved the request and sent Shared Hope Funds right away.
Jeffrey shopped around and found a good pair of gray Nikes on clearance. When Jeffrey gave Anthony the shoes, Anthony sat in Jeffrey’s office and cried. The next day Anthony brought — without having been asked — a thank you note for Children Incorporated sharing that the Nikes were the first pair of new shoes he had ever had for himself.
Jeffrey said they talked about proper shoe care, and Anthony is extremely proud of and careful with his shoes. The laces are tied, and he keeps them clean.
Anthony’s story is just one of dozens of stories about the impact our sponsors and donors have on children thanks to our Shared Hope Fund. We are incredibly grateful for all that you have contributed this year to this important fund to help kids in need around the world.
*Name changed to protect the child.
find out more about our shared hope fund
We enroll new children in our program every day, and finding enough sponsors for all of them is one of our greatest challenges. The global need is so profound that some children wait months for a sponsor. Donations made to our Shared Hope Fund provide immediate assistance to children awaiting sponsorship.
Anthony’s story is just one of dozens of stories about the impact our sponsors and donors have on children thanks to our Shared Hope Fund.
Children Incorporated currently has about 2,000 children enrolled in our program who are waiting to be sponsored. Our Shared Hope Fund provides them with clothes, food, and school supplies until they are paired with a sponsor. Supporting this important fund helps us to provide for the immediate needs of children living in poverty.
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