Tag Archives: children in need

Shelley Callahan | September 8, 2024En Español

During his ongoing visits to our affiliated sites in India, Luis Bourdet recently visited the St. Paul’s Home for Girls – Kothagudem. He was impressed by the high standard of the dorm, which he considers one of the best among our regional partners.

UNDERSTANDING ST. PAUL’S

“My next visit was t0 the St. Paul’s Home for Girls – Kothagudem, located in one of the largest cities in the Dornakal Diocese work area. The Church of South India compound here is large and contains a girl’s hostel supported by Children Incorporated, another hostel for boys supported by another organization, a large church, a school, and other facilities within the largest compound area, perhaps as big as the Diocese office,” explained Luis.

“They thanked Children Incorporated for the permanent support to the children and for education, as they see this as the only way to have a decent life in India after the pandemic.”

“We were told that the church is the largest and most significant contributor to the Diocese regarding offerings and parish members. For this reason, the girls’ hostel, run by the pastor, Rev. Jesudas, with the direct involvement of the former coordinator at St. Paul’s Home, Mrs. Samson, is perhaps one of the best facilities for the children. St. Paul’s was transferred to this location because the local government demanded that all private hostels have a school facility for the children to attend within their compounds.”

“St. Paul’s didn’t, so the program was transferred to this facility not far from the original town. We lost some of the original children during the transfer, but some could transfer to this new facility. They had an old dorm here at Kothagudem, and it was fully upgraded during the transfer. This new facility has a new construction, with toilets and rooms in great shape and covered with tile and modern construction. The cots provided by Children Incorporated some years back were refurbished, and an additional area for schoolwork was added. The children are very happy to have sponsors here,” said Luis.

Helping children in need

“The entire support from Children Incorporated sponsorship here is utilized to provide food, shelter, education, and all other basic needs for the children. The local community has been instrumental in supporting the girls’ hostel. When a need for maintenance arises, or any other need that cannot be covered with Children Incorporated support appears, they are always ready to provide it. This collective effort is the reason this home stands out.”

“After discussing financial reports with our coordinator, and other aspects of the program, I had a short meeting with the local community leaders, where I thanked them for the additional support they gave the children. They thanked Children Incorporated for the permanent support of the children and for their education, as they see this as the only way to have a decent life in India after the pandemic. They indicated that the children will be good providers to their families in the future instead of people depending on the community,” said Luis.

***

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

Children Incorporated | September 4, 2024

In October 1964, Mrs. Jeanne Clarke Wood started a non-profit children’s organization called Children Incorporated. What began with just 95 sponsored children in Guatemala quickly escalated to helping 1600 children in 10 countries within just two short years. Today, Children Incorporated has sponsorship programs in 20 countries worldwide and provides tens of thousands of impoverished children with clothing and school supplies, medical care, and many other types of assistance.

Thanks to our donors, schools, dormitories, clinics, and housing developments have been constructed in various locations, and our special funds help to feed hungry children, support families and communities in emergencies, and offer our volunteer coordinators the vital support they need throughout the year.

From the heart,
Ronald H. Carter, President and CEO

“As I reflect back over my many years with Children Incorporated, I have had the privilege of working with so many amazing people and communicating with wonderful sponsors and donors. It has been a most enjoyable journey, one that I hope to enjoy for many more years to come!”

-Steven Mitchell, Sponsorship Director

A Timeline of Our Six Decades of Work

October 1964 – The first meeting of the Board of Directors for Children Incorporated is held.

November 1964 – The first appeals for funds were mailed to Mrs. Wood’s contacts; a goal of shipping 10,000 pounds of clothing to Guatemala was met.

January 1965 – Mrs. Wood and her small fledgling staff secure funds to help 95 children in Guatemala, seven
children on American Indian reservations, and six children in Lebanon. These become Children Incorporated’s first sponsorships.

December 1965 –Children Incorporated sponsorships grew from 108 in January 1965 to nearly 800 by the end of the first year. 789 children in 20 affiliated sites in 8 countries (Africa, Japan, Mexico, India, Latin America, Lebanon, Syria, U.S.) have been matched with sponsors.

October 1966 – More than 1600 children now have sponsors; Children Incorporated has expanded its reach to 35 affiliated sites in 10 countries.

April 1967 – 2,335 children are sponsored in 45 sites in 11 countries; Children Incorporated helps its first child to
attend college.

November 1971 – Children Incorporated continues to grow. At this point, 7,750 sponsored children are in 113 sites in 18 countries. For the first time in Children Incorporated’s history, over 2,000 new sponsors signed on in just one year.

May 1972 – Mrs. Wood receives a commendation from President Richard Nixon for her charitable work with impoverished children and families.

September 1974 – Mrs. Wood’s name appears in the 38th edition of Who’s Who In America.

December 1983 – An article on Children Incorporated appears in Good Housekeeping magazine, drawing much positive attention to the benefits of child sponsorship.

October 1994 – Children Incorporated celebrates 30 years of service to children around the world.

January 1997 – Dr. Richard Carlson’s best-selling book, Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff, is published. In it, Dr. Carlson mentions Children Incorporated as his charity of choice. Children Incorporated gained over 3,100 new sponsorships as a result of the mention in Dr. Richard Carlson’s book.

July 2004 – Mrs. Wood steps down as President of Children Incorporated after thirty years of loyal service. Her successor
is Marian Cummins, a long-time employee.

October 2005 – After operating out of Mrs. Wood’s home for over 40 years, Children Incorporated relocates to its first
official offices on Dover Road in Richmond, Virginia.

November 2005 – Children Incorporated begins working locally, creating partnerships and establishing sponsorship programs within several Richmond Public Schools; the organization’s Inner-City division is born, with work in Detroit, Michigan, New Orleans, Louisiana, and other U.S. cities to follow.

January 2006 – Our founder, Jeanne Clark Wood, dies at age 89. Her legacy lives on through Children Incorporated.

January 2011 – Children Incorporated’s third President, Marianne Vermeer, begins her 14-month tenure with the
organization.

April 2012 – Ronald H. Carter, who had worked with the U.S. Programs division since coming to Children Incorporated in 2003, is appointed as the fourth President and Chief Executive Officer.

October 2014 – Children Incorporated celebrates its 50th anniversary and anticipates many more years of service to children both locally and globally!

April 2016 – Children Incorporated launches its On the Road blog series, which follows our sponsors and donors along with our program teams as they visit our affiliated sites around the world.

January 2017 – Children Incorporated moves from its home on Dover Road in Richmond, Virginia, to North Chesterfield, Virginia.

April 2022 – Children Incorporated launches its Stories of Hope blog series, in which readers are shown their donations’ impact on education, community support, emergency relief, and health and well-being.

May 2024 – Children Incorporated introduces our Guardian Circle, a giving circle opportunity which allows our donors to support special projects around the world.

October 2024 – Children Incorporated celebrates 60 years as an organization by establishing Founders Day, celebrated on
October 19th.

Congratulations to Our Amazing Staff

2024 is a year to celebrate so many incredible milestones at Children Incorporated, including the 40th work
anniversary of our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, and the 25th work anniversary of our Director of
International Programs, Luis Bourdet.

“I am very blessed to work with such a wonderful and dedicated staff at Children Incorporated. Over the years, I have been thoroughly impressed with the quality of people who have been employed here. From those who have stayed for many years to others who have had shorter tenures, I have admired and respected their desire to help children and families better and improve their lives.

The staff of Children Incorporated is a good group: dedicated, caring, honest, and real people who truly want to make a difference in the world. They are my co-workers, yes, but we are also family in many ways. I love and value each one of them.”

-Ron Carter, President and CEO

“I started working at Children Incorporated in 1984. My office equipment and supplies included an IBM electric typewriter and carbon paper; a facsimile machine was state of the art. In 2024, I will use aPC, and faxing will be quaint.

Over the past 40 years, I have done different jobs for the organization. I have chosen to stay and grow with Children Incorporated because of our organization’s important mission and our connection to our donors, staff, volunteer coordinators, and the children we serve. I love working with my head and my heart and with amazing people.”

– Renée Kube

“It has been an immense privilege to dedicate years of my life to this remarkable organization! From the very beginning, I have been deeply committed to our mission of supporting children in need and empowering them through education. The belief that every child deserves the chance to envision a brighter future has been the driving force behind my work.

Witnessing the transformative impact of our affiliations, our projects, and our support has been truly inspiring. Countless children have achieved remarkable strides, not only improving their own lives but positively influencing their communities as well. I am profoundly grateful to be a part of this mission and contribute to the positive change we are creating together with our donors and sponsors.”

– Luis Bourdet

READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER

Renee Kube | September 2, 2024En Español

During my visit to Letcher County for the first time since the historic flooding that struct southeastern Kentucky in July 2022, I first visited Jenkins Independent Schools. Jenkins Independent Schools comprises two schools: Burdine Elementary and Jenkins Middle-High. Several years ago, at the request of our coordinator, Angela, Children Incorporated “administratively merged” Burdine Elementary into Jenkins Middle-High. They operate as one affiliated site. Angie looks over both schools; they share one Family Resource Youth Services Center. Angie travels between the two regularly.

After the pandemic learning loss, the students are slowly gaining ground. The middle school children are still struggling, but most high school students have hit average benchmarks.

After the flooding

Burdine Elementary School was damaged during the floods in July 2022, but officials agree it could have been worse. There were 3 feet of water outside, but all the doors held. About 4 inches of water was pushed in throughout the building. However, the flood did destroy the separate preschool building. Outside, all the fencing and playground equipment was destroyed and swept downstream.

When elementary school children first enroll, many are not school-ready. The pandemic years also caused learning loss. At present, elementary school children are not performing well in state standardized tests. The children are struggling not only academically but also financially. 82.3% come from low-income families.

Hearing about the students

After a tour of both campuses, Angie and I met at her high school office. She said the enrollment at the elementary school is about 203, and at the middle school, it’s about 236. Angie plans to add more children in the new school year and may include the preschool children, too.

Angie (pictured) shows Renée the Resource Center during her visit.

Angie shared that her students are dealing with persistent poverty. 86% come from low-income families. There are no more active coal mines in Jenkins. The best jobs are with the school system or the small regional hospital. The remaining available work is small retail or service jobs, such as at dollar stores, gas stations, and fast-food restaurants.

After the pandemic learning loss, the students are slowly gaining ground. The middle school children are still struggling, but most high school students have hit average benchmarks.

On to college for Jacob

Angie likes to do much of her Children Incorporated shopping at Sam’s Club. She mainly purchases clothing, hygiene items, and food. Then, she called a student named Jacob into the room for me to meet.* Jacob is polite and very well-spoken. He is ready to graduate from high school and is still thinking about what he wants to do for his future. Jacob said he is frankly tired of the school routine and is ready for a break and a change. A part of him wants to take a “gap year,” where he can work and get a paycheck. Another part of him wants to plow through and get college done and behind him. When we spoke, Jacob had applied to a couple of places but hadn’t heard back.

Happily, in mid-May, Angie called me with the very good news that Jacob had just received an acceptance letter from Alice Lloyd College, which is adjacent to Knott County. The college is tuition-free! The costs are funded by donations from across the country. However, there are costs for room and board, textbooks, fees, and other miscellaneous expenses. Angie asked if she could nominate Jacob for our Higher Education Program. I gave them an extension, and they told me to get the application to me soon. I am thrilled for Jacob to have this opportunity.

*Name changed to protect the child.

***

How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | August 27, 2024

Our volunteer coordinator, Katarina, at Cardinal Elementary School in Virginia, wrote to us recently to thank our sponsors for their invaluable support.

Katarina’s Letter

“For the third consecutive year, I’ve had the privilege of working with the Children Incorporated program. The impact of this program on the lives of the 25 children we serve is truly remarkable. Each child received clothing for the winter and summer, ensuring they were appropriately dressed throughout the school year. However, a few instances truly underscored the importance and impact of the monthly contributions.”

“I will forever be in awe and sing the praises of this program made possible by our dedicated sponsors.”

“One in particular that stood out was when a 5^th-grade boy spent the first two weeks of school without clothing. I contacted their guardians and explained that the child did not have clothing to start attending school. He had gone through a growth spurt over the summer; whereas he was in boys’ sizes at the end of last school year, he was now wearing men’s clothing. I could purchase him clothes that fit well, and he began to attend school the day after they were delivered.”

“This is a testament to the consistent success of Children Incorporated, a success that would not be possible without the steadfast support of our sponsors. Their contributions, both financial and moral, are what make it possible for us to provide children with clean, well-fitting clothes. This restores their dignity and alleviates the fear of standing out or being bullied. It eliminates a barrier to their education, and relieving this burden from their young shoulders brings back the joy of childhood. I will forever be in awe and sing the praises of this program made possible by our dedicated sponsors.”

your impact through hope in action

Sponsorship is one of many ways you, our loyal supporters, help impoverished children every month. Additionally, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and donors who have made contributions to our Hope In Action Fund in the last month, we have been able to:

– Provide nutritious meals for children at Sagrada Familia in Guatemala
– Provide funds to purchase school supplies for children at Phelps Elementary School in Kentucky who are yet to have sponsors
– Provide funds to purchase clothing and shoes for children to start the school year at Fallsburg Elementary School in Kentucky
– Provide funds for the daily meals for 25 children for an entire month at Kids’ Hope Ethiopia
– Provide funds to offer nutritional meals to 40 children for an entire month at the Visayans Center in the Philippines
– Provide classroom supplies for the new school year for students at Arile Boggs Elementary School in Kentucky
– Provide funds to purchase new backpacks for students at Hindman Elementary School in Kentucky
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students at the Dandora Center in Kenya for one month

Thank you to our supporters for all that you do! We couldn’t do our life-changing work without you.

***

How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | August 19, 2024En Español

Today, we hear from our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, who visited the Dornakal Girls’ Hostel as part of his recent trip to India, where the girls in attendance are thrilled to be at such a lovely establishment.

Visiting the Dornakal Girls’ Hostel

“The next day in the morning, I was scheduled to visit the Dornakal Girls’ Hostel. This is located within the Dornakal Diocese compound in Dornakal. To counter the two boy’s hostels I visited earlier, there is this one hostel for girls only here in Dornakal to balance the provision of support to the children. This is perhaps the largest facility that Children Incorporated supports within the Dornakal Diocese compound. The hostel has three buildings within the hostel compound,” said Luis.

“One of the buildings is the dorm, completed with support from Children Incorporated some years back. Then there is the dining hall, and the third one is the meeting/classroom area. The toilets are adjacent. A new coordinator, Ms. Indira Mercy Salavadi, runs the Dornakal Girls’ Hostel.”

“Many of the sponsored girls staying at this hostel attend the English Medium School, which is a plus for them, as they learn English from a young age,” said Luis.

Getting the chance to learn english

This hostel supports over 50 girls, of which 42 are on the Children Incorporated sponsorship program. As usual, within the Dornakal Diocese, the girls are supported with boarding, food, clothing, and educational support with the help of their sponsors. Mr. Salavadi was familiar with the program, as she learned from our former coordinator, Mrs. Jesantha, all our program’s intrinsic issues. Many of the sponsored girls staying at this hostel attend the English Medium School, which is a plus for them, as they learn English from a young age,” said Luis.

Getting to see the hostel

“During the visit, the girls showed us their dorms and cots and were very proud of being at the hostel instead of at their own homes, as they would probably be helping their parents to work in the fields instead of getting an education. The coordinator mentioned that parents tend to rely more on their children to help increase their household income after the pandemic since everything is now more expensive and complicated to get. The children at the hostel have the opportunity for an education instead of working in the fields and following the circle of poverty of their families.”

“The home has shown significant improvements from my last visit, with the dorm undergoing repairs and demolishing old unused buildings. The compound seems cleaner; I could even see a small plot with flowers and trees here now. Meeting the girls was great; they wanted to take pictures and did a small presentation of local dances and culture,” said Luis.

***

How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Renee Kube | August 12, 2024En Español

Letcher County is in the southeastern part of Kentucky. It is bordered by four other Kentucky counties and Wise County, Virginia. The county seat, Whitesburg, is located in the middle of the county.

As European explorers and the earliest settlers made their way into Kentucky, the Native American populations of the area (Shawnee in the north and Cherokee in the south) were steadily displaced. Kentucky became a state in 1791, and what became Letcher County was a beautiful but sparsely populated area. Its scattered families made their living by farming. These were very small farms due to the mountainous terrain, which also made road building and maintenance difficult. The main crop was corn, and the primary livestock was pigs.

The flood caused an immediate disaster but also resulted in long-term negative impacts on the children and their families. Thankfully, Children Incorporated has been able to help.

These made a modest “cash crop” possible, as corn was primarily distilled into alcohol and moved by barrel, and hogs were driven through the mountains into a market town. Most of these small homesteads also had a few horses, milk cows, sheep, and chickens. Some men supplemented the farm income by cutting and selling timber. A few men had salt licks on their land – salt was an important resource in settling the Commonwealth – and they were glad to sell it.

Finding Coal in Kentucky

But of course, the extensive resource that changed everything was the discovery of coal and, later, the ability to mine it on a commercial scale. The discovery of coal in Kentucky is credited to Dr. Thomas Walker in 1750, who was the first known person to find and use coal in what would become the Commonwealth of Kentucky. By 1790, coal had begun to be produced commercially, albeit on a rather small scale, in Lee County. Small quantities continued to be mined across the state, but it wasn’t until 1855 that annual production exceeded 100,000 tons.

The start of the Civil War in 1861 interrupted production. However, soon after the end of the Civil War in 1865, agents from eastern corporations poured into Kentucky’s mountain region. They were eager to secure extraction rights, and many farmers signed away their rights for a few cents per acre.

Letcher County had rich veins of coal. Company towns sprang up, and the coal was mined and hauled away, enriching the absentee owners. At first, the existing families and newcomers who came for work were happy with the chance for better incomes and provisions for their families. But many were swindled. Many owners paid the men in scrip, not cash, which could only be exchanged within the company town, where charges were so high for the food, clothing, and work equipment that some residents were perpetually in debt. [The song “Sixteen Tons” by Merle Travis was about the scrip system and contained the famous line “I owe my soul to the company store.”]

Changes for Letcher County

For years, many families made a good life by working in coal mines. But gradually, the coal industry went into a decline. This was primarily due to mechanization – as mines grew their machine capacity, they didn’t need as much workforce. The thick, easily accessible coal seams in eastern Kentucky have mostly been mined. What remains is harder and more expensive to mine. Meanwhile, there is more competition from coal mines out west in Montana and Wyoming. Finally, there is less demand for coal as more industries look for cleaner and more sustainable energy sources.

I am excited to share with our sponsors and donors stories from my travels to Letcher County, where, thanks to our volunteer coordinators, we have been able to help families in need.

This has left eastern Kentucky’s coal mining communities plagued by higher unemployment, a rise in low-wage service jobs, and poverty. Furthermore, as coal companies left, the communities lost their main tax base. The communities’ infrastructure is fragile. These communities are left to deal with the fact that many coal companies did not reclaim the land.

Coal mine owners and operators often ordered the stripping of hillsides and the blasting of mountaintops to get at even more coal. After a company’s mining operations stop, the company is supposed to rehabilitate the land. It is a requirement of the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977.

The companies that cease mining operations are supposed to reshape the disturbed area, prevent soil erosion, and, based on the soil’s needs, fertilize and replant with appropriate vegetation. Erosion prevention is important for clean creeks and streams. Regional water tables are important, as many rural families use wells. Reclaimed land can be used for agriculture, forestry, wildlife habitation, and recreation. The cost of reclaiming the land was to be factored into the mines’ costs.

The problem is that many mining companies pulled out without reclaiming the land. The 1977 law is having problems working as envisioned because regulators set the amount of money for reclamation bonds too low, and they are not strictly enforcing the requirements that the companies reclaim land and water contemporaneous with the coal removal. Coal companies postponed reclamation for as long as they could – often for many years. The issue has been made worse as many coal companies have gone bankrupt before doing any reclamation.

Unless land is reclaimed with new grading and planting, then the surrounding communities are more vulnerable to flash floods. And that is what has been happening more frequently.

VisIting our affiliated sites Again

As we came upon the second anniversary of the horrendous and devastating floods that struck southeastern Kentucky July 26-30, 2022, I made plans to visit all our affiliated schools in Letcher County. The flood caused an immediate disaster but also resulted in long-term negative impacts on the children and their families. Thankfully, Children Incorporated has been able to help.

In Letcher County, three people died. Two were a married older couple who worked as janitors at Letcher County Central High School. They died when their car was swept off a bridge, and their deaths grieved the students and the community. (The third was an older lady who had a heart attack as she was trying to escape.)

In the upcoming weeks, I will be sharing stories from my visit to Letcher County, highlighting just how much our sponsors and donors have been able to do to help families in this area of our country.

A very large number of people were left homeless. There was already an affordable housing shortage, and the flood worsened the situation. This forced many people to move, at least those who had the skills and the ability to leave.

Looking at the schools, Kentucky Education Commissioner Jason E. Glass said of the 25 school districts in the Commonwealth that were affected by the flooding, Breathitt County, Jenkins Independent, Knott County, Leslie County, Letcher County, and Perry County schools were impacted the worst, with significant damages to school operations and buildings. Several schools were inundated and damaged too badly to open after the summer break in August.

It has been a long road to rebuild and recover. I am proud that Children Incorporated was able to respond immediately to the flooding. Our Hope In Action Program helped with grants in August 2022 to our affiliated sites in the impacted areas. Another round of grants went out in September 2022 to the hardest-hit counties. In the upcoming weeks, I will be sharing stories from my visit to Letcher County, highlighting just how much our sponsors and donors have been able to do to help families in this area of our country.

***

How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD