Tag Archives: children

Children Incorporated | November 24, 2024

As part of our monthly Impact Report, we want to share with you a letter from our volunteer coordinator, Ashley, at Blackwell Elementary School in Virginia. She wrote to thank all our sponsors for their endless support of children in need, which gives her peace of mind throughout the year.

“I sincerely appreciate the unwavering support provided by the Children Incorporated program. The transformative effect it has had on the lives of our students and their families is immeasurable.”

Ashley’s Letter

“I want to express my sincere gratitude for the incredible program you have spearheaded. The assistance provided by Children Incorporated funds has been instrumental in ensuring that enrolled children have access to essential resources, enabling them to embark on a successful academic journey. From school supplies to clothing and footwear, the support has been wonderful, alleviating the financial burden on families and allowing children to start the school year on the right foot. The impact has been profound, with parents expressing immense relief and gratitude for the assistance rendered.

The benefits of the Children Incorporated program extend beyond mere material support. Through initiatives such as special birthday gifts, spring break kits, and emergency grocery orders, children have experienced moments of joy, stability, and community connection.

Several Children Incorporated-enrolled children have made notable strides in attendance and social and emotional learning, owing in part to the nurturing environment and access to resources facilitated by the program. Whether it be a new book, school supplies, or a fresh outfit, these provisions have contributed to our students’ overall well-being and academic success. I sincerely appreciate the unwavering support provided by the Children Incorporated program. The transformative effect it has had on the lives of our students and their families is immeasurable.”

Sincerely,
Ashley

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 funding to purchase urgently needed warm clothing for students at Mabel Elementary School in North Carolina
– Provide funds to purchase school supplies for new students at Mabel Elementary School in North Carolina
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 30 students at the Dandora Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase daily meals for 100 students at the St. John’s Community Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students at Kids’ Hope in Ethiopia for one month
– Provide funding to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students for one month at the Fortune Children’s Center in the Philippines
– Provide funds to support the construction of a new community building at the Visayans Center in the Philippines
– Provide funds to purchase beds and linens for students at Cannonsburg Elementary School in Kentucky
– Provide funds to purchase a stove for the family of two sponsored children at Sebastian Elementary School in Kentucky
– Provide funding to purchase uniforms for students at Arthur Ashe Charter School in Louisiana

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

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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 | November 24, 2024

Child sponsorship involves pairing a supporting donor with a child in need. The donor (who we refer to as the sponsor) donates monthly to support their sponsored children with basic needs such as food, clothing, hygiene items, and educational assistance such as tuition or school supplies.

When a family doesn’t have to worry about a child’s basic needs being met, they can concentrate on working towards improving their situation, which is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Child sponsorship is one of the most effective ways to help end child poverty. For $35 a month, you not only meet the child’s most immediate basic needs but also provide them with an education that will allow them to pursue higher education or obtain employment in the future.

The sponsorship relationship enables a sponsor to help support an impoverished child through monthly contributions and the exchange of correspondence with the sponsored child if the sponsor so desires. A sponsor’s friendship and encouragement are priceless to a child in such circumstances. Indeed, many children value the relationships they establish with their sponsors as much as they appreciate the financial support they receive from them. There is also an opportunity to build a profound relationship between a sponsor and a child.

How sponsorship directly benefits children, families and communities

Sponsorship provides a child with basic and education-related necessities such as food, clothing, healthcare, school supplies, and tuition payments. This vital support allows children living in poverty to develop to their full potential — physically, emotionally, and socially. Our policy is to consider each sponsored child’s needs individually. Our volunteer coordinators personally shop for the children enrolled in our program and choose items based on each child’s personal circumstances and needs.

Additionally, because the support for the child is financial, families greatly benefit from the sponsorship of one of their children or multiple children. When a family doesn’t have to worry about a child’s basic needs being met, they can concentrate on working towards improving their situation, which is essential to breaking the cycle of poverty. Furthermore, child sponsorship helps children to grow into responsible, educated adults who are able to contribute to their own communities. Many of our sponsored children who grew up in the Children Incorporated program have become social workers, principals, teachers, doctors, and other professionals.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | November 19, 2024En Español

After visiting the second of three of our affiliated sites in Mexico, it was time for Ron Carter, Yefiny Mena, and myself to travel from San Miguel de Allende to Guadalajara, where we would be meeting with our volunteer coordinator at the La Luz Home.

Remembering the visit before

When I was at La Luz two years ago with our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, a few of the children at the home stood out to me — most specifically, a small boy named Christian. Christian was only 3 years old at the time, which was younger than the other children there, who usually were 4 to 14 years old. He was allowed to stay at the home at such a young age because his older brother was there as well, and La Luz works to keep siblings together as much as possible since these children already have had challenging lives, with one or both parents in jail or otherwise unable to take care of their kids.

In the morning, after we arrived in Guadalajara, we were scheduled to visit the home. Isabella, who works at La Luz, and Liz, our volunteer coordinator, picked us up at our hotel. Along with them in the La Luz van were a few children — including an older Christian! Just as I remembered him, Christian was smiling ear to ear and excitedly chatted with us as we made our way through the city.

Seeing La Luz Again

When we arrived at La Luz, the children filed out of the van and hurried inside, eager to show us around. We started our tour of the home by visiting the boys’ dorm. No longer a small boy with a limited vocabulary, Christian talked in detail about the boys’ lockers, the art supply closet, and how the kitchen was organized, including showing us where they kept their pet rabbit’s food.

We then left Christian and the other boys behind to play in the courtyard, and continued our visit of the home with Liz, who showed us the central kitchen, the laundry room, the girls’ dorm, the study rooms, and the events hall.

Getting to see a glimpse of Christian and the other children growing up in a healthy environment was the most wonderful end to such a special trip to Mexico.

Liz explained that 25 children currently lived at the home, along with five sisters who were full-time staff members. A social worker was also at the home during the week to support the children and conduct home visits as needed. As Liz explained, some of the children have caretakers to go home to on the weekends, and some live at the home all week long. All the children attend local public schools, which are only a few minutes away by van.

Why sponsors are so important

Liz told us that the home is funded by a local hospital located next door, and although this ensures they can maintain the building and feed the children, there aren’t a lot of funds left over for other basic needs. Because of this, our sponsors, according to Liz, are incredibly helpful in ensuring the children have school uniforms, school supplies, and hygiene items while living at home. From everything I could see, this group of children was incredibly happy to have such a wonderful place to live where they had a caring staff and were surrounded by their peers.

Before the day ended, the children performed songs and dances for us, and I couldn’t help but notice just how delighted Christian was to be showing us the routine that he had practiced with the other kids. Getting to see a glimpse of Christian and the other children growing up in a healthy environment was the perfect end to such a special trip to Mexico.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | November 11, 2024

After a wonderful visit to Casa Santa Ines in Mexico City, I couldn’t wait for our President and CEO, Ron Carter, to visit our next affiliated site, Santa Julia, which is a four-hour bus ride away in San Miguel de Allende.

Ron, our International Programs Specialist Yefiny, and I arrived in San Miguel in the late afternoon. We planned to meet with Lily, who works in the administrative offices of Santa Julia, the day after. We were able to get a good night’s rest, and the following morning, Lily picked us up at the hotel in a van used to transport the children who live at the home to and from school.

We made the short drive to Santa Julia, hidden in a small neighborhood not far from the center of San Miguel de Allende, tucked away safely behind a large security door and tall concrete walls surrounding the property.

Learning about the girls

As we drove, Lily explained to Luis and Yefiny that the government chooses which children live at Santa Julia, and at most, they can host up to 30 girls, who may stay for as little as two days or for as long as until they reach 18 years of age and can legally live on their own. These girls are coming from the most unfortunate circumstances, said Lily, as they are forcibly removed from their parents due to abuse, drug use, or other criminal activity. Many of them won’t ever see their parents again. At the time of our visit, there were only 14 girls at the home, ages 4 to 17 years old, and a few of them had already been there for many years.

After entering through the large gates of the property, we saw a few girls sitting on a bench in the courtyard. Lily explained that because today was the Inauguration Day of the new president in Mexico, the children were not in school and, therefore, were available to visit with us all day! We greeted them warmly and then began to tour the vast facility of Santa Julia.

A tour of Santa Julia

First, Lily took us to see the dorms, separated by age, on each of the three floors of the building. We also saw the kitchen, dining room, art room, library, classrooms, laundry room, and the administrative offices of the staff that work at Santa Julia. All the girls in attendance go to local public schools that are only 10 minutes away by car, and after school and on the weekends, they enjoy activities such as gardening, horticulture, tennis, and classes in baking and cosmetology.

Lily expressed that the staff at Santa Juila felt it was important that the girls find skills they can be excited about early in their development because many of them will be on their own when they reach legal adult age. If they find hobbies they enjoy while growing up at the home, they might be able to use those skills, like cooking and gardening, to find employment later, which is something that will help them immensely with being independent once they leave Santa Julia. Lily explained that she worries about the older girls who don’t have anywhere to go once they leave the home, and she wants them to be as prepared as possible for living on their own and taking care of themselves.

It was a lot to let sink in thinking about how these girls don’t have a family to return to — but, thanks to the care they receive at Santa Julia and the support from their Children Incorporated sponsors, they don’t have anything to worry about while they are growing up. Surrounded by a loving staff and other children who are like sisters to one another, each of these girls can concentrate on learning and just being kids in a loving environment.

After our tour ended, the girls gathered together to say goodbye with a song and then happily got back to playing, reading, or doing homework around the property. We said our goodbyes to Lily as well, who thanked us and our sponsors profusely for everything we were able to do to help these otherwise vulnerable children have a safe upbringing.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | November 6, 2024

This Center operates from the Social Service Area of Casa Central School and compound. The Center is located in the heart of Guatemala City, and serves children of the periphery of the city from low income families, mostly without a stable housing environment, permanent income, and steady provision of educational, nutritional and health services. The CI monthly support helps in the provision of food, school supplies, shoes and clothing to the participant children. This with the purpose of getting them ready to attend local public schools, with very few attending low cost private schools in the area. Participant children on the CI Program attend school education all the way from K to 12 grades, which may prepare them for a skill training or for university. However, many are prepared here to initiate the arduous labor life, at least with a high school diploma, which was never available to their parents.

The Center has some support from a local university by providing students to complete their required practicum, mostly in the Social Services area of their careers. The Center is run by the Congregation of Sisters of Mercy, a Catholic Order dedicated to education, health and community services mission. The Sisters also run a soup kitchen for indigents here, as well as a home for the elderly.

The CI participant children are met monthly to provide the CI support, and also to do school follow up and determine their overall situation and eligibility to participation. They are also requested to participate with the yearly children information updates, as well as to write letters to their sponsors. If a child receives an additional gift, the child is also requested to come to the center to receive the benefits, and to write a thank you letter to the corresponding sponsor.

The Center is a well care section of the compound, with a large enclosed area for meetings and food distribution, and small offices to do social service support and follow ups. They also have a large kitchen where they prepare food for the indigents. The home for the elderly is in a different location to the Center.

All financial reports were updated, as well as recommendations to update information of a few children who were missing their personal information. A set of recommendation were given to improve the program, and apparently the pandemic did not see any erosion on the support they provide to the children and to all other programs. They are now suffering of an increase in cost of products that were given to the children, but the recent increase of the CI monthly support is offsetting in part, what would be a large decrease in support to the children.

Casa Central

Casa Central is Located in Guatemala City.At the moment we have 69 children in this affiliation site. Our coordinator is Sor Alicia G. Morataya who is also assisted by Lisbet A. Martinez.Our children here attend different schools that goes from primary to high school grade.Besides helping the children they perform other tasks and social work like providing food for homeless people of the community once a week.

Children at Casa Central meet here once a month to receive their subsidies that consist of nutritious food, hygiene items, clothes, shoes and school supplies at the beginning of each school year.

According to the coordinator, the help provided to all these children has been tremendous since many of their parent’s economy has been affected after Covid-19, making them to struggle to provide for their basic children’s need.

One of the biggest satisfaction for us is knowing that helping these children will positively change their life by helping them to go to school and achieve their goals, giving them the possibilities to have a better future for themselves and their families.

This is the case of Gerson; a now 18 year old teenager who has been in our program since he was 8 years old and who is now finishing high school, as well as a technical career as an accounting clerk.

He expressed to us how grateful he is to have the opportunity to be part of Children Incorporate and to be able to study and pursue a technical career. A career that due to the economic situation of his family, they could not have afforded.

Children Incorporated | October 28, 2024

One of the best ways to express the importance of our work — all thanks to our sponsors and donors — is by sharing letters from our volunteer coordinators worldwide. Linda, at Highland-Turner Elementary School in Kentucky, recently wrote to us to express her sincere gratitude for you, our amazing sponsors:

“These children who are now adults will never forget the kindness of strangers who decided to become sponsors and then friends.”

Linda’s Letter

“Your support for the students enrolled in the Children Incorporated sponsorship program means their basic needs, such as clothing, shoes, undergarments, and hygiene essentials, are met. The Children Incorporated program is not just financial aid; it’s a personal connection. The children eagerly anticipate your letters and gifts, cherishing the thoughtfulness behind each one. Your role as sponsors is so significant that students often stop me in the hallway to ask if they have received any mail from you.”

“Not long ago, while on a shopping trip for sponsored students, an employee at a major retail chain asked me, after I informed him that I was shopping for a program at our school, if this was for Children Incorporated. He then explained to me that he, too, had been a recipient of the Children Incorporated program and what a difference it made in his life.”

These children who are now adults will never forget the kindness of strangers who decided to become sponsors and then friends. This is what Children Incorporated is all about — making a difference and changing lives. Your generosity and kindness are the backbone of the sponsorship program, and we could not do this without you. Thank you to all the sponsors for going above and beyond to ensure our students are cared for!”

Sincerely,

Linda

your impact through hope in action

– Provide over $25,000 in donations to support families in North Carolina who are recovering after Hurricane Helene
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 30 students at Santa Isabel Ana Seton in Guatemala for one month
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 30 students at the Dandora Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase daily meals for 100 students at the St. John’s Community Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students at Kids’ Hope in Ethiopia for one month
– Provide funding to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students at the Fortune Children’s Center in the Philippines
– Provide funds to pilot a Bike Program for students who struggle with attendance due to transportation issues at the Kayenta Community School in Arizona
– Provide funds to purchase pajamas for students who live in the dorm at the Shonto Preparatory School in Arizona
– Provide funds to purchase water bottles for students to use at water filling stations at Page High School in Arizona
– Providing funding to purchase new shoes and socks for students at Breathitt Elementary School in Kentucky

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

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD