Tag Archives: children

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Students in attendance at Boyd County High School in the small rural town of Cannonsburg, Kentucky are fortunate to have their resource center volunteer, Vickie, in their lives.

Thanks in large part to Vickie’s efforts, the school has a high success rate — much higher than many other schools in Eastern Kentucky. As of last year, 93% of students at the school graduate within four years, and 65% enroll in some type of higher education.

A committed coordinator

Renee with one of our sponsored children at Boyd County High School.

Renée with one of our sponsored children at Boyd County High School

While meeting with Vickie in the Resource Center at Boyd County High School, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube noted that Vickie had a deep commitment to her students.

“Vickie is always working on new initiatives to keep high school kids attending school and learning with a focus on graduating and going on to college or trade school,” said Renée.

Renée recognized that Vickie has an extremely tough job — she explained to Renée that the economy of the region had declined over the past ten years, and it has hit families hard.

A loss of jobs

Vickie cited the steel mill as an example, which, due to imports, cut its workers from 5000 to 2500 over the last decade. Because of these job losses, the overall poverty rate in Boyd County is an astounding 20%.

“Vicki is always working on new initiatives to keep high school kids attending school and learning with a focus on graduating and going on to college or trade school,” said Renée.

In addition, 34% of households are headed by a single parent — in large part due to issues with drug abuse in the county. Because of these problems, Boyd County High School administrators have a lot to handle when it comes to supporting students. Many children lack adult supervision and the support they need at home to do well and focus on their futures after high school.

Overcoming every obstacle

Yet all of these obstacles don’t get in the way of Vickie helping kids and making sure they get the encouragement they need to succeed and to go on to higher education.

Vickie (right) is an incredibly dedicated volunteer coordinator.

According to Renée, Vickie is an incredibly dedicated Children Incorporated volunteer coordinator. She makes sure to check in with sponsored students weekly to find out precisely what they need. She also encourages them to write letters to their sponsors so they can feel connected to a caring adult in their lives.

That communication is so essential for kids because outside of the school environment, sponsors are often the only ones showing the kids they are worthwhile and capable of succeeding in life.

Excelling academically

With quite a few students raising themselves and their younger siblings because their parents are absent or unable to care for them, it isn’t surprising that they struggle to do well in school.

With so many distractions, they don’t have the time and energy to focus on their future. But thanks to Vickie and these students’ sponsors, kids at Boyd County High School not only are getting the attention they need every day, but they are excelling academically.

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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 at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Fairview Independent School comprises two campuses, Fairview Elementary and Fairview High Schools, located just a few blocks apart from each other in the small community of Westwood, Kentucky.

Like many communities in Eastern Kentucky, Westwood has suffered significantly from the decline of the coal and steel mining industries that used to dominate this area.

At one point, Armco Steel employed the majority of the Westwood workforce and made it a prosperous town. Today, only 1300 employees remain at Armco, and poverty, high dropout rates and unemployment are now serious problems.

A beacon of hope for kids

Fairview Elementary School

Fairview Independent School serves as a welcome escape from poverty for this rural community. Many children from Westwood’s impoverished families look forward to school, where they receive a well-rounded education, two nutritious meals and the attention of a dedicated and caring staff including our volunteer coordinator, Ashley, and her assistant, Katrina.

Ashley and Katrina equally share the responsibilities of making sure that sponsored and unsponsored kids in our program are receiving the support they need from their sponsors.

“Ashley and Katrina work at both schools to support a lot of children. With a total enrollment of almost 800 students, they have a large caseload and are great at handling their jobs,” stated Renée.

According to our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, who recently visited the schools, Ashley and Katrina are different in appearance and manner, but work exceptionally well together and have a mutually agreeable and cooperative relationship.

“Ashley and Katrina work at both schools to support a lot of children. With a total enrollment of almost 800 students, they have a large caseload and are great at handling their jobs,” stated Renée.

“They are constantly seeking resources to assist the children and their families, and both told me that Children Incorporated is vital in what they do.”

Finding resources in the community

During their meeting, Ashley explained to Renée about how she and Katrina operate a Weekend Snack Bag Program during the school year and offer food boxes in June and July for families in need during summer break.

Thanks to donations to the Family Resource Center, Ashley and Katrina can provide clothes to children all year long.

They also receive assistance from two community churches and a local hospital.

Ashley and Katrina expressed that they usually do well with food provisions throughout the year thanks to help from the community, but if they run low, they won’t hesitate to reach out to Children Incorporated for emergency aid through our Hope In Action Program.

Meeting Cassandra

Renée had a chance to visit both the Fairview High and the Fairview Elementary Schools during her trip. It was apparent to her that the children were significantly affected by Ashley and Katrina’s dedication to the students. Additionally, the support children in our program were receiving from their sponsors was making a huge difference in the lives of these vulnerable kids.

Before leaving the elementary school, Ashley and Katrina introduced Renée to Cassandra*. Cassandra is one of three children in her family. Their single mother who works for low-wages at a restaurant is raising them. She often struggles to pay the bills. Ashley told Renée that Cassandra’s sponsor keeps clothes on her back and shoes on her feet.

*Name changed to protect the child.

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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 at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

 

Shelley Callahan | En Español

When our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, was contacted by Deb from Carr Creek Elementary School in Knott County, Kentucky twelve years ago, Renée had no idea how much of an affect that one phone call would have on children in need.

During a recent visit to Carr Creek Elementary School, Renée got a chance to see first-hand just how proud Deb is of the partnership she has created with Children Incorporated.

Deb had heard about the Children Incorporated sponsorship program during a regional Family Resource and Youth Services Center meeting among administrators and staff. After hearing about what sponsors were doing for children living in poverty, Deb knew she needed to get in touch with Renée about the urgent needs of impoverished kids at Carr Creek.

After talking with Deb, Renée agreed to partner with her and Carr Creek Elementary School — making them our first affiliated project in Knott County.

More schools in need

Before Renée knew it, the word about our organization’s support at Carr Creek had reached other Resource Center coordinators in Knott County. They each followed in Deb’s footsteps, calling to request partnering with Children Incorporated. Today, thanks to Deb’s initiative, we support thousands of children in dozens of affiliated schools in Kentucky.

Deb with one of our sponsored children

Not only was Deb the first coordinator to get in touch about our sponsorship program Knott County, but according to Renée, she is also the first coordinator in the state to submit a Hope in Action Fund request that was for more than just one-time aid for a particular emergency.

“Deb submitted a proposal on efforts to enrich the students’ knowledge in social studies because the results of their standardized test scores were very low,” explained Renée.

“She then designed a summer camp program with instructors that taught concepts in a fun and engaging manner. Before the program began, Deb created pre-tests for the students to take. After the program ended, the children took post-tests, and the results were good. The entire faculty of the school then built additional programs on those gains that Deb initiated.”

“Deb was very excited to present me with a quilt that sponsored students had made in her after-school program. She said it’s a small appreciation of how much our programs mean to her and the families we serve,” expressed Renée.

“We were delighted to see the success of Deb’s program. Since then we have supported many similar programs in the United States through our Hope in Action Fund. These programs are geared towards long-term projects that support children over time as opposed to just for the short-term,” said Renée.

A gift to say thank you

During a recent visit to Carr Creek Elementary School, Renée got a chance to see first-hand just how proud Deb is of the partnership she has created with Children Incorporated.

“Deb was very excited to present me with a quilt that sponsored students had made in her after-school program. She said it’s a small appreciation of how much our programs mean to her and the families we serve,” expressed Renée.

After receiving the quilt, Deb introduced Renée to a few of our sponsored kids as well as their parents.

Meeting special sponsored kids

Deb works hard to make sure sponsored and unsponsored children have school supplies all year long.

Deb invited Benjamin* to the Resource Center first. Benjamin lives with his unemployed parents and two older brothers. He loves football and roots for the local high school team. Deb told Renée that Benjamin is very appreciative of his sponsor’s help to make sure he has proper clothing and shoes.

Next, Renée met Olivia and her mother, Amanda. Olivia is a sweet little girl who lives with her mom, dad and little brother. Her father works as a heating technician, but his pay is meager. Olivia’s mom helps when she can by cleaning houses and catering for weddings. Her parents’ combined earnings are still so low that Olivia qualifies for free meals at school. Olivia told Renée that she loves writing letters to her sponsor. Amanda said that Children Incorporated is a blessing for her child, and that she’s so grateful for the program.

After Amanda and Olivia left, Deb explained to Renée that Olivia’s parents are responsible and very loving, and that Amanda regularly volunteers at the Family Resource Center so she can give back in thanks for everything that Olivia receives from her sponsor.

Grandparents stepping up to help

Lastly, Deb introduced Renée to a family of children — Rebecca, Natalie, Laura and Joanna — who are being raised by their retired grandparents. Deb explained to Renée that starting over and raising young children is not what most grandparents envisioned. Many are overwhelmed financially and emotionally.

Despite their situation, Deb is proud that these girls’ grandparents have stepped up and feels they are doing a good job. Sponsorship is really helping their family, and the girls all love having special friends in their sponsors that provide for them when their grandparents can’t.

*Names changed to protect the children.

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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 at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

As the largest elementary school in Knott County, Kentucky, Hindman Elementary School serves 609 students in grades kindergarten through eight.

Not only does the school have high enrollment, but it also prides itself on having test scores that are above the state average. According to our volunteer coordinator at the school, Shana, Hindman Elementary has a higher ratio of children who come from middle-class households compared to the rest of Knott County. Shana believes that these two factors are in direct correlation with one another.

Shana doesn’t let any obstacle stand in her way when it comes to making sure that vulnerable, underprivileged students at her school — including those enrolled in the Children Incorporated program — get the help they need.

Parents who are raising their children in middle-class households have completed high school or college and now work as teachers, nurses, county administrators or medical professionals in higher-paying jobs than their peers who weren’t able to get their high school diplomas or higher education degrees. And thanks to higher pay than minimum wage jobs offer, they can provide their children with the adequate resources they need to succeed in school — as Shana has seen firsthand at Hindman.

A school with kids in need

Unfortunately, even with higher percentages of students coming from middle-class backgrounds than other schools in Knott County, Shana says that many kids at Hindman are living in poverty. Nearly 75% of children attending Hindman receive free or reduced lunch through the National School Lunch Program.

Yet despite the challenges of serving underprivileged students with limited resources, Shana doesn’t let any obstacle stand in her way when it comes to making sure that vulnerable students at her school — including those enrolled in the Children Incorporated program — get the help they need.

Meeting Jean

Thanks to Shana, children enrolled in our program at Hindman Elementary School are well cared for all year long.

On a recent visit to Knott County, Kentucky, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, had the chance to see just how much Shana was willing to do for our sponsored and unsponsored kids.

“Shana is a dynamic coordinator who always goes above and beyond for her kids. Before our meeting at the school, she had arranged a visit to the home of a nice woman named Jean and her husband, John,” said Renée.

“Jean and John are the legal guardians of John’s six grandchildren, who are all currently sponsored through our program. When we arrived, Jean gave me a warm welcome into their trailer. She said they are retired, and starting all over again with his grandchildren was a big adjustment.”

Renée continued, “But the kids are so sweet. Jean is a tiny little woman with a ton of energy. She spoke of the grandchildren lovingly, telling funny stories about them — their pictures are displayed in places of pride on the television stand and the living room wall.”

“It was amazing to see firsthand how Shana’s efforts to make sure the children all had sponsors were making a huge difference for this family,” said Renée.

Visting Hindman

After their trip to Jean’s house, Shana and Renée had a chance to talk more about how Children Incorporated and the Family Resource Center at Hindman are helping children and families in Knott County.

It made Renée happy to know that children at this large elementary school have a caring person like Shana who is willing to go the extra mile every day to make sure they each have their individual needs met.

Shana told Renée that the things she struggles with most are providing basic needs assistance to children and accessing adequate healthcare for them. Thankfully, because of our donors and sponsors, many children at Hindman are getting shoes, clothes and school supplies regularly.

When it comes to healthcare, Shana brings the University of Kentucky Dental Van to the school and works with the Lions Club to obtain eyeglasses.

A wonderful time with Shana

Overall, Renée was very pleased with her visit to Hindman and the time she got to spend with Shana.

It pleased Renée — and comforted her — to know that children at this large elementary school have a caring person like Shana who is willing to go the extra mile every day to make sure they each have their individual needs met.

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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 at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Nestled in northern Central America, Honduras was once home to several Mesoamerican peoples — most notably the Maya. This ecologically diverse land — with its rainforests, cloud forests, savannas, mountain ranges and barrier reef system off the northern coast — teems with life. Its wealth of natural resources is equally impressive, including a variety of minable minerals and agricultural exports such as coffee, tropical fruit, sugar cane and lumber. Moreover, its growing textiles industry serves an international market.

The nation’s wealth of natural beauty and resources, however, belies the dire poverty in which its people live. In fact, Honduras holds the unfortunate distinction of being one of the poorest nations in Latin America. This is due in part to its longstanding political instability, social strife including the world’s highest murder rate and economic issues such as fluctuating export prices, rising inflation and unemployment. Other contributing factors include frequent natural disasters such as hurricanes, mild earthquakes and flooding as well as widespread poverty, disease and inadequate education which results in a high rate of illiteracy.

The nation’s wealth of natural beauty and resources, however, belies the dire poverty in which its people live. In fact, Honduras holds the unfortunate distinction of being one of the poorest nations in Latin America.

Facts about Honduras

– The capital of Honduras is Tegucigalpa

– The five stars on the Honduran flag represent the five countries of Central America, with the middle star representing Honduras

– The currency in Honduras is the Honduran Lempira

–  The population in Honduras is 9.265 million

– The official language is Spanish

–  The word Honduras translates to “great depths”

– It is the second-largest country in Central America

–  Honduras has the unfortunate distinction of being the country with the highest murder rate in the world

Facts about poverty in Honduras

  • More than 60% of the population lives in poverty
  • In rural areas, approximately one out of five Hondurans live in extreme poverty (less than US$1.90 per day)
  • The country faces the highest level of economic inequality in Latin America
  • One in three infants is malnourished
  • Children in rural areas get an average of four years of schooling

Where we work in Honduras

In Honduras, we affiliate with three projects:  The El Refugio Welfare Center in Progreso, Maria Reyna Home in San Pedro Sula and the Siguatepeque Primary School in Siguatepeque.

Read more about our affiliated projects

Room to Grow in Honduras

How a 90s Best Seller is Helping Kids in Honduras Today

Excelling in San Pedro Sula

Sponsorship in Central America

How you can help children in Honduras

You can help a child living in poverty in Honduras in a few different ways. One way is through our child sponsorship program. Sponsorship provides an underprivileged child with basic and education-related necessities such as food, clothing, healthcare, school supplies, and school tuition payments.

This vital support allows impoverished, vulnerable children to develop to their full potential — physically, emotionally and socially. Sponsors positively impact the lives of the children they sponsor through the knowledge that someone cares about their well-being. This gives children in need hope, which is powerful.

Our policy has always been to consider the needs of each sponsored child on an individual basis. We work closely with our volunteer coordinators at our project sites in Honduras who are familiar with each individual circumstance and the needs of every child in their care. Sponsorship donations are sent to our projects — orphanages, homes, community centers and schools — at the beginning of each month in the form of subsidy stipends. Our on-site volunteer coordinators use those funds to purchase items for children in our program, to ensure that they have what they need to do their very best and succeed in school.

SPONSOR A CHILD IN HONDURAS

 

You can also help children in Honduras by donating to one of our special funds. Our special funds offer a variety of giving options for sponsors who wish to further their support, as well as for donors who wish to make a difference without making a commitment. In the past, thanks to donations to our Hope In Action Fund and our International Feeding Program, we have been able to further support our projects in Honduras beyond sponsorship.

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Ron Carter | En Español

My mother’s sister operated a record store in our small hometown of Reidsville, North Carolina. During my childhood in the 1960s, I spent a great deal of time there. While other little boys were outside climbing trees, swinging bats and getting into mischief, I was inside spinning records. Music was everything to me, and while I was a huge Beatlemaniac, my favorite music of all was that of The Supremes — Diana Ross, Florence Ballard and Mary Wilson.

The Supremes’ classic 1964 album, “Where Did Our Love Go,” was actually the first long-playing record I ever owned, and as I listened to it over and over and over again, I grew to deeply love The Supremes. Though Diana Ross sang most of the lead vocals and was the most visible of the ladies, my favorite Supreme was always Mary Wilson.

“I am coming to see that Children Incorporated is a loving organization.”

– Mary Wilson

In 2016, in my role as President and Chief Executive Officer of Children Incorporated, I decided to write to Ms. Wilson to ask her to support our work. Over the years, I had read about her charitable giving, and I knew that she had been appointed a United States Culture Connect Ambassador by former Secretary of State Colin Powell. Ms. Wilson had traveled all around the globe promoting peace initiatives, and her work to remove remaining landmines from war-torn countries inspired me.

With these things in mind, I sent her a lengthy letter filling her in on the incredible and life-changing work of Children Incorporated. Ms. Wilson responded a few months later and said that she would love to help out as her busy scheduled allowed. We corresponded back and forth a number of times over the following year until late 2017, when Ms. Wilson decided to sponsor a little girl through our organization.

A CONVERSATION WITH MS. WILSON

Mrs. Wilson’s third book, “Supreme Glamour.” was published in September 2019.

A few months back, Ms. Wilson was scheduled to be in Detroit to attend an event. She contacted me before that visit to ask if she could meet the child she was then sponsoring in the Detroit area. The Children Incorporated staff and I were pleased to make Ms. Wilson’s wish to meet the child become a reality.

I met Ms. Wilson in Detriot and escorted her to a struggling school in the heart of the motor city. There, she interacted warmly with her sponsored child and members of the highly-dedicated school staff. I watched as Ms. Wilson encouraged the little girl to take her education seriously and to always strive for more. The big smile on the girl’s face said it all. She had connected with her sponsor, the Supreme Ms. Mary Wilson — and Ms. Wilson with her.

Following the visit, Ms. Wilson asked me if I could take her to her favorite coffee shop before she had to return to her hotel and prepare for an afternoon radio interview. I was honored to do so as I was in the presence of not only a loving and kind person, but also Motown Royalty! During our time together, we discussed many things — her long career, her history of supporting charitable causes, her children and mine — and I had the chance to share more details about Children Incorporated with her. I will never forget my magical day with Ms. Wilson.

The following are some of the highlights from our conversation:

Ron: Ms. Wilson, you have supported a number of charities over the years. How did you first get involved in doing charitable work? What led you to want to support these types of groups?

Ms. Wilson: After having traveled the world in the ‘60s, I had seen a lot of third world countries where poverty was just too much to bear. It was easy to see that here in America we have it pretty good — even with all of our problems. I guess the reason I chose to sponsor a child is because I had so many things going on, including my career and my own big family. I even adopted my little cousin, Willie. Sponsorship was a way that I could give back and be a part of a child’s life. I could see that there were so many children who were not getting the love and care they needed. I decided to sponsor a child in the Philippines, and that lasted until she graduated from high school.

Ron: You’re still fairly new to Children Incorporated. What are your first impressions of our organization? Why did you agree to support our work?

Ms. Wilson: I am coming to see that Children Incorporated is a loving organization. I saw that very early on when you made a great effort to arrange our meeting today. You are very passionate, Ron, about your work, and you reached out to help me become acquainted with the Children Incorporated sponsorship program on several occasions. So far, I have only met a few of the others who are part of the team — like the women who serve as your volunteers at the school. But everyone seems to be very passionate about the work. It is not just about getting a paycheck. You all seem to have a real passion for helping children.

Ron: That’s true, and I think that is what makes Children Incorporated so special.  The work is personal. Our goal is always to improve the lives of children, and I know that is also a passion of yours.

Ms. Wilson: I always look for organizations that help children. You’re right — that is a passion of mine.

Ron: A few years back, former Secretary of State Colin Powell recognized you as a Cultural Ambassador for the United States. I’m sure that was an incredible honor.

Ms. Wilson currently sponsors a child in our program from Richmond, Virginia.

Ms. Wilson: Yes! What an honor it was for me to become a Cultural Ambassador for the United States! Through another organization that I was supporting, I met a woman named Patricia Harris in Washington, D.C. Ms. Harris suggested to Secretary of State Powell that I become part of his program under President George W. Bush — and that is how I was appointed one of the Cultural Ambassadors. Then I traveled around the world, working as an ambassador for peace. It was an incredible honor and a wonderful experience!

Ron: You’ve had a very long and fruitful career. Looking back, what — off the top of your head — are a few of the highlights or things that were especially meaningful to you?

Ms. Wilson: I am a truly blessed person. Coming from very humble beginnings and truly living the “American Dream” of becoming a star has been most gratifying. The Supremes did some great things in our career. Being on the Ed Sullivan Show fifteen times was one of them. We also gave command performances for the royal family in Great Britain. Along the way, we were inducted into various halls of fame. And of course, having all those number-one records around the world was one the biggest thrills of all! Oh, and there is also a star on Hollywood Boulevard.

Ron: Two years back, you had a top-twenty hit, “Time to Move On,” on the Billboard Dance chart. It must have been very affirming to see yourself on the charts after so many years.

Ms. Wilson: The music industry has changed so much over the years. I am one of the lucky ones to still be performing after fifty years. Getting a record onto the charts today is not easy. The charts today are made up of a very young generation of singers. Even though we were also young people when we were having our hits, there were a lot of different styles of music out back then. More people got a chance to have hits. It isn’t that way now. Digital downloads and music subscriptions have also taken a big toll on how people share their music. I was very lucky to get a top-twenty hit, and I hope to follow it up with another one. I’ve been in the studio doing some recording, and will hopefully have some product out soon.

“After having traveled the world in the ‘60s, I had seen a lot of third world countries where poverty was just too much to baer. It was easy to see that here in America we have it pretty good — even with all of our problems.”

Ron: You have worked tirelessly to keep The Supremes’ legacy alive. You’ve helped with archival record releases, and I understand you are now working on a new book about the group.

Ms. Wilson: Yes, some have said that I have been the keeper of The Supremes’ legacy — but I also want people to know that I do not live in the past. I have many new projects going on. Presently, I am working on another book that will come out soon. I want to thank all of the fans who have stood by our music throughout the years. They must know how very much they are appreciated by me, and I am sure by Diane (Diana Ross) as well. Flo (Florence Ballard) would feel the same gratitude if she were still alive.

Ron: You’ve said many times that people should dare to dream — that dreams do come true — and you’ve certainly seen some of your dreams become reality. Are there other things you still wish to accomplish — dreams you have yet to see realized?

Ms. Wilson: There are a couple of issues that I am very passionate about. I, as well as many others in the music industry, have worked on the CLASSICS (Compensating Legacy Artists for their Songs, Service, & Important Contributions to Society) Act bill. This deals with records made prior to 1972. Artists who recorded their hits prior to then haven’t gotten paid when their records are played on the air. This is so unfair. Much of the greatest music was recorded in the years prior to 1972, and those songs are still played on the radio all the time, yet the artists weren’t being paid. The bill was finally signed into law in October 2018. I am also continuing to work on the Truth in Music Advertising bill. This one deals with the fact that there are many bogus groups on the road now, claiming to be originals when, in fact, none of the members are original. People go to see a group they loved in the 1960s or 1970s, for example, yet what they get is not the original group. I have been working on this for many years, and I recently addressed Congress about this very important matter.

Ron: Ms. Wilson, do you have any final words of encouragement for your sponsored child?

Ms. Wilson: Again, I just wish her happiness. I want her to have hope, and I want her to dream of possibilities. I want her to know that there are good people in this world who care about others and are willing to help out when help is needed. Children Incorporated is like that, and I am very proud to be part of this organization!

Footnote:  Ms. Wilson currently sponsors a little girl from Richmond, Virginia.  Her third book, “Supreme Glamour” was published in September 2019, the same month that she debuted as a contestant on the ABC television series, “Dancing With The Stars.”  At 75 years young, Mary Wilson continues to tour and perform to fans around the world. She is an inspiration to many who have followed her career for the going on six decades.

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