Our volunteer coordinator, Heather, at Viper Elementary School in Kentucky, wrote to us to thank our sponsors, who were, and always are, especially a big help during the holiday season:
“Children Incorporated has been such a blessing for all sponsored students. Specifically, at Christmas, there was an abundance of students needing assistance this past year. I never have to worry about my Children Incorporated sponsored children getting help. I am blessed to have the funds to care for all of their desires and immediate needs. Parents know the funds are here when they need support, so they don’t hesitate to reach out if their child has outgrown a pair of shoes or if it is a change of season and the children need new clothes.”
Not only me but the parents of these students will forever be grateful for the blessings Children Incorporated brings us.
“One particular parent couldn’t thank me and Children Incorporated enough for not only the sponsor providing funding but for allowing her daughter to pick out her own clothes and what she liked and would actually wear. Another parent remarked on how her child’s day was made after receiving the new clothes and shoes she picked out and the positive impact this program had on the whole family. Not only me but the parents of these students will forever be grateful for the blessings Children Incorporated brings us.”
Sponsorship is one of many ways you help impoverished children every month. Additionally, thanks to contributions to our Hope In Action Fund in the last month, we have been able to:
– Provide funds to replenish the food pantry for children and their families at Westover Hills Elementary School in Virginia
– Provide funds to purchase hygiene ties and household supplies for a family in an emergency at Foundation Preparatory Academy in Louisiana
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 30 students at the Dandora Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase daily meals for 100 students at the St. John’s Community Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students at Kids’ Hope in Ethiopia for one month
– Provide funding to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students for one month at the Fortune Children’s Center in the Philippines
– Provide funds to replenish the food pantry at River City Middle School in Virginia
– Provide funds to purchase meals for 30 students at Santa Isabel Ana Seton in Guatemala for a month
– Provide funds to purchase a basic washer and dryer for a family in need with a student who attends May Valley Elementary School in Kentucky
– Provide funding to purchase bedding, bed frames, and mattresses for two students at Wrigley Elementary School in Kentucky
…and so much more! Thank you to our supporters for all that you do! We couldn’t do our life-changing work without you.
You can sponsor a child in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in that is available for sponsorship.
As the holiday season often means sharing what we are grateful for, we would like to share letters of gratitude from our volunteer coordinators as part of our monthly Impact Report. Thank you, our loyal supporters, for everything you have done this holiday season and throughout 2024 to help children in need.
“I can’t tell you what a gift it is to see students and families’ lives transformed, and I cannot thank you enough for the difference they have made.”
Becky’s Letter
My school district is one where almost 70% of students are classified in the category of economically disadvantaged. So, from a resource position, things can feel a little overwhelming. This is where Children Incorporated comes in to alleviate some of the financial burdens for students who are enrolled in the program and help to eliminate the non-academic barriers that these students face.
To say that I am simply grateful for this program does not seem like adequate appreciation for the amazing things Children Incorporated does for those in need. The kindness and generosity of sponsors will forever be remembered by these students and myself.
Sincerely, Becky
Johnson Central Youth Services Center, Kentucky
Denise’s Thank You
Flat Gap Elementary School is located in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky and has seen firsthand how much it means to have the basic needs of elementary students and families met. I am genuinely thankful to Children Incorporated and the sponsors we have for our students. Because of the sponsors, we are able to provide students with basic needs so they can focus on their education, and we are able to form bonds with those families.
I also can’t thank the sponsors and donors enough for giving our students the opportunity through Hope In Action Funds. These funds have helped our school with several family literacy nights, family game nights, reading programs, and other literacy events. I can’t tell you what a gift it is to see students and families’ lives transformed, and I cannot thank you enough for the difference you have made.
Thank you, Denise Flat Gap Elementary School, Kentucky
Melania’s Note
On behalf of the Crossroads Elementary School Family Resource Center, I would like to thank you for allowing our students to participate in the Children Incorporated program. The students have benefited tremendously from the sponsorship program, which has allowed me to provide clothing, shoes, hygiene items, and school supplies to sponsored children throughout the school year. Witnessing the smiles on their faces when they receive what I have bought them is such a heartwarming experience. Not only are the enrolled students appreciative, but so are their guardians.
As the Children Incorporated volunteer coordinator, I feel that the program has brought me closer to the families in need. It allows me to talk to them more often and learn about the difficulties they face dealing with the everyday struggles of rising costs of necessities. Participating in the program enables them to open up with me, and through those conversations, I can tell they are forever grateful for the sponsors.
Sponsorship is one of many ways you help impoverished children every month. Additionally, thanks to contributions to our Hope In Action Fund in the last month, we have been able to:
– Provide funds to purchase warm clothing for students at Oak Grove/Bellemeade Elementary in Virginia
– Provide funds to purchase emergency supplies for a student at Kimper Elementary School in Kentucky whose family had a house fire
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 30 students at the Dandora Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase daily meals for 100 students at the St. John’s Community Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students at Kids’ Hope in Ethiopia for one month
– Provide funding to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students for one month at the Fortune Children’s Center in the Philippines
– Provide funds to help the family of a student at Johns Creek Elementary School after a house fire
– Provide funds to purchase meals for 30 students at Santa Isabel Ana Seton in Guatemala for a month
– Provide funds to provide disaster and emergency relief to the family of a student at Hindman Elementary School in Kentucky after a house fire
…and so much more! Thank you to our supporters for all that you do! We couldn’t do our life-changing work without you.
You can sponsor a child in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in that is available for sponsorship.
As part of our monthly Impact Report, we want to share with you a letter from our volunteer coordinator, Ashley, at Blackwell Elementary School in Virginia. She wrote to thank all our sponsors for their endless support of children in need, which gives her peace of mind throughout the year.
“I sincerely appreciate the unwavering support provided by the Children Incorporated program. The transformative effect it has had on the lives of our students and their families is immeasurable.”
Ashley’s Letter
“I want to express my sincere gratitude for the incredible program you have spearheaded. The assistance provided by Children Incorporated funds has been instrumental in ensuring that enrolled children have access to essential resources, enabling them to embark on asuccessful academic journey. From school supplies to clothing and footwear, the support has been wonderful, alleviating the financial burden on families and allowing children to start the school year on the right foot. The impact has been profound, with parents expressing immense relief and gratitude for the assistance rendered.
The benefits of the Children Incorporated program extend beyond mere material support. Through initiatives such as special birthday gifts, spring break kits, and emergency grocery orders, children have experienced moments of joy, stability, and community connection.
Several Children Incorporated-enrolled children have made notable strides in attendance and social and emotional learning, owing in part to the nurturing environment and access to resources facilitated by the program. Whether it be a new book, school supplies, or a fresh outfit, these provisions have contributed to our students’ overall well-being and academic success. I sincerely appreciate the unwavering support provided by the Children Incorporated program. The transformative effect it has had on the lives of our students and their families is immeasurable.”
Sponsorship is one of many ways you, our loyal supporters, help impoverished children every month. Additionally, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and donors who have made contributions to our Hope In Action Fund in the last month, we have been able to:
– Provide funding to purchase urgently needed warm clothing for students at Mabel Elementary School in North Carolina
– Provide funds to purchase school supplies for new students at Mabel Elementary School in North Carolina
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 30 students at the Dandora Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase daily meals for 100 students at the St. John’s Community Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students at Kids’ Hope in Ethiopia for one month
– Provide funding to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students for one month at the Fortune Children’s Center in the Philippines
– Provide funds to support the construction of a new community building at the Visayans Center in the Philippines
– Provide funds to purchase beds and linens for students at Cannonsburg Elementary School in Kentucky
– Provide funds to purchase a stove for the family of two sponsored children at Sebastian Elementary School in Kentucky
– Provide funding to purchase uniforms for students at Arthur Ashe Charter School in Louisiana
…and so much more! Thank you to our supporters for all that you do! We couldn’t do our life-changing work without you.
You can sponsor a child in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in that is available for sponsorship.
This Center operates from the Social Service Area of Casa Central School and compound. The Center is located in the heart of Guatemala City, and serves children of the periphery of the city from low income families, mostly without a stable housing environment, permanent income, and steady provision of educational, nutritional and health services. The CI monthly support helps in the provision of food, school supplies, shoes and clothing to the participant children. This with the purpose of getting them ready to attend local public schools, with very few attending low cost private schools in the area. Participant children on the CI Program attend school education all the way from K to 12 grades, which may prepare them for a skill training or for university. However, many are prepared here to initiate the arduous labor life, at least with a high school diploma, which was never available to their parents.
The Center has some support from a local university by providing students to complete their required practicum, mostly in the Social Services area of their careers. The Center is run by the Congregation of Sisters of Mercy, a Catholic Order dedicated to education, health and community services mission. The Sisters also run a soup kitchen for indigents here, as well as a home for the elderly.
The CI participant children are met monthly to provide the CI support, and also to do school follow up and determine their overall situation and eligibility to participation. They are also requested to participate with the yearly children information updates, as well as to write letters to their sponsors. If a child receives an additional gift, the child is also requested to come to the center to receive the benefits, and to write a thank you letter to the corresponding sponsor.
The Center is a well care section of the compound, with a large enclosed area for meetings and food distribution, and small offices to do social service support and follow ups. They also have a large kitchen where they prepare food for the indigents. The home for the elderly is in a different location to the Center.
All financial reports were updated, as well as recommendations to update information of a few children who were missing their personal information. A set of recommendation were given to improve the program, and apparently the pandemic did not see any erosion on the support they provide to the children and to all other programs. They are now suffering of an increase in cost of products that were given to the children, but the recent increase of the CI monthly support is offsetting in part, what would be a large decrease in support to the children.
Casa Central
Casa Central is Located in Guatemala City.At the moment we have 69 children in this affiliation site. Our coordinator is Sor Alicia G. Morataya who is also assisted by Lisbet A. Martinez.Our children here attend different schools that goes from primary to high school grade.Besides helping the children they perform other tasks and social work like providing food for homeless people of the community once a week.
Children at Casa Central meet here once a month to receive their subsidies that consist of nutritious food, hygiene items, clothes, shoes and school supplies at the beginning of each school year.
According to the coordinator, the help provided to all these children has been tremendous since many of their parent’s economy has been affected after Covid-19, making them to struggle to provide for their basic children’s need.
One of the biggest satisfaction for us is knowing that helping these children will positively change their life by helping them to go to school and achieve their goals, giving them the possibilities to have a better future for themselves and their families.
This is the case of Gerson; a now 18 year old teenager who has been in our program since he was 8 years old and who is now finishing high school, as well as a technical career as an accounting clerk.
He expressed to us how grateful he is to have the opportunity to be part of Children Incorporate and to be able to study and pursue a technical career. A career that due to the economic situation of his family, they could not have afforded.
When I was told that I would accompany the President and CEO of Children Incorporated, Ron Carter, on his first visit to Mexico with our organization, I was beyond excited. It would be my third time seeing our affiliated sites in this magnificent country, but I knew that seeing it with Ron would be a whole new experience and one that I looked forward to immensely.
More specifically, the sites in Mexico are unique because these children otherwise don’t have stable homes for various reasons, and that is why the help our sites offer to children and families is so crucial.
In preparation for our trip, Ron and I spoke at length about what we might expect based on my last visit. As our departure date grew closer, so did my excitement for what Ron was going to see for the first time.
The uniqueness of Mexico
Although I have a fondness for so many of our affiliated sites that I have had the privilege of visiting, our Mexico sites stand out in a very special way. Each of them is run by representatives of the Catholic Church, which is common in Central and South America, as well as in India. Each site is also a home where children board during the week or year-round so they can receive the support they need. More specifically, the sites in Mexico are unique because these children otherwise don’t have stable homes for various reasons, and that is why the help they offer to children and families is so crucial, and it really pulls at my heartstrings.
After a long day of traveling from our office in Virginia to Mexico City, Ron and I, along with our International Programs Specialist, Yefiny, met bright and early with our volunteer coordinator, Beatrice, and her assistant, Monica, in the lobby of our hotel. Monica was newer to the home, and Beatrice had been there for a few years. They both cheerfully expressed how much they enjoyed their time at Santa Ines caring for the girls who lived there during the week.
Visiting Santa Ines
We made our way outside to a taxi, and just a short ten-minute drive later, we arrived at the neighborhood of Coyoacán, known in Mexico City as the home of the Frieda Kahlo Museum and our affiliated site.
The taxi stopped a few blocks short of the home, and we made our way down the cobblestone streets to the grand entrance of Santa Ines, a large wooden door with a smaller one inside of it, directly across the street from a lively church. Beatrice unlocked the small door, and we entered to find a few of the children and their mothers waiting for us already! As it was Sunday, it was typically the day the children returned to Santa Ines after being home on the weekends, and they weren’t usually scheduled to arrive until 5 p.m. Today was different because of our visit, and the girls came to Santa Ines earlier than usual to meet us.
After greeting the children, we took a tour of the facility, first seeing the kitchen and dining room. Monica told us that the girls’ breakfast starts at 6:30 a.m., and then the sisters walk them to the local public schools by 8 a.m., when classes begin.
Learning more about the home
The schools are only 5 minutes away, so, as Monica explained, the girls also come back to the home for lunch and then go back to school in the afternoons for sports and gardening lessons before their day ends at 6 p.m., and they once again return to Santa Ines for dinner at 6:30. Then, the girls work on their homework and bedtime is at 8:30 sharp.
Monica told us that even for the smaller girls, as young as 6 years old, the tight schedule was important to their development, and they all really enjoyed being busy, especially since it meant the girls all got to be together all day and through the night.
The girls seemed overjoyed to be back together after a weekend away with their mothers, and it was apparent they felt that the other girls at the home were like sisters to them.
Next, we visited the dorms where the girls slept and stored their belongings. Monica told us that the older girls, ages 10 to 12, have a separate dorm from the younger girls, and they were all expected to keep their rooms tidy as part of their daily chores. With a capacity to host 30 girls at a time, the home only had 18 girls at the moment, which Monica explained as being due to the fact that the Mexican government determines how many girls are in attendance.
The single mothers whose children stay at the home go through an interview process, and there are rules for qualification – the mothers need to be employed even though they are not expected to pay for the children to stay at Santa Ines – the government pays the fees – but it is required that the mothers prove they really need the help based on their incomes as well as need for childcare during the work week.
As we exited the dorms, we saw that many more of the children had started to arrive, and we had a chance to interact with them in the courtyard as they played games, rode bikes, and swung on the playset. The girls seemed overjoyed to be back together after a weekend away with their mothers, and it was apparent they felt like sisters to one another.
Getting to know the girls
As Monica, Yefiny, and Ron made their way to the administrative offices to have a meeting, I stayed behind to visit with the girls, and we quickly invented a game that I deemed “Como Se Dice?” which involved the girls pointing to objects around the courtyard and asking me how to say them in English. It was endless fun and made me feel quite smart that I could answer all of their questions and, therefore, win the game!
I already knew from my previous visits just how important our sponsorship program was to the girls at Santa Ines — with only limited support from the government, it was crucial that Monica and Beatrice received funds from our sponsors to purchase food, school supplies, clothing and hygiene items for the girls at the home. And for the girls, who might not otherwise receive these items from their mothers who are working hard to make ends meet, knowing Children Incorporated could fill in this gap for them is so incredibly important to their overall well-being. And in the end, it gives their mothers peace of mind that their children are being taken care of even when life is difficult for them.
Saying our goodbyes
When Yefiny and Ron stepped out of their meeting and once again joined me in the courtyard, I could tell Ron was overwhelmed with gratitude for what Santa Ines was doing for these young ladies. He thanked Monica and Beatrice profusely for their kindness towards us and their dedication to helping the children they serve. Before we left, the girls sang a song to thank us for visiting with them, and we also thanked the girls for being such a special part of the lives of our sponsors as well.
You can sponsor a child in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.
One of the best ways to express the importance of our work — all thanks to our sponsors and donors — is by sharing letters from our volunteer coordinators worldwide. Linda, atHighland-Turner Elementary School in Kentucky, recently wrote to us to express her sincere gratitude for you, our amazing sponsors:
“These children who are now adults will never forget the kindness of strangers who decided to become sponsors and then friends.”
Linda’s Letter
“Your support for the students enrolled in the Children Incorporated sponsorship program means their basic needs, such as clothing, shoes, undergarments, and hygiene essentials, are met. The Children Incorporated program is not just financial aid; it’s a personal connection. The children eagerly anticipate your letters and gifts, cherishing the thoughtfulness behind each one. Your role as sponsors is so significant that students often stop me in the hallway to ask if they have received any mail from you.”
“Not long ago, while on a shopping trip for sponsored students, an employee at a major retail chain asked me, after I informed him that I was shopping for a program at our school, if this was for Children Incorporated. He then explained to me that he, too, had been a recipient of the Children Incorporated program and what a difference it made in his life.”
These children who are now adults will never forget the kindness of strangers who decided to become sponsors and then friends. This is what Children Incorporated is all about — making a difference and changing lives. Your generosity and kindness are the backbone of the sponsorship program, and we could not do this without you. Thank you to all the sponsors for going above and beyond to ensure our students are cared for!”
Sponsorship is one of many ways you, our loyal supporters, help impoverished children every month. Additionally, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and donors who have made contributions to our Hope In Action Fund in the last month, we have been able to:
– Provide over $25,000 in donations to support families in North Carolina who are recovering after Hurricane Helene
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 30 students at Santa Isabel Ana Seton in Guatemala for one month
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 30 students at the Dandora Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase daily meals for 100 students at the St. John’s Community Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students at Kids’ Hope in Ethiopia for one month
– Provide funding to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students at the Fortune Children’s Center in the Philippines
– Provide funds to pilot a Bike Program for students who struggle with attendance due to transportation issues at the Kayenta Community School in Arizona
– Provide funds to purchase pajamas for students who live in the dorm at the Shonto Preparatory School in Arizona
– Provide funds to purchase water bottles for students to use at water filling stations at Page High School in Arizona
– Providing funding to purchase new shoes and socks for students at Breathitt Elementary School in Kentucky
…and so much more! Thank you to our supporters for all that you do! We couldn’t do our life-changing work without you.
You can sponsor a child in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in that is available for sponsorship.
