Tag Archives: education

Shelley Callahan | October 31, 2018En Español

At Children Incorporated, we know very well that we couldn’t help kids who are living in poverty to obtain an education without our amazing volunteer coordinators. Because of their hard work and dedication, we are able to provide basic needs to some of the most vulnerable children in the world.

This past June, one of our special volunteer coordinators, Leeann, at our affiliated project Millard Elementary School in Pike County, Kentucky, retired after 25 years of working at the school’s Family Resource Center. In a community where many children are in the foster care system because they have been removed from their homes due to their parents’ drug abuse problems, having a special person like Leeann who can offer consistent support for kids is incredibly important to their well-being and development.

CATCHING UP WITH LEEANN

We caught up with Leeann to ask her some questions about her more than two decades of work with Children Incorporated, and how our program has impacted the lives of children at her school.

CI: How long have you been working as a volunteer coordinator with Children Incorporated?

L: 25 years

CI: What special challenges do children at your school face?

Leeann with one of our sponsored children at Millard Elementary School in Pike County, Kentucky

L: The greatest need at the school is for school supplies and clothing for the students. I would say that more than forty percent of our students are in foster care, living with other family members, and/or are adopted at some time in their lives. Many of these students have low self-esteem and sometimes make bad decisions because they don’t have any guidance in their lives.

CI: How would you describe the community in which you live?

L: There are no jobs in this community. With the decline of coal mines, there are no jobs for the men.

CI: In what ways does the Children Incorporated program help the children enrolled?

L: It helps with the purchase of school supplies throughout the school year. Also, it helps to purchase new shoes and clothing when they are needed. Students visit the Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC) when they have a need.

CI: For you, what is the most important aspect of the Children Incorporated program?

L: The children enrolled in the Children Incorporated program are set up to succeed in school through the basic needs they are receiving. The sponsorship program also helps build their self-esteem and gives them the feeling that they are being treated with respect.

“The sponsorship program also helps build their self-esteem and gives them the feeling that they are being treated with respect.”

– Leeann

CI: Can you tell us a special story about a sponsored child and how sponsorship helped them in their life?

L: I have a girl that has been in the Children Incorporated program for five years. I will call the girl Alica. Alica has one brother and one sister. Her father worked in coal mines for twenty years – but now, he works at McDonald’s. They barely make it every month after paying rent and utilities. They do receive a small amount of food stamps. Alica had been wearing the same pair of sneakers for three years when I first met her; of course, her feet had sores on them, and she said it was hard to walk in the shoes. I asked her why she hadn’t told her parents about her feet, and she said that they were still pretty good shoes. She didn’t want to hurt her parents’ feelings or make them feel bad. The first thing I did after that conversation was go and get her two new pairs of shoes.

CI: What is most challenging for you as a volunteer coordinator for Children Incorporated?

L: Christmas shopping is the hardest because I wish there was enough money to provide for entire families.

CI: What do you enjoy doing in your spare time?

L: I love to read, make wreaths, and watch TV movies from start to finish.

Leeann, thank you for your years of dedicated service to children in need in Eastern Kentucky. We hope you enjoy your much-deserved retirement!

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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 | October 30, 2018En Español

On a trip to Pike County, Kentucky, Children Incorporated’s U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, visited the Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC) at our affiliated project Belfry Middle School, where she met with our Volunteer Coordinator Brittany. Brittany is relatively new to her job, and is taking on a variety of roles and responsibilities as she helps the children at her school receive basic needs.

Shelley noticed that Brittany is full of energy and enthusiasm, and it was obvious that she loves what she does. She is able to do her job well because of the support she receives from our sponsors. Brittany told Shelley repeatedly that our organization is a blessing to the FRYSC at Belfry Middle School, and that she depends heavily on our sponsorship program to serve her students – especially those who are struggling to eat at home.

The challenges of facing hunger

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” In America today, people who live in rural areas often face hunger at higher rates than in other parts of the United States – oftentimes due to the challenges they face living in remote areas.

Our Volunteer Coordinator, Brittany, works hard to ensure that the children at Belfry Middle School have food, as well as other basic needs.

When families live far away from businesses or commercial districts, they might not have a way to access food pantries or other social services that could help them feed their families – if those services even exist in those districts. Furthermore, the majority of employment opportunities in rural parts of the United States tend to be for low-wage work; and unemployment and underemployment rates are often higher in rural areas than in non-rural ones. This is what we frequently hear in our work with families living in poverty in Eastern Kentucky.

Working together to feed kids

As they met, Brittany explained to Shelley how food insecurity is a big concern in her district. When Kentucky teachers went on strike earlier this year in an attempt to have improvements made to their working conditions, they held a rally to collect canned and dry goods, because teachers were worried about kids missing school meals and not eating during the day as a result of the strike.

When families live far away from businesses or commercial districts, they might not have a way to access food pantries or other social services that could help them feed their families.

Brittany said that her resource center is also fortunate because American Electric Power (AEP), her husband’s employer, and its employees are generous about holding food drives. The local branch of the company gives the food to Brittany’s husband, who takes it to Belfry Middle School for Brittany to distribute. She said that the AEP employees are a huge help in keeping kids nourished. She has enrolled thirty of her most vulnerable children in her weekly Backpack Feeding Program; and when she has a significant overstock of food, she shares with the other coordinators in her district.

Brittany’s work doesn’t stop when the children leave school for summer break, either. In fact, summertime concerns her even more with regard to whether or not children are receiving meals. During the summer, when schools are closed and kids don’t have access to the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program, Brittany works with local churches to host a weekly Vacation Bible School to give our sponsored and unsponsored kids morning snacks and lunches so that they can enjoy their summer instead of being hungry.

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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 | October 18, 2018En Español

When we think about what constitutes a well-rounded education for a child, what might first pop into our heads are academic subjects like math, science, and English. The arts, though, can have just as much of a significant impact on a child’s development, character, and personality as other core subjects.

This is exactly why our volunteer coordinator at our affiliated project Belfry Elementary School is working hard to bring an arts camp to children enrolled in our program.

Eugenia feels that an art camp would not only be a good way to keep kids busy so they don’t get into trouble, but art could also encourage their mental, social, and emotional development.

On a recent visit to Pike County, Kentucky, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, met with our Volunteer Coordinator Eugenia, who told Renée about her desire to create a Belfry-area summer arts camp for the students at her school and others nearby. She explained that in previous years, kids have attended a local church’s vacation Bible school during summer break. The church is no longer offering the camp, however, due to a lack of finances.

Eugenia is concerned that, without activities to keep them occupied in the summer, children won’t be safe at home alone while their parents are working. She is also worried that, without the school lunches that they usually receive during the school year, students from impoverished families will go hungry in the summer months. In addition, Eugenia feels that an art camp would not only be a good way to keep kids busy so they don’t get into trouble, but art could also encourage their mental, social, and emotional development.

Why art matters

Eugenia with one of our sponsored children

Art and creativity can benefit children in a variety of ways. Holding a paintbrush, crayon, or marker helps a child to develop their fine motor skills, as well as improves their ability to problem-solve. Drawing and painting can promote patience and determination for kids, because it gives them a task that they feel driven to complete. Since art is also a vehicle for emotion, children can work through ideas and issues when they exercise their creativity. Many children in our program have witnessed abuse or addiction, or they face depression and anxiety in their own lives or in the lives of those that surround them. Art can help them to express their feelings, which is crucial for them as they deal with past and present traumas, or other adversity in their lives.

A coordinator who goes above and beyond

Eugenia’s work goes beyond developing a summer arts program in order to support our sponsored and unsponsored children. She also ensures that the kids in her care are receiving exactly what they need in order to attend classes. She sends a letter home at the start of each school year asking parents for their kids’ clothes and shoe sizes. She also inquires as to what kinds of school supplies they would like to have. Then she shops for the students.

She also partners with a local hair salon, “Just Teasin’,” so that all the children enrolled in our program get haircuts so they may start the new school year looking their very best. During the holidays, for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, Eugenia uses sponsorship funds to provide vouchers that families can use to purchase food at a local grocery store, and have a nice meal together to celebrate.

Before her visit was over, Renée let Eugenia know that Children Incorporated could provide support for her summer arts program from our Hope In Action Fund. Just as Eugenia is passionate about using art to help kids succeed, we at Children Incorporated also feel that art and creativity are an important part of a child’s education. Through academics and art, we hope that children are able to reach their full potential. With the support of our sponsors and donors to supplement special programs, kids will have the chance to overcome the difficult obstacles they face living in poverty.

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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 | October 4, 2018En Español

Pike County Central High School is the largest of five high schools in Pike County, Kentucky, with an enrollment of approximately 720 students. On a recent trip to Pike County, our U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, met with our volunteer coordinator at the school, whose name is also Shelley. Our volunteer coordinator Shelley is the Youth Services Center (YSC) coordinator for the school; she describes the YSC as a safe space for all students of any economic background where they may freely come and go without judgment when they are in need of a new clothing item, shoes, school supplies, hygiene items, or a snack to eat.

Businesses choose to help support kids in need for a variety of reasons.

Shelley explained that the children who are enrolled in our program – kids that she says are the most impoverished at the school – can visit her office for items they need without feeling embarrassed that their parents are unable to afford the school supplies they lack. Included among these necessities are book bags, notebooks, and socks.

Both businesses and our sponsorship program are helping children at Pike County Central High School.

Shelley says that with the sponsorship funds she receives every month, she especially likes to buy “school logo” clothes for her students; they help kids to feel like they fit in with the rest of their classmates. In the fall, sponsored and unsponsored children each receive a hoodie, a long-sleeved shirt, and sweatpants; and in the spring, another long-sleeved shirt and a couple of t-shirts. She supplements the clothes with hygiene items like soap and shampoo, or other special necessities, depending on what each student’s particular needs are, throughout the school year.

A unique place

During the visit, Shelley explained that her school is unique as a result of its close proximity to Pikeville, the county seat or governmental center of the county. Since the school is nearby, several Pikeville businesses support its resource center with food and clothing drives, which are a great help in keeping supplies stocked all year long. When she can, she tries to share with the other high schools in the area, like Phelps and East Ridge, which do not have as much local support due to their remote locations. Shelley is hopeful that, with the recent uptick in businesses and factories moving into the area, there is potential not only for more jobs for graduating seniors from Pike County Central High School and their parents, but also for more support for the center from local businesses.

Why small businesses help

Just like us, they, too, believe in the value of helping children succeed, and in giving them the chance that they deserve to have education, hope, and opportunity in their lives.

Businesses choose to help support kids in need for a variety of reasons. For starters, there are tax benefits for doing so. Donating to a qualified tax-exempt organization that falls under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code means that a business may deduct these contributions in its tax return. There are also marketing opportunities for businesses to advertise the philanthropic donations they make; non-profits may, in turn, publicize support as well. Additional possibilities for networking with new potential clients may present themselves, too, as a result of a business-charity partnership.

Working with charities may also offer volunteer opportunities for a business’ employees; and many companies offer matching gifts programs for employees to participate in. Despite the many benefits for businesses themselves, however, business owners oftentimes support charities simply because they want to give back to their own communities. Just like us, they, too, believe in the value of helping children succeed, and in giving them the chance that they deserve to have education, hope, and opportunity in their lives.

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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 | October 2, 2018En Español

Located along South America’s central-western coast, Peru includes arid Pacific coastlands, spectacular mountain ranges and vast Amazon rainforest. This land has been home to indigenous peoples for thousands of years, including the Inca Empire, which constructed Peru’s most iconic landmark, Machu Picchu.

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.

Peru’s rich culture, breathtaking beauty and wealth of natural resources, however, belie the abject poverty in which many of its residents live. Many rural areas are still recovering from the Sendero Luminoso terrorist attacks of the 1990s, which claimed countless lives and caused thousands of families who had relied upon agriculture for generations to seek shelter in large cities. Unfortunately, these migrants to urban areas encountered an even deeper level of poverty there. While Peru as a whole suffers from high unemployment, hyperinflation and all the difficulties that poverty entails such as disease, malnutrition and crime, these maladies are most pronounced in its overcrowded urban areas.

Facts about Peru

–    The capital is Lima
–    Peru is the third-largest country in South America
–    Population: 30,444,999
– Major languages: Spanish, Quechua, Aymara, Ashaninka
–    Roasted guinea pig, called Cuy, is the national dish of Peru
–    Three-quarters of the world’s alpaca population lives in Peru
–    There are over 3000 types of potatoes grown in the country
–    Machu Picchu is one of the seven wonders of the world
–    The largest flying bird on Earth is in Peru, The Giant Andean Condor

Facts about poverty in Peru

–    The poverty rate in Peru is 25.8%
–    6.9 million Peruvians live in poverty
–    Per capita income in Peru is $3,500 a year
–    About 60 percent of Peruvians earn less than $190 a month
–    Because of the rampant poverty, Lima has a large number of illegal shantytowns, where residents live without running water or electricity
–    About 34% of children in Peru work to help their families
–    Because many families live in rural regions, the Peruvian government finds it difficult to provide healthcare for children

Where we work

In Peru, we affiliate with three projects in and around Lima, the Chacarilla School in the impoverished Chacarilla neighborhood to the south of the city, the Puente Piedra Girls Home in the Puente Piedra districted to the north of Lima, and the Villa School, which is also located in the Puente Piedra area.

How you can help in Peru

You can help a child living in poverty in Peru 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.

Sponsorship provides an underprivileged child with basic and education-related necessities such as food, clothing, healthcare, school supplies and school tuition payments.

Thanks to donations to our Hope In Action Fund and our International Feeding Program, we have been able to further support our projects in Peru beyond sponsorship.

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 Peru, 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.

You can also help children in Peru 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. Thanks to donations to our Hope In Action Fund and our International Feeding Program, we have been able to further support our projects in Peru beyond sponsorship.

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Shelley Callahan | September 21, 2018En Español

Nestled in picturesque mountains and steeped in a rich cultural heritage, Pike County is situated in the very heart of Appalachia – an economically depressed area that stretches from the Virginias to Tennessee and Kentucky. This was once a thriving region, as a result of the success of its then bustling coal and lumber industries. In 1994, however, the Eastern Division of The Pittston Company closed its coal mines.

Today, rampant unemployment and widespread poverty paint a somber life in Pike County.

Unfortunately, rugged terrain has effectively blocked other industries from settling in this part of Kentucky. Thus, as mines closed, those who had spent their lives working underground could not find new employment opportunities above. Today, rampant unemployment and widespread poverty paint a somber life in Pike County. Their debilitating effects impact not only the adults there; hunger and cold nights in bed are the plight of too many children in this area, as their parents struggle to make ends meet.

On a recent trip to Pike County, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, and our U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, visited Valley Elementary School. There, they met with our Volunteer Coordinator Betty. Valley Elementary School has an extremely high enrollment of almost 1,000 students, from kindergarten through the eighth grade. Despite a large number of students at the school, with the help of the resource center and our program, Betty is hopeful that her efforts are making a big difference for children who are coming from impoverished households.

Betty explained to Renée and Shelley that she loves the flexibility of the Children Incorporated sponsorship program. It is very helpful to her to have the ability to purchase a wide variety of items for students, depending on their individual home situations. This way, she is able to make specific purchases in meeting the individualized needs of each child in her care. She said that our sponsored and unsponsored children are constantly in need of clothes and shoes; she also provides them with school supplies and food baskets often.

Meeting a special sponsored child

Sarah benefits greatly from having a sponsor with Children Incorporated.

During their visit, Renée and Shelley met with a few students who are enrolled in our sponsorship program. One student in particular stood out to them: Sarah* is in the eighth grade, and she lives with her parents and two sisters. She genuinely appreciates the support she receives from her sponsor.

Sarah anxiously awaits the items that she receives regularly thanks to monthly contributions. These donations especially help her in obtaining new shoes and clothing that she otherwise would go without. Betty also purchases art supplies for Sarah using her sponsorship funds, because Sarah loves art. She told Renée and Shelley that her family cannot afford art supplies, so she is incredibly grateful that her sponsor helps to support this passion of hers.

Internet famous

Before leaving Valley Elementary School, Betty showed Renée and Shelley a video of some of the third-grade students there who have become quite well-known on social media. The children were learning about coal mining and the industry in class, and their teacher challenged them to make a video demonstrating some of what they’d learned about the subject. The video would be entered into a much-anticipated annual community event – the CEDAR, Inc. Coal Fair.

With help from local high school students, the third-graders sang to the tune of Taylor Swift’s recent hit “Shake It Off.” After three days of filming, they finished the video, called “Mine the Coal”. When the fair was over, their teacher posted the video on her personal Facebook page, where it was widely shared, and where it has now accumulated more than 215,000 views. Along with Valley Elementary being a big school, its students are also a big hit on the internet!

*Name changed for child’s protection.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN KENTUCKY?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD