Tag Archives: child

Shelley Callahan | En Español

“Being raised by a single parent is hard nowadays,” Genevieve, the Children Incorporated coordinator at LBJ Elementary School, commiserates.

She is referring to Billy*, a student enrolled in our sponsorship program at her school, who is being raised by a single father.  Genevieve tells us that Billy’s father attends all budgeting classes and parent-night functions. “He always stays after to help me and the other volunteers clean up the gym,” she adds.

But despite the tremendous emotional support Billy’s father religiously provides, he is unable to provide for all of his son’s basic, material needs.

That’s where sponsorship comes in.

Billy trying on his new shoes

“I just cannot express how much the Children Incorporated program has meant to Billy,” Genevieve exclaims.  “Of all the children I have personally selected to be on this program, he is the happiest. It seemed to boost his personal confidence just knowing he had a pen-pal that wants to help him out with extra needed items.”

Recently, Billy’s sponsors helped out even more – contributing an additional gift for Billy’s general needs.  Genevieve immediately contacted us to share the positive impact this act of kindness made:

“Billy needed shoes so badly,” she reports, “and the day I went to buy them, they were on sale, so I had enough money to purchase four pairs.  I cannot express how thrilled the child was upon receiving the shoes, and his father kept thanking me over and over again.”

“Billy is very appreciative and loves knowing he is special to [his sponsors],” Genevieve adds.  As proof, she enclosed a copy of the thank-you letter that Billy wrote to his sponsors, Mr. and Mrs. Dunn:

Never in my whole life have I ever got four pairs of shoes at one time. I thank you so much for doing that for me.  I cannot express how much I thank you. I needed them so bad.  My shoes busted on the bottom and it was cold in the morning.  This program is so good and has made a positive difference in my life.  It’s like having a guardian angel watching over me that likes me no matter what.

Thank you for being my friend,

Billy

“As a resource coordinator,” Genevieve concludes, “there is only so much we can do to positively affect that child’s life, and it is so rejuvenating when the children enrolled are that pleased as Billy expressed in his letter. Children Incorporated is a great program to work with as a collaborative partner. I, too, am thankful to be a part of a school system that participates. It makes you feel good knowing it made a difference!”

*Name changed for the child’s protection.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN Kentucky?

You can sponsor a child in Kentucky in one of two ways – call our office and speak with one of our sponsorship specialists at 1-800-538-5381, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Winter can be especially difficult for children living in poverty.  Fiercely cold weather, when compounded by poverty, is not just a moderate source of discomfort or inconvenience; it becomes a true obstacle, making it difficult for students to keep warm, attend school, and receive nutritious food.

Our schools in Eastern Kentucky, for example, have already seen their fair share of inclement weather and especially cold temperatures this season, resulting in widespread school closings.  Even when school is in session, the cold weather impacts students’ ability to attend classes.

“The recent arctic blast makes it difficult to wait for the bus in the mornings,” Donna Sturgill, our volunteer coordinator at West Whitesburg Elementary School, reports, “so attendance can be an issue.”

Sponsored students in our program receive cold-weather gear such as warm clothing, gloves, scarves, and coats to help them combat frigid temperatures and to minimize the weather’s negative impact upon their education and nutrition.

Missing school, whether due to school closings or weather-related student absences, causes children in our program to miss out on more than just a day of classwork and assignments.

The problem of missing school

“Our school district was one of the few in the state of Kentucky that didn’t cancel classes due to the frigid temperatures last week,” Marsha Walker, assistant coordinator at Hazard Independent Schools, reports.

“If a student missed school due to the temperatures or safety concerns, not only was instructional time missed, but so were two free hot cooked meals.  Granted, that may not seem like much, and I’m sure many adults have skipped breakfast or lunch and it doesn’t seem like an issue. However, when you consider that some of our students only receive hot meals at school, and that lunch is served hours before dismissal, many of the students who were absent may have gone hungry.  Not the ‘I need a snack’ hungry, but the type of hungry that causes your stomach to grumble and your head to ache.”

Our Warm clothing fund in action

Children lacking sufficient winter clothing, however, may not be much warmer staying home from school. Ms. Sturgill reports that the local electric company has announced another imminent increase in energy costs.

“Families have already had to go back to coal and wood for heat, myself included,” she confesses.

Sponsored students in our program receive cold-weather gear such as warm clothing, gloves, scarves, and coats to help them combat frigid temperatures and to minimize the weather’s negative impact upon their education and nutrition.

Several students at our affiliated schools in Kentucky are still awaiting sponsorship – and struggling to get by.

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HOW DO I Donate to the Warm Clothing Fund?

You can donate in one of three ways – call our office and speak with one of our sponsorship specialists at 1-800-538-5381, email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org, or go online to our donation portal, create an account, and donate to the Warm Clothing Fund.

DONATE TO OUR WARM CLOTHING FUND

 

Shelley Callahan | En Español

In 2011, Children Incorporated was gifted $10,000 by Deep Run High School in Richmond, Virginia as a beneficiary of the school’s Deep Run Marathon Dance. In an effort to help children in Richmond with vision issues, the contribution was used for a large-scale vision clinic held in October 2011 at the Arthur Ashe, Jr. Athletic Center in partnership with OneSight, Richmond City Public Schools, the Rudi Johnson Foundation, the James Farrior Foundation, and Art on Wheels.

“She had often complained of headaches. With her new glasses, however, she is able to concentrate for longer periods of time, and she no longer gets headaches.”

It was announced in early 2018 that after many years, Deep Run High School is retiring the Marathon Dance fundraiser; but the memory of what our organization was able to do, thanks to that donation, will last a lifetime for us and for the children who benefited from it.

Eye chart art

During the vision clinic, funds donated to Children Incorporated helped not only with the cost of providing eye exams for kids, but also with costs associated with a therapeutic, hands-on “eye chart art” project with partnering organization Art on Wheels. As the children rotated through the eye exam stations, they were asked how they “saw” themselves in the past, present, and future. Then, during the wait for their glasses, the children made ‘eye chart collages,’ which were all digitally photographed.

When the clinic was over, the children took their original collages home. The digital photos were judged by Art on Wheels staff members; 25 pieces were awarded special mentions, and they were printed and mounted. At the end of the month, the 25 pieces were installed at a local art gallery, where a screen displayed rotating images of all participant’s art.

Improvements in academic performance

At the vision clinic, 654 Richmond children received comprehensive eye exams. For many, this was the first time their eyes had ever been thoroughly examined by an eye doctor. Of these kids, 463 needed eyeglasses. Additionally, six children received referrals to pediatric ophthalmologists due to the discovery of serious eye conditions.

After the clinic, a survey was sent to each of the children’s teachers. Their feedback included comments such as, “Because she is seeing the board so much better, she no longer has to sit extremely close to it. There has been an improvement in her academic performance.”

“His writing scores on his bi-weekly tests have improved.”

“She had often complained of headaches. With her new glasses, however, she is able to concentrate for longer periods of time, and she no longer gets headaches.”

We can’t thank amazing students and administrators like those at Deep Run High School enough for making it possible for us to help so many children who were in need of eye exams, glasses, and referrals. These incredible people helped to offer better vision and a better future for so many of our sponsored and unsponsored children.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA?

You can sponsor a child in Richmond, Virginia in one of two ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD