Tag Archives: child poverty

According to the Kentucky State School Report Card an overwhelming 73.2% of Magoffin County Schools students are economically disadvantaged. Being at a disadvantage grossly impacts every single factor for a student’s success. Children’s Incorporated is such a wonderful program that truly helps eliminate some of these challenges for students and families.

Changing children’s lives

As I begin writing this, I think that I wish I had some profound sentiment or big life changing story. Then, I realize that with the support of Children Incorporated, everything we do is truly changing lives.

I realize that with the support of Children Incorporated, everything we do is truly changing lives.

I love any testimony of how something has positively impacted any child. One of my absolute favorites from this year was as I was getting to know a student, we discuss their basic needs. Do you have enough food, what clothes are you lacking, what school supplies do you need to be successful in school? Then we always dive into what’s your favorite things. She and I instantly bonded over our love of baking shows and cake decorating competitions. She confided in me that she had always wanted to bake and decorate her own cake. Now that may not seem life changing; baking a cake. But for a student who has never got to explore that side of their potential, it very well may have changed her life. I hope to one day step inside her bakery and know that this one opportunity started back in grade school by people who cared.

Helping kids feeling included

As part of being a resource coordinator, we discuss hygiene like we talk about what we had for breakfast. But breaking through to sixth grade boys who have never been shown the importance of hygiene is a whole new success I would have never dreamed I would be celebrating.

Thanks to Children Incorporated, a steady, reliable supply of some student’s favorite body care set has done just that by making them feel included and accepted for the first time. Someone who has never struggled to access basic supplies like soap and deodorant would not understand the impact this may have. These boys know that they can always find their body wash, deodorant and body spray available here as needed and will never again be faced with feeling excluded because their bodies are changing or because they might smell different or bad.

Thanks to sponsors and a combined effort with our Family Resource Center, every Children Incorporated student at our school receives a birthday present on their birthday. This personalized recognition for each child has been my favorite ongoing activity. The anticipation, excitement and appreciation from each student truly makes my day — on their birthday!

Building a relationship with these students and the students learning and accepting that they have someone they can trust and depend on is truly heartwarming. So many of our students have been failed with inconsistency and broken promises. That alone is truly one of the largest barriers we are breaking down, together!

Sincerely,
Kelly

***

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 in that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

written by Children Incorporated

We provide children living in poverty with education, hope and opportunity so they have the chance for a brighter future. Thanks to past and current supporters around the globe, we work with 225 affiliated sites in 20 countries to offer basic needs, emergency relief, and community support to thousands of children and their families each year.

» more of Children's stories

As our Director of International Programs Luis Bourdet continues his travels in India visiting our affiliated sites in the country, he tells us about the Lou Ann Long Girls’ Hostel, in which children in our program are in need of beds and linens for a comfortable night’s rest.

“Thankfully, the Lou Ann Long Girls’ Hostel is able to provide boarding, nutrition, and a quality education for area girls who come from families living in poverty.”

About the Lou Ann Long GIRLS’ HOSTEL

“The small town of Yadgiri, where the Lou Ann Long Girls’ Hostel is located, is in the southern Indian state of Karnataka. Drought is a constant threat in this agricultural community, and employment opportunities are severely limited. Field laborers earn an average of only forty cents a day and struggle to provide even the most basic necessities for their children,” said Luis.

“Moreover, with shorter life expectancies, much lower literacy rates, and a markedly inferior social and economic status than males, young women in India begin life at a disadvantage. Thankfully, the Lou Ann Long Girls’ Hostel is able to provide boarding, nutrition, and a quality education for area girls who come from families living in poverty. At the home, deserving young women receive the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances they face.”

“The home is administered by the Methodist Church of India, and like the Chandrakal Boarding Home, it receives our support through the main office of the Methodist Church, as well as from Children Incorporated,” said Luis.

“Children at this home stay here during the educational year, and some stay during school breaks as well. Most of the children will be going home during school breaks (India follows a similar school year to the U.S.). Children Incorporated support is utilized to cover the cost of staying in the home, including the provision of food, educational supplies, clothing and shoes, as well as food support for the families when large additional gifts are sent closer to their breaks.”

Seeing the home for himself

“Currently, the girls at Lou Ann Long are staying at a dorm built with the support of Children Incorporated. However, the administrators are using the former dorm for the girls for playing and other recreational activities. The children attend a local school, located not far from this facility, also run by the Methodist Church. They are all enrolled in that school, with the exception of a couple of girls that are attending university thanks to sponsorship support through our Higher Education Fund,” said Luis.

“During my visit, I noticed that the Lou Ann Long Girls’ Hostel does not have beds for the children, as it is customary for them to sleep on small mats on the floor. I have mentioned that we could provide beds, so we are working on this support. Lou Ann Long also needs some improvements to the facilities. They mentioned that the building would be better with a touch of paint and perhaps sealing the roofs to avoid leaking. Because of the lack of funding, prevention is not the primary focus for these centers, as they live month-to-month. I will follow up to see what Children Incorporated could do to support these needs as well.”

***

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.

SPONSOR A CHILD

It has been almost six years since our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, has had the opportunity to return to our affiliated sites in India to meet with our volunteer coordinators and sponsored children there. Thankfully, this past October, he was able to make the trip along with our International Programs Specialist, Yefiny Mena, who was seeing India for the first time. They started their journey by visiting the Chandrakal Boarding Home, a long-time affiliated site with Children Incorporated, where sponsored children’s educational needs are met while they are also offered a safe place to live during the school year.

“Knowing that contributing to their child’s education gives the parents a great sense of pride. The home accepts whatever the parents can afford and sponsorship helps to cover the rest, along with other basic needs.”

Luis’ Visit

“In the fall of 2023, Yefiny and I met with all of our affiliations in India and Sri Lanka to evaluate their programs,” said Luis.

“The purpose of the evaluations was to first reaffirm regulations and funding utilization; second, become familiar with the personnel administering each affiliated site in India and in Sri Lanka; and third, visit the families with children enrolled and see first-hand the environment in which the children live. We also wanted to review norms and verify enrollment of listed children, and determine active participation with our program to evaluate benefits.”

“Another important objective was to discuss the plans and potential future development of each center, which included an assessment of any needs and future projections to enhance support for the children and the communities. Whenever possible, we wanted to visit a family or two with children in our sponsorship program, so that we could determine their needs and possibly augment our support,” said Luis.

the Chandrakal Boarding Home

“Founded in 1950 by American missionary Lillian Woodbridge, the home has provided education for thousands of impoverished children, many of whom have since made valuable contributions to their towns and villages in the fields of education, medicine and commerce. Due to the severe poverty in this area, most of the children’s parents are unable to pay tuition each month. Knowing that contributing to their child’s education gives the parents a great sense of pride. The home accepts whatever the parents can afford and sponsorship helps to cover the rest, along with other basic needs. In this way, the children receive an education that affords them the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and rise above the difficult circumstances that they face.”

“The children express happiness at being accepted at the homes, where they are willingly preparing for education in local government schools.”

“The evaluation of the Chandrakal Boarding Home indicated that the children are present and receiving support from Children Incorporated. All support has to be utilized to sustain the home and provide the children with the educational support needed for them to attend school and complete their education. We learned that our volunteer coordinator Laveena is new, but familiar with the program, as she is the sister of our former coordinator, Omega, and is now in charge.”

“Laveena has worked hard to complete many improvements to the Chandrakal Boarding Home, including upgrading the dorms, implementing electricity alternatives, and completing a new high school building. Children Incorporated also provided funding to purchase cots for the girls, help in implementing a computer lab, and help with many other improvements, along with the steady sponsorship program. Laveena indicated that she is still learning and adjusting to post-pandemic times, but she is doing fine. The children express happiness at being accepted at the homes, where they are willingly preparing for education in local government schools.”

***

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.

SPONSOR A CHILD

written by Shelley Callahan

Shelley is the Director of Development for Children Incorporated. She is also the lead social correspondent, regularly contributing insights through the Stories of Hope blog series. Sign up for Stories of Hope to receive weekly email updates about how your donations are changing the lives of children in need.

» more of Shelley's stories

I first met Rosanne Cash in the spring of 2012. Of course, I was already aware of her artistry, having been a big fan of her hit songs “Seven Year Ache,” “Blue Moon With Heartache,” and “I Don’t Know Why You Don’t Want Me,” and I was well aware that she was the daughter of the iconic Johnny Cash.

I admit that I was initially a little starstruck to meet her, but since our initial lunch together twelve years ago, I have gotten to know Rosanne quite a bit better, and I have discovered that she is one of the nicest, most compassionate individuals one can hope to meet. She cares deeply about the state of our world, including the poverty and deprivation that bind so many children. I recently had the opportunity to chat with her about her decades-long support of Children Incorporated.

I appreciated the personal connection, the ‘family’ atmosphere, and the fact that the administrators actually knew who the sponsors and children were — it’s not a nameless and faceless enterprise where you send money and it goes into a black box.

– Rosanne Cash

A conversation with our long-time supporter

RON: Rosanne, according to our records, you started supporting Children Incorporated in September 1987, thirty-seven years ago. Do you recall how you initially discovered Children Incorporated?

ROSANNE: It’s been a long time! I really don’t recall how I found Children Incorporated, but I remember feeling impressed with the obvious sincerity and humility of the mission. I was moved that it was founded by just one woman (Jeanne Clarke Wood), out of a singular desire to ease the suffering of children around the world.

RON: And what led you to contact us, as opposed to one of the other, perhaps larger sponsorship organizations? What has kept you involved all these years?

ROSANNE: I appreciated the personal connection, the ‘family’ atmosphere, and the fact that the administrators actually knew who the sponsors and children were — it’s not a nameless and faceless enterprise where you send money and it goes into a black box. I like getting the letters from the children and knowing who I’m helping.

RON: You currently sponsor three children with us — two in Bolivia and a third in Mexico. You’ve sponsored many different children. What do you find most rewarding about child sponsorship?

ROSANNE: I know there is a real effect to my sponsorship. The children write and tell me what they were able to get for themselves, how their schoolwork is going, what music they like, and more about their lives. They send pictures and I see them grow. I see, in real time, that my sponsorship matters.

RON: If you were asked to describe Children Incorporated in just a couple of sentences, what would you say?

ROSANNE: Children Incorporated is an organization with enormous heart and soul, fastidiously administrated, and has the welfare of the children they serve at the center of every decision and every dollar they spend. Their integrity as a charity is exemplary, and their service to the underprivileged children of the world reverberates through generations.

Rosanne’s latest music release is the 30th Anniversary Deluxe Edition of her classic album “The Wheel” available wherever contemporary music is sold and through her website, rosannecash.com.

Thank you, Rosanne, for all you do to help children in our program!

***

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.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Today we hear from our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, about her trip to New Mexico last fall, where she and our Assistant Director of U.S. Programs, Kristen Walthall, visited eight affiliated sites.

Understanding the Navajo Nation

“The Navajo are the largest Native American tribe in the United States. The Navajo Nation also has the largest land mass of any tribe. The nation is located in the greater ‘Four Corners’ region of the United States, where Arizona, New Mexico, Colorado, and Utah meet in a quadripoint, the only place in the U.S. where this occurs,” said Renée.

“The entire school has worked hard to showcase to the community the advantages of a smaller school where the children get more personal attention.”

Children Incorporated’s affiliations within the Navajo Nation are located in Arizona and New Mexico. The lands within the northeastern part of Arizona area belong wholly to the Navajo Nation, with the exception of a part carved out for the Hopi Nation. However, the lands within northwestern New Mexico belong to a variety of jurisdictions: federal, state, tribal, private, and allotment. This is why the Navajo region in New Mexico is popularly called ‘The Checkerboard.’ As Kris and I were driving in this part of New Mexico, we were going in and out of various parts of the checkerboard.”

“In recent years, the Navajo Nation has been working hard to (among other things) formally enroll its residents as Navajo citizens. There are requirements to formal enrollment in a tribe, with the intention of preserving the unique character and traditions of each tribe. The tribes establish their own membership criteria based on shared customs, language, traditions, and tribal blood. These criteria for membership are set forth in the tribes’ constitutions, articles of incorporation, and/or ordinances. Uniform membership requirements do not exist; it varies from tribe to tribe,” explained Renée.

Veronica and Jeanette are pictured with some of our sponsored children at Lake Valley.

“The enrollment numbers matter, not only for emotional reasons such as tribal identity and history, but for practical reasons as well— tribes are often allocated money based on their number of enrolled citizens. Before the pandemic, the Navajo enrollment was around 306,000 people. During the pandemic membership drive, the Navajo Nation was able to have many residents formally establish their eligibility and then enroll. By 2021, the Navajo’s tribal rolls had grown to almost 400,000 people. With this achievement, the Navajo Nation surpassed the Cherokee Nation (whose enrollment is 392,000 people). A recent example of the importance of enrollment numbers is the money awarded to tribes, based on their enrollment numbers, from the federal CARES (Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security) Act and the American Rescue Plan Act.”

“Every amount of assistance helps, because according to a special article in 2019 by the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions, the state had the third-highest rate of child poverty in the U.S. (24.9%). This means nearly one in four New Mexico children lived in poverty in 2019. Only Mississippi and Louisiana were higher. When analyzing the data by ethnicity, the rate for Native Americans was higher than for all other groups. During the pandemic, things actually got a bit better for families, due to federal relief payments. Now that the pandemic relief has ended, the situation is worsening again. The Annie E. Casey Foundation’s 2023 Kids Count databook shows that New Mexico’s children rank last in the nation for well-being. The poverty rate is high, and New Mexico also ranked last in education and 45th in health,” said Renée.

About Lake Valley Boarding School

“The remote town of Crownpoint is located in northwestern New Mexico, near the Arizona border and the vast Navajo Indian Reservation. Despite the wealth of natural beauty in this area, the Navajo Indians who live in this region are desperately poor. There is virtually no employment. Broken homes, alcoholism, and inadequate food are constant manifestations of poverty.”

“Both expressed their deep appreciation for the Hope In Action grants that Lake Valley Boarding School received during the height of the pandemic.”

“Though one of the smaller schools in the Bureau of Indian Affairs system, the Lake Valley Boarding School provides a safe haven where Navajo students, whose homes are far away, are able to live and learn in a healthy, supportive environment. Most parents struggle to afford clothing, school supplies, and basic necessities for their children. Were it not for the Lake Valley Boarding School, so many children would have little opportunity to dream or to rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances from which they come,” explained Renée.

Renee’s Visit

“With a name like ‘Lake Valley,’ one would expect water and green grass, but that is not the case. The lake dried up years ago and is largely a sand trap now. The elders remember when the lake was full, there were farm fields, and two active trading posts. In the olden days, Lake Valley was a stagecoach stop between Crownpoint and Farmington, and the lake and a spring offered cool water to travelers and their horses.”

“The community is only seven miles from the famous Chaco Culture National Historic Park. Residents dream of drawing in tourists with an RV park and a little restaurant. But for now, improvements are still only a dream. In reality, due to budget cuts, services to this area are very limited. Community health representatives have had to reduce their visits to homebound elders. Young families had been leaving, and it got worse during the pandemic,” said Renée.

Lake Valley Boarding School is located in a remote area of New Mexico with few options for shopping.

“After going down a dirt and gravel driveway, I reached a small cluster of buildings with pretty trees planted to provide some shade for everyone. I walked to the main entrance at Lake Valley Boarding School — Home of the Mighty Lakers. I was warmly greeted by our two co-coordinators, Jeanette and Veronica, and taken to the library for a meeting. They explained to me that they drive almost 60 miles north to shop in Farmington. They like to go either to Walmart or to JCPenney, which has really good sales. They meet the parents there, and pay for the items after the parents and children have made their selections. Sometimes they drive about 35 miles south to Crownpoint, which has a Bashas’ grocery store where they will occasionally purchase food for families in need. Both Jeanette and Veronica are very conscientious about getting the best value for every donor dollar.” 

Adjusting since the pandemic

“Both Veronica and Jeanette shared that during the pandemic, they lost even more of their students. In some cases, families moved from the area. But in other cases, the parents felt their children would have more services at the bigger schools in Farmington. The Farmington Municipal Schools buses will actually drive halfway to Lake Valley to pick up and drop off the children,” said Renée.

“The entire school has worked hard to showcase to the community the advantages of a smaller school where the children get more personal attention. In fact, Jeanette and Veronica shared that one of the students had withdrawn at the end of last school year. The girl started the new school year in August at Farmington, but she was not happy, and so her parents re-enrolled her this week at Lake Valley. Her classmates had missed her, and they were thrilled to welcome her back.”

“Both Jeanette and Veronica were initially hired to work in the dorm. However, during the pandemic the dorm was shut down when the school moved to fully remote instruction. Because some staff left during the pandemic, this created openings so that Jeanette and Veronica didn’t lose their jobs. They were instead transferred to other duties. This year the dorm has reopened, but there are only five children living there during the school week. Jeanette and Veronica take turns staying there overnight, but they do other things for the school to keep up their full-time hours. Both are hoping more children will be enrolled in the dorm over time, as things continue a slow return to normal there,” explained Renée.

“As the dorm starts to add more residential students, Jeanette and Veronica said they will be applying for Hope In Action funding for new bedding sets as well as hygiene items and supplies.”

“When the pandemic started and the dorm shut down, Jeanette and Veronica gave away much of the bedding to the children as they were checked out. They realized that, due to policies on infection, the bedding could not be reused. As the dorm starts to add more residential students, Jeanette and Veronica said they will be applying for Hope In Action funding for new bedding sets as well as hygiene items and supplies. Both expressed their deep appreciation for the Hope In Action Fund grants that Lake Valley Boarding School received during the height of the pandemic. While the school and dorm were closed and the children were doing remote learning in their homes, our organization helped with cellular service and hotspot boxes,” said Renée.

“This is the second school year that school is supposedly back to normal with fully in-person instruction. But many of the families have not returned. There are only 22 students enrolled at Lake Valley Boarding School – and everyone is enrolled in our program and is sponsored. Jeanette and Veronica are doing a beautiful job. They are eager to enroll more children, as more families move to the community.”

***

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.

SPONSOR A CHILD

written by Children Incorporated

We provide children living in poverty with education, hope and opportunity so they have the chance for a brighter future. Thanks to past and current supporters around the globe, we work with 225 affiliated sites in 20 countries to offer basic needs, emergency relief, and community support to thousands of children and their families each year.

» more of Children's stories

Children Incorporated has been such a blessing for all sponsored students. Specifically at Christmas, there were an abundance of students needing assistance this past year. Students weren’t being sponsored by staff or community members like in the years past. I never have to worry about my Children Incorporated sponsored children getting what the need. I am blessed to have the funds to well take care of all of their desired wishes and immediate needs.

I never have to worry about my Children Incorporated sponsored children getting what the need.

Parents giving their thanks to sponsors

Parents know the funds are here when they need support and don’t hesitate to reach out if their child has outgrown a pair of shoes or if it is a change of season and the children need new clothes. One particular parent couldn’t thank me and Children Incorporated enough for not only the sponsor providing funding but for allowing her daughter to pick out her own clothes and what she liked and would actually wear.

Another parent remarked how her child’s day was made after receiving her new spring clothes and shoes she picked out and what a positive impact this program had brought to the whole family. Not only me, but the parents of these students will forever be grateful for the blessings Children Incorporated bring us.

Sincerely,
Heather

***

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 in that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

written by Children Incorporated

We provide children living in poverty with education, hope and opportunity so they have the chance for a brighter future. Thanks to past and current supporters around the globe, we work with 225 affiliated sites in 20 countries to offer basic needs, emergency relief, and community support to thousands of children and their families each year.

» more of Children's stories