Tag Archives: education

Shelley Callahan | En Español

After hearing story after story from her friend Hilary about child sponsorship through Children Incorporated, Kathy Niles decided she wanted to sponsor a child of her own. Little did she know that sponsorship would lead to unforgettable travels with her friend, getting to know several children – and an even deeper understanding of and appreciation for Native American culture.

We caught up with Kathy to find out about her experiences as a child sponsor, and about the impact those moments have had on her life.

SC: Tell us a little about yourself.

Kathy’s sponsored child in Arizona

KN: My home is in Ashaway, Rhode Island, and I am 64 years old. I have two children of my own, and was a single mom for most of their childhoods. I held several manufacturing jobs off and on, but finally started my own cleaning business fifteen years ago, of which I am the only employee.

It hasn’t been an easy road for me – especially career-wise. My grandmother used to say, “You have to have the bitter to appreciate the sweet!” The bitter can be very hard; but in many cases, it forms the mold in which one becomes stronger, more caring, and driven to work harder to succeed.

 SC: How did you get involved with Children Incorporated?

KN: I learned about Children Incorporated through a friend of mine, Hilary, who was sponsoring a child in Appalachia. So in 2007, I sponsored my first child, Joel*, who attended the same school as Hilary’s sponsored child – and Hilary and I traveled to the school together to spend the day there and visit our sponsored children. It’s something any sponsor should do if they have the opportunity, because it was so rewarding, and I felt very blessed to have been able to visit the project.

In 2011, Joel moved to a different area, and that’s when I started sponsoring Chelsea* – and I have been sponsoring her ever since!

Hilary’s stories of Children Incorporated made me want to do something for a child in need; I didn’t have grandchildren, so I figured I would spend my money on sponsorship. And I decided that I would like to have the chance to help a child get ahead, and to have the chance to fight through their struggles to go on to college and better themselves.

SC: How many children have you sponsored through Children Incorporated?

I decided that I would like to have the chance to help a child get ahead, and to have the chance to fight through their struggles to go on to college and better themselves.

KN: I followed Hilary’s lead and started sponsoring children on the Navajo Reservation, too. Some of them have moved away, so I have had a few different ones there; but I don’t want stop sponsoring there, because I feel bad for these kids that need help.

SC: When you signed up, did you specify preferences for your sponsored child?

KN: Yes – originally, I wanted a sponsored child in Appalachia; I started sponsoring in the Navajo Reservation when I decided to add an additional sponsorship.

I visited the Shonto Preparatory School in Arizona with Hilary, who was traveling there to see her sponsored child graduate high school. It was a very inspirational, rewarding experience for me. In this world stricken with poverty and strife, there is a strong family bond that I noticed, and we were welcomed and accepted – even as minorities.

That’s when I decided to sponsor a Native American child, too. I just recently received information on a new child there, and I am hoping that this will be a lasting relationship, for as long as she is in the school.

Kathy also sponsors a young girl in Kentucky.

SC: Is there anything more you can tell us about the projects you have visited?

KN: The volunteers at the schools are people that give of their time, hearts, and souls to help.

SC: Please tell us about the children you currently sponsor.

KN: Chelsea in Appalachia is fifteen and in the tenth grade; she lives with her mom and four sisters, two brothers, and some cats. She likes playing games, and is good at building things – and not surprisingly, she wants to be a mechanical engineer when she grows up!

I would love to be able to go to her high school graduation; that is my goal. And I would love for my kids to join me when I do. I pray that Chelsea continues to do well, and that she finds a special interest that she can pursue for her future. She is a beautiful young woman; I always get a new picture of her every year.

And Cari* in the Navajo Reservation is also in the tenth grade, and enjoys studying global issues in school. She likes to listen to music, and she’s good at singing; she especially likes the music of singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran. She lives with her mom, and has two brothers and one sister – and she wants to be a veterinarian when she grows up!

SC: Do you communicate with them regularly?

KN: Yes – I send them packages and letters. I send Chelsea money for her birthday, back to school, Christmas, and sometimes in the spring. I also buy her school supplies and hygiene articles; and I know she likes to read, so I have gotten her a gift card to Barnes and Noble. And every once in a while, I get a thank-you note from her, and it always touches my heart!

SC: What do you know about Arizona?

For those who can afford to help, I strongly suggest that you give to a child in need. It can and will make a huge difference in their lives and in their future; it will help mold them into strong individuals.

It was an eye-opener to go to Arizona and see children in their native regalia, and to hear children speaking their native language; it was beautiful!

SC: Is there any advice you might have for someone considering sponsoring a child?

KN: Children Incorporated is a great program, and it has helped many. For those who can afford to help, I strongly suggest that you give to a child in need. It can and will make a huge difference in their lives and in their future; it will help mold them into strong individuals.

I pray that my help has touched each one of these children that I have at some point given to.

*Names changed for children’s protection.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN APPALACHIA?

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

 HOW DO I HELP CHILDREN IN ARIZONA?

You can help children in Arizona in one of two ways – our Hope In Action Fund provides for children in special cases, such as in emergencies, and when special items, like eyeglasses, mattresses, and bedding are needed. Our Warm Clothing Fund and our Back to School Fund support children in the Navajo Nation as well.

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Last November, Children Incorporated staff members Renée Kube, Shelley Oxenham, and Chuck Smith helped rebuild a playground at G.H. Reid Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia, where we partner with Communities in Schools of Richmond (CIS) to support sponsored children in the Richmond area, near our headquarters.

Just a few months prior, over summer break, the old playground was set on fire, and it spread around the equipment, melting and disfiguring most of it, and leaving the 750 Richmond public school children with few options for outdoor play.

Partners in Rebuilding

Fun supplies makes for a good time for kids

A few of the donated supplies for kids at G.H. Reid Elementary

Renée, our Director of U.S. Programs, explained that the playground rebuild project was able to happen thanks to KaBOOM, a national nonprofit that builds playgrounds, especially in low-income areas.

The CarMax Foundation also stepped up to contribute funds and materials for the build, and Renée attended the volunteer workday, along with her Children Incorporated coworkers Shelley, U.S. Programs Specialist, and Chuck, U.S. Sponsorship Manager.

About 250 volunteers built the playground from the ground up in just one day. One of the jobs Renée, Shelley, and Chuck were assigned was painting maps and game boards onto the playground surface.

A Big Initiative

By the end of May, we had $1,000 to donate to G.H. Reid, and we couldn’t wait to present the check to them, as well as contribute some supplies to get them started.

In early 2017, Children Incorporated promoted Renée, Shelley, and Chuck’s story about helping to rebuild the playground. We took that opportunity to mention another initiative as well: we wanted to provide additional funding to the school for the playground’s upkeep, such as laying new mulch and repainting, which it would be in need of at the end of the school year. But by early spring, that initiative grew beyond just helping with maintenance, thanks to a special sponsor, Micah Greer – it turned into a campaign to raise funds to purchase playground supplies as well.

Micah is the founder of Operation Optimist, a web-based clothing company in Austin, Texas, and he is a personal trainer. Micah has been a sponsor through Children Incorporated for more than a year, and he decided to take his involvement to new heights by making the generous offer to donate ten percent of all of his merchandise sales to our organization. When Micah sent Children Incorporated a check for $500 in April, we decided we would use the funds to purchase supplies for children to use in support of healthy living, since that’s one of Micah’s primary focuses. And we asked donors to match it – which they happily did! By the end of May, we had $1,000 to donate to G.H. Reid, and we couldn’t wait to present the check to them, as well as contribute some supplies to get them started.

Presenting the check to our volunteer coordinator to purchase even more playground supplies for the fall

The Dream List

With the funding in place, Renée asked for a “dream list” of playground supplies from G.H. Reid, which was provided by Mr. Vickers, the physical education teacher there. Mr. Vickers told our volunteer coordinator, Sydney Capito, that the children could use detachable hurdles, a handled parachute, dumbbells, basketballs, footballs, soccer balls, kick balls, and hula-hoops. Renée purchased some of the items, including a flag football set and wiffle ball bats. We were so excited to take fun supplies to the school last week, and to present a check to Sydney, who knows the children will be thrilled to have all this new gear to play with in the upcoming school year.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN RICHMOND, VIRGINIA?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

The first question Shelley Oxenham, U.S. Projects Specialist for Children Incorporated, asked Michael Helton, our volunteer coordinator at Magoffin County High School, on her recent visit was what he saw for the future of the county and region. Shelley was meeting with Michael as a part of her trip to Kentucky, in conjunction with Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube’s, visit to Martin County schools.

Carrie said that the children mostly receive clothing, shoes, and school supplies with the funds their sponsors provide. She also stated that Children Incorporated is the center’s greatest resource; she does not know how she would provide for the children without our program.

Michael sighed and quietly said, “No matter what anyone says or promises, coal is never coming back. This area will continue to decline unless another industry moves in and creates jobs.”

Magoffin County has the highest unemployment rate in the state of Kentucky. As of this year, unemployment is at 18.9 percent — seven percentage points higher than the next-highest county (Elliott County at 11.6 percent). The coal mines have been shut down for many years, and a local factory shut down two years ago — meaning even more unemployment in the area.

Trying to Create Jobs

To deal with the lack of employment opportunities, the county is trying to get a veterans’ nursing home built in Salyersville, which would create a lot of jobs.

Also, a small mine has re-opened; but there are few jobs available, and they are not the same high-paying jobs of the past. Many of the coal plants have closed down, never to reopen, having been replaced permanently by natural gas plants. Years ago, Magoffin was a tobacco-producing area as well – but that industry has also moved out along with the coal industry.

Currently, the school board is the largest employer in Magoffin County. Most of the other jobs in the area are part-time or minimum wage jobs at local fast food chains, and stores like Dollar General.

One of the students Shelley met with told her he works as a cashier at McDonald’s, and he fears that one day in the near future, his job will not exist because of the rising popularity of automation, in which customers place their food orders on a screen instead of giving their order to a cashier. Fast food chains have already been testing this idea in larger cities. The rise of self-ordering and self-checkout could really wipe out what remains of employment opportunities for high school or newly-graduated students.

A Special Delivery for a Sponsored Child

At North Magoffin Elementary School, Shelley met with Carrie Allen, the Family Resource Center Coordinator, and her assistant, Deana Branch. Carrie and Deana are both long-time veterans of the center. They are so kind, and really care about the well-being of all of the students in their care. Carrie said that the children mostly receive clothing, shoes, and school supplies with the funds their sponsors provide. She also stated that Children Incorporated is the center’s greatest resource; she does not know how she would provide for the children without our program.

Support from sponsorship helps parents as well as kids

One of our sponsored children with her mother

While Shelley was visiting the school, one of our sponsored children, Allison*, received a package from her sponsor. Allison’s little face lit up when Deana told her about the package. She slowly and carefully opened the box, and examined each item very seriously. She then colored a picture for her sponsor as a thank-you. Deana asked Allison what she wanted to tell her sponsor, and in a small, quiet voice, she said, “I love you.”

Carrie and Deana wish more sponsors would write letters and send packages to their sponsored children. It has such a great impact on the children’s self-esteem, emotional well-being, and school attendance. They wish sponsors could see children’s faces light up when they get something in the mail.

An Unsponsored Child’s Scars

Shelley also met a little girl named Stephanie*, who is currently unsponsored. She is eight years old and very small for her age; she still wears toddler-sized clothes. Stephanie has year-round allergies and breathing issues. When she was five years old, she was burned in a house fire and has severe burns on her legs as a result. A school staff member has to rub lotion on her legs every day because they are so dry.

The winter is especially hard on her; because of the burns, she gets cold really quickly. She will need snow boots and warm winter clothes to protect her legs from the brutal mountain winters. Hopefully, she will have a sponsor by then. Stephanie also has a lot of emotional scars from her tough upbringing. Having a sponsor this year would be a big help to her and her family. Her mother visits the resource center a lot to get hygiene products and other necessities, and she is always extremely appreciative of what she receives.

They wish sponsors could see children’s faces light up when they get something in the mail.

Saving for College as a Kid

During her visit to Magoffin County High School, Shelley met with Alan*, a high school senior who works twenty hours a week while also going to school full-time.

After high school, Alan wants to get his associate degree in carpentry. He skipped his senior trip to Washington, D.C. and Virginia Beach so that he could put in a full week’s worth of work in order to save for his college expenses.

He said that having a sponsor has helped him be able to save money for college. He commented that it’s the little things, like a new pair of comfortable pants that fit, that make life easier.

Alan has had the same sponsor since he was a child. It makes him feel good that there are people in the world who care, and that his sponsor committed to helping him all the way through graduation. He hopes to one day do the same for another child.

Boosting Confidence and Self-esteem for the Future

But smiles don't mean they aren't in need

Sponsored kids love smiling for the camera!

Jonnie Risner is our coordinator at South Magoffin Elementary School. She says Children Incorporated helps out with getting clothing for children in need; but a lot of what she buys for her students is soap, shampoo, conditioner, and laundry detergent. She said that our program is her greatest resource, and she doesn’t know what she would do without us. The children are in great need, and the program is such a boost to their confidence and self-worth. She said that sponsors who write letters open the eyes of the children to the rest of the world.

Shelley also asked Jonnie about the future of the county, and she said that the future looks grim. There aren’t any jobs, and the hope that coal mining will make a comeback does not seem realistic. There are two new Dollar General stores being built in town; these will give other people some jobs, but they will put local grocery stores at risk of going out of business. The worry is not only for the parents and adults in Eastern Kentucky, but also whether there will be jobs for today’s children once they graduate.

Regardless of what the future may hold for the kids of Magoffin County, Kentucky, your sponsorship and contributions make a world of difference today – as well as working toward making a different world for them tomorrow.

*Names changed for children’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 sponsorship specialists, or send us an email at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

In May, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, visited Martin County in Kentucky, where she met with many of our sponsored children at our affiliated schools, as well as at some of their homes. The breadth and depth of the poverty in Martin County is staggering. Over the many years that Renée has been visiting Eastern Kentucky, she has seen the homes of the impoverished on the sides of main roads; but it still amazed her that home visits would take her off state roads, and onto tiny county roads, where along gravel lanes and dirt ruts, there is even more dire poverty. Some homes are so far into the mountain hollows that Renée can’t even begin to imagine how the homes were placed there.

Grandparents Stepping Up

Upon visiting with Billy* at his school, Renée found his situation to be very representative of many Martin County children, because his grandparents are raising him and his little sister, Kristen*. Both grandparents are disabled and subsist on small disability allotments from the government.

Renée with a sponsored child and her parents

Renée noticed that Billy is cheerful and has a positive attitude. He was comfortable telling her that he loves having a sponsor, and that it has helped him very much. He was excited to talk about the opportunity to enjoy a week at Trooper Island Summer Camp in Dale Hollow Lake State Resort Park; the camp gives underprivileged Kentucky children, ages ten to twelve, some time away from their stresses so they can simply be kids. State troopers lead them in all kinds of recreational activities, and they have conversations about healthy living, safety, and making wise choices.

So Many Children in Need

Renée also met with Blake* and Ruby* at their school; these two siblings had been living with their parents in a partially burned house that had no running water. The Family Resource Center, our partnering organization in Kentucky, worked with other county partners to find the family another place to live. The kids’ housing is now better and safer, but their circumstances are still extremely bad.

As Renée spoke with the parents, they told her how much the sponsorship program has meant to them, because the kids’ sponsors have helped so much over the years.

Another sponsored child, Scott*, was just enrolled in our program in January. He lives with his grandparents, siblings, and other relatives. There are ten people in the home, which is a very dilapidated dwelling. Renée also met Stuart*, who lives in a camper trailer by a local pizza restaurant. There are ten people living in his home as well, including his first cousin, Nathan*, who is also in our program. Their home life is not only an impoverished one, but it is also incredibly unstable and rather neglectful.

Loving Parents Struggle to Provide Support

Her first visit took Renée to the home of the Johnson family, who lives in one of the most deprived trailer communities in the county. Both the mother and father are kind and loving, but have little education or physical capacity. Their children are Susan*, age fourteen and in high school; Brooke*, age eighteen and also in high school; and Holly*, age nineteen and a former sponsored child. The father is a general laborer and can find only temporary jobs. The mother has respiratory problems and is in poor health, which often causes her to be bedridden.

Homes in Eastern Kentucky, which are sometimes too small for large families

When Renée entered the home, she saw that the front door opened directly into the living room, and a small sofa was in front of her. There was a small bed against a wall, and that’s where one of the girls sleeps. To the right of the living room was the kitchen. To the left of the living room was a doorway that opened into the parents’ room, which was taken up by a king-sized mattress and box spring foundation, and is where the mother spends most of her time. The family had decorated the home with old beach towels, which hung from the walls and the ceilings.

As Renée spoke with the parents, they told her how much the sponsorship program has meant to them, because the kids’ sponsors have helped so much over the years. The Johnsons are among the poorest of the families with kids in our program; but even though it seems virtually impossible for the parents to improve their situation, Renée could tell that they have hope for their children, and that the support they receive from sponsorship is important in encouraging the girls to do well in school and succeed.

The Wilson family also welcomed Renée into their home. Mr. and Mrs. Wilson are the parents of Becky*, nine; Lola*, seven; and Maria*, five. All three girls are sponsored. The middle child, Lola, is extremely small for her age and has some health challenges. The parents have tried diligently over the years to support their children, and our volunteer coordinators have worked closely with them in their efforts.

These are just a few examples of how much of a difference your sponsorship and contributions make; little by little, we can help break the cycle of poverty by offering more and more children education, hope, and opportunity.

They were living in a ramshackle apartment, but are now in a public housing complex – which is a big step up for them. The parents are extremely proud of their small apartment, and the mother has decorated it with modest items purchased at yard sales, thrift shops, and dollar stores. This home is much better for the girls than their former situation.

Through her home visits, both parents and guardians told Renée over and over that the most important things for their children to have are absolute basics, like food, clothing, school supplies, and hygiene items. After paying rent and utilities, caretakers often find they have virtually nothing left over to help support their rapidly growing children, which is why our sponsorship program is so valuable to these families.

These are just a few examples of how much of a difference your sponsorship and contributions make; little by little, we can help break the cycle of poverty by offering more and more children education, hope, and opportunity.

*Names changed for children’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 and speak with one of our sponsorship specialists at 1-800-538-5381, or email the sponsorship department at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

In May of this year, Renée Kube, our Director of U.S. Programs, and Shelley Oxenham, U.S. Projects Specialist, traveled to Kentucky together to visit two counties that Children Incorporated serves. Once they arrived in Kentucky, they split up – Renée in the direction of Martin County, and Shelley to Magoffin County. Both counties are close to each other in proximity, east of Lexington, and are two of the poorest counties in our nation.

For many children, their only hot meals of the day are at school.

In Martin County, the median yearly household income is $27,484; it is ranked as having the greatest rental cost burden in the state, and the poverty rate is 35.2 percent. In Magoffin County, the median yearly household income is $29,421; it has the fifth-greatest rental cost burden in the state, and the poverty rate there is 28.6 percent.

A community of trailers in Martin County, Kentucky – many of our sponsored children live in homes like these.

Some of the most severe poverty in both counties is out of the sight of state and county roads, and away from the county seats. This poverty is tucked in hollows between mountains, or up their ridges. According to research from the Annie E. Casey Foundation’s Kids Count Data Center, of the 119 counties in Kentucky, the 25 with the highest rates of child poverty include both Magoffin and Martin Counties. Not surprisingly, both counties also rank poorly on other measures of child well-being.


WHEN Disaster Strikes

Renée remembers very clearly when, more than five years ago, on March 2 and 3, 2012, a tornado outbreak occurred over a large part of the southeastern U.S. There were a total of seventy confirmed tornadoes that resulted in 41 fatalities, 22 of which occurred in Kentucky. The counties affected included Children Incorporated-affiliated projects in Bath, Johnson, Lawrence, Menifee, Morgan, and Wolfe Counties, as well as in Martin and Magoffin counties in Kentucky.

After the disaster, our volunteer coordinators went to the schools as soon as they had the chance, and began contacting families to see what they needed — some of their houses had been damaged or destroyed, and many had lost a lot of their belongings, and didn’t have the means to even begin to clean up the mess from the tornadoes.

As information arrived from the coordinators to Renée about the needs of the families, Children Incorporated put out an appeal to donors and sponsors to help, and contributions began pouring in. From March to May 2012, Children Incorporated raised a total of $10,818. Our President and CEO, Ron Carter, delivered some of these disaster relief checks in person to various counties, which provided the families with emergency supplies such as replacement clothing, food, and cleaning supplies, like bleach.

Both Terrie and Debbie say that the biggest barrier for families is a lack of reliable transportation.

It was so important to be able to help individual families during this time of crisis; but unfortunately, much more extensive damage had been done to a few schools. In Magoffin County, three schools were damaged: Salyersville Elementary, Herald Whitaker Middle, and Magoffin County High. The elementary and high schools were repairable, but the middle school was not; so those students were moved into the high school building, where they shared tight quarters – and that was the situation for almost five years.

Welcome to Martin County

Exterior view of Martin County Middle School

Back in 1964, Martin County was the Appalachian county that gave a face to President Lyndon B. Johnson’s ‘”War on Poverty.” Many residents vividly remember when the president visited the Fletcher home to speak with them about their struggles. Over fifty years later, improvements to the communities in Appalachia have occurred; most have been made, however, in the outer bands of the area, and not in regions such as Martin County.

The central core of the Appalachian region still lags behind the rest of the nation in most measures. Schools have greatly improved, but mining jobs have steeply declined, leaving many residents with few options for work. The remaining jobs are mostly service-related, such as at small stores and convenience marts. The hours are often part-time only, and the pay is minimum wage with few or no benefits.

As a result, many people still live on government aid of one kind or another. But poverty has remained high for the poorest residents. The loss of mining jobs has meant high unemployment; many families have moved away. Those who have remained continue to struggle. For many children, their only hot meals of the day are at school. Drug abuse compounds poverty in a cycle of hopelessness, and it is children who are the most vulnerable. Social service professionals are grateful for the programs that exist, but agree with the families that programs won’t render long-term improvements without decent employment opportunities.

Sheldon Clark High School’s Shining Stars

At Sheldon Clark High School, one of five schools in Martin County that Renée visited on her trip, Children Incorporated is well-served by two amazing women: Terrie Simpkins is the Youth Services Center Coordinator, and Debbie Fluty is the Assistant Coordinator. Both have been employed by the school system for a long time, and they have years of experience working with Children Incorporated at multiple schools in Kentucky.

Despite the consistently trying circumstances in which this young man lives, support from Thomas’ Children Incorporated sponsor presents him with opportunities he most certainly wouldn’t have otherwise.

Terrie and Debbie are responsible for a wide variety of programming for their high school students, including referrals to health-related and social services, career exploration and development, summer and part-time job development, and alcohol and drug awareness and addiction prevention. But their budget is a shoestring one; both Terrie and Debbie are constantly overworked and overwhelmed with the needs of the students and their families, as they are both fiercely devoted to supporting them.

Renée and Terrie pose for a photo together.

Terrie conducts regular needs assessments; the top requests are help for clothing, shoes, hygiene items, and dental care. Terrie and Debbie have repeatedly stated that our sponsorship program is a godsend — that the kids would have almost nothing without their sponsors’ help.

Both Terrie and Debbie say that the biggest barrier for families is a lack of reliable transportation. Families have trouble finding and keeping jobs when their old cars break down, or when they cannot afford to buy one in the first place. There are students who are desperate for work to help their families — but after-school jobs are few and far between.

Debbie and Terrie shared that there are few local businesses or churches that are in a position to help, and those that can are inundated with requests. Most of the responses from the community for support go to the three elementary schools. A lot of the time, most people like to help younger kids, so teenagers are often forgotten and overlooked.

Meeting a Special Senior

Renée met with one student while at Sheldon – a rising twelfth-grade boy named Thomas* who is homeless and sleeping in a barn; there are no vacancies at the only federal housing project in the county. Thomas has no money to pay rent or utilities at the trailer parks. Terrie called him into the office, and Renée was able to meet him and hear his story.

He has such a positive attitude, and he is determined to stay in school and get his diploma, even though he has no home to go to. Normally, a guardian would sign the forms to enroll a child in our program; but since Thomas is eighteen, he was able to enroll himself in our program, so he will be able to get the support he needs to get him through the end of the school year and graduation.

Despite the consistently trying circumstances in which this young man lives, support from Thomas’ Children Incorporated sponsor presents him with opportunities he most certainly wouldn’t have otherwise.

*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 and speak with one of our sponsorship specialists at 1-800-538-5381, or email the sponsorship department at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Ron Carter | En Español

I felt tears welling up in my eyes as I looked from the practically empty refrigerator before me to the precious little girl standing by my side.

I was on a project visit in Eastern Kentucky with one of our volunteer coordinators, and she had arranged for me to see first-hand the conditions in which many of the youngsters in her school are forced to live. On this particular day, we accompanied a beautiful little shaggy-haired seven-year-old girl, not yet enrolled in our program, home following the day’s classes.

“I don’t know what I’m going to feed the children tonight,” she said, explaining that her monthly check had not yet arrived, making it impossible for her to shop for groceries.

We were greeted warmly at the door of a rather ramshackle house by the child’s mother, a woman who appeared much older than she actually was. We were made to feel quite welcome, despite the worn and mismatched furniture that cluttered the small living room.

What to Feed the Children

As we spoke with the woman, she wore her heart on her sleeve. She cried as she told us how difficult times were, and especially how hard it is for her, as an unemployed single parent of three living on food stamps and a small monthly federal assistance check, to make sure her children have enough food to eat.

She stated over and over that her children would probably go hungry were it not for the free breakfasts and lunches they receive at school each weekday. “I thank God for those school meals,” she said. “The money just does not go far enough, and by the end of the month, sometimes the food has run out.” The woman then took us into her small kitchen and opened the refrigerator to show us how little food was there: a half-empty container of milk, a stick of margarine, a few leftover beans in a pot, and a couple of slices of cheese. “I don’t know what I’m going to feed the children tonight,” she said, explaining that her monthly check had not yet arrived, making it impossible for her to shop for groceries.

Backpacks Full of Food

Our feeding programs are essential for children living in poverty.

Then the woman said something that really made me think – something I had never considered prior to that visit. She said, “It is really hard in the summer, because the kids have to eat all their meals at home; there are no school meals then, but I still don’t get any more money.”

She went on to say how bare the cupboards get during the months of June through August, and that she knows there are times when her children get very hungry. She had tears in her eyes as she spoke, and my heart broke as I took in the significance of her words. It hit me, then and there, that there are children all over our country who, just like this family, must go hungry on a regular basis — especially in the summer when school feeding programs are unavailable to them.

Since that time, Children Incorporated has worked with a number of schools and childcare centers to support weekend and summer backpack feeding programs. The availability of these programs often determines whether or not a child will eat, sometimes for days at a time. These backpacks filled with non-perishable food items provide nourishment, as well as a highly important reminder to the children receiving them, that someone, somewhere remembers and cares about them.

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HOW CAN I DONATE TO Children Incorporated’s feeding program?

You can donate to our feeding program in one of two ways. Call the office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our specialists on staff or visit our website at www.childrenincorporated.org/donate.