Tag Archives: children in poverty

Children Incorporated | May 5, 2024

Children Incorporated has helped so many students at Swansboro Elementary School gain access to the basic needs that help them focus on what is important: school.

Helping to feed children in need

One of my students this year has struggled with consistently having food in the home. The parents are doing their best but they are unable to work due to intellectual and physical disabilities. Sometimes there are gaps in when they receive their benefits, so they don’t always have a fully stocked refrigerator or pantry. Children Incorporated funds help feed this family when their benefit funds are low. It doesn’t happen often, but every few months we go grocery shopping to get them by until their benefits kick in.

I’m glad that at least he knows there are people out there that are willing to help.

The family is so appreciative, and the student understands that these funds are coming from individuals who are caring enough to donate their own money. Just recently, the sponsored child told me, “Thank you to my sponsor for getting food for my family.” I wish that this student didn’t have to be so aware of the reality he is facing, but children are smart and they pick up on more than we think. I’m glad that at least he knows there are people out there that are willing to help. With funds from Children Incorporated, I can help the family in a way that is not judgmental and is actually very easy and seamless. These generous donations from his Children Incorporated sponsor help this student have dinner and breakfast so that he can come to school prepared to learn, and that is truly a gift.

Children Incorporated also helps in ways that people may not think of. Food is vital for everyone, but funds from Children’ Incorporated also help provide items or experiences that are important in different ways.

Making summer that much better

Several of my sponsored students have been given the chance to go to camp this summer for free. While the tuition is paid for, the students don’t always have the clothing necessary to go away for a whole week. They would probably get by, but they wouldn’t have as many options as the other students at camp. Some of our students don’t have bathing suits, bath towels, swim shoes or extra pillow cases for example.

These things aren’t 100% necessary, but being able to help buy these items will make their camp experience so much better. They won’t have to worry about swimming in their shorts and tee shirts or not having the right bedding for the bunk beds.

Sometimes it isn’t always about necessities, but ways we can make students feel comfortable enough so they can focus on having fun like all the other children. Children Incorporated funds allow us to buy them the items that will help them have a fun time at things like summer camp, so they can come back to school in the fall feeling refreshed and feeling like a kid who is ready to learn.

I am so appreciative to partner with Children Incorporated, as it truly makes a difference in the lives of my students. The funds that sponsors so generously send really help our students in the biggest way. Thank you!

Sincerely,
Kimberly

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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

Children Incorporated | April 22, 2024

Here we go, folks, we’re almost another year in and another year wiser. As our fifth graders begin to visit the middle school and prepare for elementary graduation, we sincerely thank sponsors and organizations such as Children Incorporated for all of the care and love shown to our students. The Family Resource Center (FRC) is feverishly finalizing summer Enrichment & Educational programs for families & students. Your financial assistance helps students enjoy summer activities with proper clothing and shoes they need for summertime fun!

We sincerely thank sponsors and organizations such as Children Incorporated for all of the care and love shown to our students.

Summer fun for everyone

One community partnership in the works this summer is a “Junior master’s Gardening Club” in collaboration with our local UK Cooperative Extension/4-H Office. The FRC is co-sponsoring a weekly Gardening Club for 25 students at Catlettsburg Elementary each Wednesday until the end of the school year. These same students will come to school this summer one to two days each week to cultivate plants, help pull weeds and water the garden.

At least two field trips are being planned this summer, one being a trip to the Extension Office to visit our local farmers market. The second will be a visit to a local greenhouse to learn about how to properly care for plants, in order to harvest healthy fruits and vegetables. Once our garden has bloomed, we plan to allow the students to use the food they have grown themselves in cooking classes. Students will learn how to measure ingredients, how to read a recipe and how to make healthy dishes.

In addition to the Garden Club, the local FRYSC’s are once again hosting the “Longest Day of Play” with several community partners. This event will be held June 20, 2024 at Ashland Central Park (summer Solstice-the longest day of summer). With over 1,000 in attendance last year, we are strategizing ways to make this year’s event as successful as last. Families will take a “Scavenger Hunt” around the park and try to find all of the hidden treasures.

Along their journey, they will have to stop at over 50 community partner tables to receive their next clue. Outdoor family activities such as: basketball, inflatables, volleyball, badminton, tennis, yard games, etc. will be found along the way for everyone to enjoy. Agencies will distribute information about free family events being held this Summer to encourage families to “go outside and play” for better physical fitness. The Boyd County FRC’s will also be hosting a collaborative “family movie night” later this same evening at the old Boyd County High School football field. Free food & fun activities will be included for any family residing in Boyd County.

Making sure children have what they need

During our spring break, we met our currently enrolled Children Incorporated sponsored children and parents at our local Walmart to purchase spring and summer clothing. The children were thrilled to be able to try on new shorts, sandals, tennis shoes, and tank tops to stay cool while enjoying the fifth grader, Tori, shopped with her older sister & brother and fell in love with all of the justice clothes. She squealed with delight when she found a tie-dyed bathing suit to wear to the pool. Fourth grade student, William, could not wait to show off his new “multicolored” tennis shoes and wanted his mom to let him wear them out of the store that very day!

Fifth grader, Louis, was excited to find a ton of basketball shirts and shorts that will keep him active and dry in the hot summer sun. Second Grader, Alice, chose a mix of “girly” tops and shorts, along with a few sundresses to look “cute” while in the summertime heat. Her third grade brother, Brad, wanted a good pair of shoes to ride his motorbike and to go on hikes with his family so he could climb up steep hills and walk for miles.

You have touched the lives of hundreds of Boyd County students and families over the years in so many ways.

After the summer programming comes to an end and the FRC staff spend some quality time with our own families, we’re ready to roll into a new school year starting with our county-wide READIFEST program. READIFEST will be held at our BCHS August 12 from 9 a.m. to noon. All Boyd County students (including Children Incorporated sponsored students) can attend and receive new school supplies, hygiene items, socks, underwear and health screenings. In addition to READIFEST, we also partner with a large community partner to purchase new backpacks, back-to-school clothing and school supplies for students to begin a new school year ready to succeed.

Alleviating Fears

Last but not least, are our annual kindergarten jump-start programs which are held approximately a week before school begins. Students and families get the chance to tour their new school, meet their kindergarten teacher, meet their new classmates and learn about policies & procedures before school begins. The goal of this program is to alleviate fears students may have of starting a new school and/or starting school for the first time. It helps families to prepare the children on what to expect on that very first day of school.

As you can see, it truly takes a village to raise a child, and we are so very grateful to have Children Incorporated in our village. You have touched the lives of hundreds of Boyd County students and families over the years in so many ways. It is our pleasure to work beside your staff & sponsors to assure that all children arrive at school ready to learn.

Sincerely,
Jenny

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | April 21, 2024En Español

Ensuring children are able to stay in our sponsorship program from their earliest days in school until graduation is something that our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, works hard to do. With the public school system in the United States often times having three different schools — elementary, middle and high school — for children to attend, it’s crucial that we partner with each school to ensure sponsorship support is not interrupted — especially for children who need it the most.

Today we hear from a former sponsored child, Susan*, who grew up in our sponsorship program and attended Menifee High School in Kentucky, and writes to us to describe how her experience having a sponsor was formative to helping her become the adult she is today.

SUSAN’S STORY

Dear Children Incorporated,

Students hold many memories from their school days, and one memory that I hold dear is having the privilege of being a Children Incorporated student starting during some of my most formative years.

Like many children in Menifee, my family was not privileged. My family owned a small farm, and both my parents worked; however, having three growing children, money was always tight for our family. Shortly after I started the 6th grade, my school’s Resource Center Coordinator sent home paperwork to my parents asking permission to allow me to participate in the Children Incorporated program.

“I can truly say that being a Children Incorporated participant helped shape the person I am today.”

I was unaware of what all the Children Incorporated program entailed in the beginning, but was very thankful for the opportunity that was given to me. Like many within my county, I grew up wearing hand-me-downs that were far from perfect, but I knew my parents were doing their best to keep us kids clothed and fed. Middle school years are hard years for any student, but it was tougher for the children that came from poor families. Often, I was made fun of because my clothes were not like others; they may have had stains, or may have even been a little bit too big, but that’s all I had. Because of the comments I received, my self-confidence slowly began to dwindle. I was too proud of my parents to ever let them know what other kids were saying about me, and I knew that my parents loved me and were trying their very best to provide us with what we needed.

A BLESSING TO HAVE

As I began my journey as a Children Incorporated student, I was given a sponsor that was truly an angel in disguise for me. I will forever remember my first gift from my sponsor; she gifted me several outfits that were really trending at the time. I was in complete shock when I received the gift. She also sent a letter telling me all about herself and what she enjoyed doing during her free time. This letter was the first of many conversations that took place between the two of us over several years. I was so excited to send my sponsor a letter back telling her how thankful I was for the gifts she had sent. Through each letter we shared our life experiences with each other, and even though I never met this person face to face, it seemed as if we had known each other our whole lives. As I continued through school, I had a total of three different sponsors. Each of my sponsors and I shared many experiences together even though we may have been hundreds of miles apart.

Being a Children Incorporated child was a blessing for me, not just for the gifts I received but the self-confidence and encouragement it gave me throughout my school years. I can truly say that being a Children Incorporated participant helped shape the person I am today. Many people may think of this program as a handout for poor families, but that is far from the truth. This program is much more than that; this is life changing for those that are eligible to be a part of such a wonderful program. I will forever be thankful for the wonderful memories that I hold from each of my sponsors, and there isn’t any way that would be enough to thank them for all that they have done for me over the years. The sponsors in the Children Incorporated program are truly a gift from God.

OVERCOMING OBSTACLES IN LIFE

Now as a soon to be 30-year-old, as of March 2024, I will finally be able to say that I am the first out of my immediate family to obtain a bachelor’s degree. I have made leaps and bounds since graduating from high school. I currently work within our local elementary school and have the pleasure of interacting and making an impact on the next generation of students.

Because of the Children Incorporated program, I strive daily to make a positive impact on each student I serve. I am living proof that underserved children can overcome any obstacle that is thrown their way with a little encouragement and love, even if it comes from a stranger that they have never met. I will forever be thankful for the Children Incorporated program.

*Name changed to protect the individual.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | April 9, 2024

Dear Friends,

Before joining the staff of Children Incorporated in 2003, I worked for another child sponsorship organization for over a decade. During that time, I occasionally heard about Children Incorporated from my then co-workers, but no one seemed to know a great deal about the organization founded by Jeanne Clarke Wood in 1964. Children Incorporated was often downplayed and written off as being rather insignificant in comparison to the much larger organization where I was then employed.

Then, in 2002, when my position with that other firm was unceremoniously eliminated, I found myself seeking new employment. I loved nonprofit work and wanted badly to remain in the child sponsorship arena; thus when a former employee of the larger organization told me that he was then working at Children Incorporated and made arrangements for me to interview there as well, I was elated. I met with Mrs. Wood, her successor as president, Marian Cummins, and a couple of other employees, and I was hired on the spot. What I immediately discovered is that those who had tried to make Children Incorporated appear insignificant were wrong.

Within days of my hire, I knew what thousands of loyal sponsors had been saying for 39 years: that Children Incorporated was an organization with incredible integrity, far-reaching arms, and a huge amount of personality. As I watched and listened to my co-workers interact with sponsors, donors, and a vast network of volunteer coordinators, I came to understand why so many had labeled Children Incorporated as “an organization with heart.”

All these years later, I am still impressed by what Children Incorporated accomplishes, and my hope for our future is that we will keep on meeting needs as we have for the last six decades, and that we will be able to meet many more needs as they arise. I also hope that we will be able to reach many new people with information about our work. I hope to share the message that Children Incorporated is an honest and dependable organization that matters greatly to thousands and thousands of children and their families. Cheers to 60 years and thank you for all you do to make our work possible!

From the heart,
Ronald H. Carter
President and Chief Executive Officer

Clean Water and Healthy Living in Kentucky

Last fall, thanks to a wonderful proposal submitted by our volunteer coordinator Kelly at Salyersville Grade School in Kentucky, we were able to provide water bottles to students as a part of a healthy living initiative started in the school district. Kelly shared that during the pandemic, many school districts either closed/shut down or greatly reduced the number of water fountains.

Cheers to 60 years and thank you for all you do to make our work possible!

This was originally done in an effort to halt the spread of COVID-19. However, many of those districts have decided to remove the water fountains altogether and to replace them with water bottle stations. This move is seen as more hygienic, reducing possible COVID transmission, but also the common cold, flu, RSV, rotavirus, enterovirus (hand, foot and mouth disease) and more. Outbreaks cause sick children and high rates of absenteeism. Upon receiving the water bottles, Kelly wrote a note of thanks to Children Incorporated:

“Thank you again for the special gift, which provided water bottles for all our students. The timing was perfect, as Friday was Eagle Spirit Day for the last day of Red Ribbon Week. The students, and myself, are so thankful and excited. I am also sending you some pictures taken as I passed out the bottles. Thanks so much for all you do!”

A Warm Partnership with Subaru

In January, Children Incorporated was selected by another nonprofit organization, Operation Warm, to receive 100 new coats for our Richmond sponsored children, thanks to its partnership with Subaru of America. Our staff welcomed two employees, Rachel and Michael, from a local dealership, Hyman Bros. Subaru, who brought the coats themselves to our office to then be distributed to children at our Virginia affiliated schools! We are so grateful for the support!

Thank you, Operation Warm and Hyman Bros. Subaru!

READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER

Ron Carter | April 8, 2024En Español

Michael and Sandra Ruddick are a family that I have had the pleasure of spending time with over the last 20 years, although their support of our organization far exceeds the time that I have been with Children Incorporated. I recently took some time to ask them some questions about how they became dedicated donors and what drives them to continue to be involved in our work so many years later.

RC: You started with Children Incorporated in November 1980. Do you recall how you initially found us?

Sandra: I saw a newspaper clipping about Children Incorporated when I was 20 years old. Jeanne Clarke Wood was the founder and director at the time. The small not for profit organization appealed to me since the children in the program were not orphans but had families whose parents needed a little financial assistance to help with some basic necessities and also with educating their children.

RC: And what led you to contact us and begin sponsoring with us?

Sandra: It was a long time ago, but I just remember wanting to help a child in a small way that could make a difference. It impressed me that a sponsored child in the program received most of the donation and only a small portion was used for the organization’s administrative overhead.

RC: You currently sponsor a dozen children with us. What do you find most rewarding about child sponsorship?

Sandra: Michael and I, along with our own children and our aunt, were warmly welcomed when we visited one of our sponsored children in Talca. Our own children took up a collection of Beanie Babies in their high school. We brought the Beanie Babies as well as school supplies with us on our visit. The children in the home each took their turn choosing a Beanie Baby and their excitement was touching. Although we cannot visit each of our sponsored children, we can imagine each child and their family’s appreciation of our sponsorship.

“It impressed me that a sponsored child in the program received most of the donation and only a small portion was used for the organization’s administrative overhead.”

– Sandra Ruddick

RC: You’ve sponsored many children with us over the decades. Are there any specific children you’ve aided who stand out in your memory?

Sandra: A girl named Monica was the first child I sponsored in Chile. I was able to visit Monica at one time. I was traveling with a girlfriend, and we were visiting two additional friends who lived in the Santiago area where they were doing missionary work. Monica’s family was gracious enough to invite us to have lunch with them.

RC: You’ve also supported a number of our special projects. How have you decided which projects to support, and what has the experience been like for you?

Sandra: We have supported projects Children Incorporated has identified as those of greatest need with strong local partners to help ensure the funds are well invested — things such as helping build a school in Honduras, funding a building project at the Visayan Center in the Philippines, and contributing to feeding and warm clothing funds. It’s gratifying to know our donations have made a difference in the lives of many.

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

Sandra: Though Children Incorporated is a small organization, their dedicated staff does much to improve the lives and futures of countless children around the world.

RC: Thank you so much for your time and all that you do for children, families and communities we support!

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD WITH CHILDREN INCORPORATED?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Kristen Walthall | March 28, 2024

It is always a tremendous privilege to have the opportunity to meet the dedicated folks who make our programs possible at their schools. Our U.S. Division checks in with each of our affiliated sites in person about every other year, on average, so that we can stay up-to-date on goings on with our sponsorship program, as well as address and adapt to changing student and school needs. In our travels, we not only tour the schools with which we affiliate, but we also gain great insight into the families and communities they serve.

Even more impressive is that all seniors are required to have taken at least one college course to graduate from the school.

Visiting the Navajo Nation

On a recent trip to visit all of our affiliations in New Mexico, which are in the Navajo Nation, I had the great fortune of meeting Mr. Chapman, School Board Member and Licensed Clinical Social Worker for To’Hajiilee Community School in To’Hajiilee, a small section of the Navajo Nation that is east of the greatest portion of it in the state. Robert was a great fount of information, in particular about the geographic and social challenges that his students face – in particular because of To’Hajiilee’s distance from the larger, mostly connected section of the Navajo Nation in New Mexico.

Robert poses in front of a mural in the school.

Mr. Chapman explained that the police and rescue units that attend to emergency matters at To’Hajiilee come from Crownpoint, approximately two hours away — rather than closer Grants or Albuquerque, at about half the distance — due to “bureaucracy”; this small community that encompasses only half a percent of Navajo Nation land lacks a “deal” with the aforementioned towns, or with any closer Navajo communities that are large enough to have their own police and rescue forces.

Seeing the school in person

Mr. Chapman ushered me around a wide-open camel-hued campus comprised of a variety of external buildings and structures, including a hill beside the school track where some buzzards were sunbathing. The school is in dire need of relocation, as it has experienced devastating floods on two occasions. After the first flood, the primary building was condemned, and repairs had to be made to it. A trench system was dug around the property to divert water away from the buildings and structures. When the next torrential rainfall occurred, however, the system only served to exacerbate the flooding, very unfortunately.

As we walked, Mr. Chapman explained to me that for the first time in history, a Navajo Nation school — To’Hajiilee Community School — has been approved to receive a Federal infrastructure grant — and a ninety million-dollar one at that! Mr. Champan shared this information with such feeling because, in addition to the less-than-ideal location of the school on the property, his office is literally a closet. He hopes that the new school building will be finished before his retirement — though he doesn’t see that happening, even though his retirement is not imminent, because those sorts of things are typically slow-going.

The more Children Incorporated-affiliated sites I visit, the more I learn that each school has a culture and community of its own.

Mr. Chapman shared that the Navajo Nation schools have had an influx of retired state employees joining their efforts because they can continue working for the Navajo Nation and still receive their state retirement; this has been instrumental in the student’s education, as these seasoned individuals make great contributions to the general well-being of the schools they arrive to.

Mr. Chapman also explained to me during my visit that even though generational trauma reigns in the Nation, one hundred percent of all seniors in recent To’Hajiilee Community School history have graduated — except in 2021, which was a year severely impacted by COVID-19. Even more impressive is that all seniors are required to have taken at least one college course to graduate from the school.

The importance of culture

As we continued our tour, I found it most interesting to hear from Mr. Chapman that approximately eighty percent of To’Hajiilee Community School graduates stay on the Reservation; while some of them may wish to seek out higher education and employment opportunities elsewhere, parents oftentimes prefer that the young adults stay — even if that signifies a lack of current and future possibilities. Mr. Chapman often finds that parents are too proud to receive assistance and that it can therefore be difficult to help them at times.

He continued to explain that the To’Hajiilee Community School offers integrated learning: the option for students in certain grade levels to take some of their core curriculum classes in their native Navajo language. It also houses traditional practices and celebrates customary holidays, a gesture of the cultural fortitude of both the community families and its students.

As Mr. Chapman and I said our thanks and goodbyes, I found myself thinking about how the more Children Incorporated-affiliated sites I visit, the more I learn that each school has a culture and community of its own. How better to offer education, hope, and opportunity than to empower the very folks who can act on those higher tasks for the benefit of our future: the children.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD