Tag Archives: help children in need

Children Incorporated | April 9, 2023En Español

We are happy to share with you our Spring 2023 Newsletter, highlighting our work around the world thanks to you, our sponsors and donors, and your generosity and dedication to helping children in need. Enjoy!

Expanding Our Efforts in the Philippines

After many years, we are getting the chance to visit our affiliated sites around the world to meet with our volunteer coordinators and sponsored children again.

In early January, our Director of Development, Shelley Callahan, visited the Philippines, where she met with our volunteer coordinators, sponsored children, and their parents to find out more about how their lives are impacted by the support they receive from their sponsors. Her visit not only marked the first time that Children Incorporated was able to visit the Philippines since 2018, but it was also the first time that we were able to see our newly added affiliated sites in person!

“In 2022, we expanded our sponsorship program in the Philippines to include the Cangumbang Center and the Santo Nino Center, both located in Tacloban within driving distance of the Visayans Center at Bliss, which we have been affiliated with since 2005,” explained Callahan.

“It was so incredible to see the work that we have been able to do in the Philippines first-hand, especially in the specific areas where Typhoon Yolanda devastated the area in 2013.”

“Since then, with the help of Children Incorporated, residents of Tacloban have rebuilt and restructured their lives to be more prepared for natural disasters,” said Callahan. “The support from our sponsors and donors is so vital to the well-being of children here who sometimes can’t leave their homes due to flooding or extensive rainstorms. Our coordinators are on the ground making sure our sponsored children are being fed and have hygiene items and school supplies every month so they don’t have to worry about how and when they can get the resources they need.”

We are happy to share with you our Spring 2023 Newsletter, highlighting our work around the world thanks to you, our sponsors and donors, and your generosity and dedication to helping children in need.

VISITING THE PEARL OF THE ORIENT SEAS

HELPING JORDAN ACHIEVE HIS DREAMS

Our Higher Education Fund supports our sponsored children who are interested in pursuing university or college degrees once they graduate from high school.

Recently, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, received an update about former sponsored student, Jordan, who has been receiving support from this special fund.

“Jordan was enrolled in our sponsorship program at Sparta Elementary School and then Alleghany High School in North Carolina. During his high school years, he took honors and dual-enrollment classes. Due to his academic achievement, our coordinator recommended him for our Higher Education Program,” said Renée.

Jordan was accepted, and he began his university studies at Western Carolina University in 2019. However, as a first-generation college student, Jordan found the transition to college challenging. The pandemic made things increasingly difficult for Jordan and his family. He decided to take a leave of absence in Spring 2022 in order to de-stress and to think about his options.”

“Jordan then chose to transfer to Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina. He contacted me last September to let me know he had re-enrolled. He is now working on a bachelor’s degree in music, and he is in good academic standing. His major is in Instrumental Music Education, and he wants to be a music and band teacher.

Our President and CEO, Ron Carter, is celebrating 20 years with Children Incorporated in 2023. Read more about his time with our organization in the full newsletter!

When Jordan contacted me last fall, he told me, ‘Children Incorporated has done so much for me through the years. I’m so glad I was able to stay a part of it while in college. You all are absolutely wonderful. Thank you for letting me be a part of this, and for being the people you are.’”

We are so proud of you and your hard work, Jordan! If you would like to find out more about our Higher Education Fund or make a donation, please contact us today.

Making Christmas Special in New Mexico — and Around the World

Our sponsors make Christmas special for so many children around the world every year — and often times provide them with the only gifts that they receive.

Our volunteer coordinator, Cecelia, from the Tohaali Community School in New Mexico, wrote to us after the 2022 holiday season to express her gratitude:

“I want to thank all of the Children Incorporated sponsors for all their support. I purchased items for the students at our school in the sponsorship program before the winter break, and my shopping trip included not only basic items, but Christmas presents, too. I wish the Children Incorporated staff and sponsors could have seen the faces of these children when they received the gift bags — it was priceless. Some of them were completely speechless and in awe. You are truly making a huge difference in their lives.”

Every holiday season, our sponsors and donors make the holidays special for children in our program. From India to El Salvador to Arizona, your donations bring cheer and joy to so many families who otherwise might not have the means to celebrate.

READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER

Shelley Callahan | April 2, 2023En Español

My flight to Manila from Washington, D.C. arrived in the late evening, so I didn’t have a chance to see much of the city before our volunteer coordinator from the Fortune’s Children Center (or Fortune Center), Joy, picked me up the following morning.

It was a beautiful day in mid-January in the Philippines, and as Joy and I made the 45-minute journey from the Makati district to the Marikina neighborhood of Metro Manila, we excitedly talked about how it was my first time in the country and how I was looking forward to learning more about Children Incorporated’s decades of work with the Fortune Center.

Joy has been our volunteer coordinator for nearly 10 years since our former and long-term volunteer coordinator, Polly, had retired. Polly started the Fortune Center many years ago, and worked tirelessly within the community of Fortune, which she named the center after, to help children and their families living in poverty — much in part thanks to the support the center received from our sponsors and donors.

The Fortune Center supports local families and their children in the Marikina area of Metro Manila.

When we arrived at the Fortune Center, a crowd of children and parents was already there, anticipating our arrival. It was a Saturday – a day in which the children usually wouldn’t be at the center, but essentially a perfect day for my visit since the kids were out of school for the weekend and at least one parent was not working that day so they could also come to the center to meet me.

Nearly all of the 40 children enrolled in our program were in attendance, ranging from 1^st grade all the way to high school — and to my surprise, even some graduates from our program had been invited and were there as well! One of the graduates was a young man named Genesis, who was acting as host for the day, standing behind a podium with a microphone on a stage in the main room of the center.

Joy had arranged for some of the children to perform songs and dances in celebration of my arrival — it had been almost five years since a representative of Children Incorporated had been to the Philippines, so there was much reason to celebrate a guest. The Philippines had some of the stricter regulations on travel and tourism during the pandemic, but now the country had opened up, and Filipinos were excited to see visitors again. Genesis introduced the groups of performers one by one, and as they took the stage, I could tell they were all very proud to be able to show their talents to not only me, but to their parents as well.

After the performances, Genesis introduced a few of the mothers, who were given a chance to read thank you letters to their children’s sponsors, expressing their gratitude for the support they receive. Through their letters, I learned that in this area of Marikina, like in other low or middle-income neighborhoods in Manila, families lived very modestly, surviving on low-wages working in construction jobs, service jobs, or factory jobs, often finding making ends meet difficult. The mothers were so appreciative of the opportunity to send their children to the Fortune Center to receive meals before and after school, and to get tutoring support — all in addition to the monthly subsidies of school supplies, clothes and hygiene items our sponsors provide.

Having a chance to travel so far from home to hear Genesis’s story, as well as those of the mothers of children in our program, really was a reason to celebrate.

Next, Genesis, who had been a sponsorship recipient himself since 4^th grade, talked about his experience growing up with a sponsor. As a young man, his father was incarcerated, and his mother struggled to raise him and his siblings as a single parent. Thanks to his sponsor, he was able to stay in school and get an education, and the Fortune Center offered him a place to concentrate on his studies. Once he graduated from high school, Genesis pursued a degree in education at a local university and wanted to give back to his community by helping other young children realize their potential.

As he spoke passionately about the importance of educating youth, he made sure to emphasize that he attributed his success in life to having a sponsor who made him believe in himself and provide him the help he desperately needed. Now, Genesis not only works as a teacher, but tutors other students at the Fortune Center, as well as his nieces and nephews — all of which keeps him very busy!

I was so touched by Genesis’s speech. He is a truly inspirational person, and a wonderful representation of the power of sponsorship and what one individual can do to help another to drastically change the course of their lives. Having the chance to travel so far from home to hear Genesis’s story, as well as those of the mothers of children in our program, really felt like a reason to celebrate.

***

How do I sponsor a child in the Philippines?

You can sponsor a child in the Philippines 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 the Philippines that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | March 28, 2023

As a part of our ongoing Stories of Hope blog series, we want to share with you our March 2023 Impact Report as a way to say “thank you” to all our supporters who make our work possible.

Beyond what you already provide to children through our sponsorship program, your donations to our Special Funds and Special Projects allow us to help families and communities as well, often in times of crisis.

YOUR IMPACT AROUND THE WORLD

Just in this past month, our donors have:

– Provided funds to build a protective fence around the Lourdes School in Bolivia after it was damaged by a fire

– Provided funds to purchase menstrual hygiene items for 25 girls at the Juan Apostol School in Guatemala

Along with so much more, your donations this month have allowed us to purchase water filters for the Santo Nino Center in the Philippines.

– Provided funds to purchase water filters for the Santo Nino Center in the Philippines

– Provided funds to purchase warm clothing for children at Mullins Elementary School in Kentucky

– Provide funds to purchase a month’s supply of food for 25 children at the Dandora Center in Kenya

– Provided emergency funds to purchase clothes and supplies for a child at Tuba City Boarding School in Arizona who was placed in a foster care home

– Provided funds to purchase water filters for families at the Pingapala Center in the Philippines

– Provided daily meals for 25 children at the Fortune Center in the Philippines

– Provided funds to purchase meals for 200 children living in poverty who attend the St. John’s Community Center in Kenya

– Provided funds for basic needs for children living in an economic crisis who attend the Armenian Evangelical Secondary School – Anjar in Lebanon

… all in addition to the support you already provide through sponsorship to children in our program. Thank you for everything you do for children in need!

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HOW do I MAKE A DONATION TO CHILDREN INCORPORATED?

You can donate to Children Incorporated in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at hello@children-inc.org and a staff member can assist you with making a donation; or go online to our donation portal, create an account, and choose a particular fund in which to make a donation.

DONATE

Ron Carter | March 13, 2023

Dear Friends,

My nineteen-year-old daughter, a sophomore in college, moved into a shared apartment back in the fall. Deciding which of her belongings to bring from home was a challenge because of the limited space in her closet and dresser at the apartment.

New needs arise each day, and Children Incorporated is there to meet as many of those needs as possible, often through this special outreach effort – our Clothing and Shoes Fund.

My family is currently in the process of downsizing to a smaller house, so we wanted my daughter to take as many of her personal belongings with her as possible. She was actually forced to get rid of quite a few quality items as she moved into her new residence because there simply was no room for them.

You see, my daughter loves clothes and shoes, and she has a lot of them. She likes nothing better than to scour the racks at thrift, bargain, and vintage clothing stores in search of discounted name-brands and stylish jeans, tops, outerwear and sneakers. This problem – having too many clothes and shoes – is definitely not one that the children enrolled in Children Incorporated’s sponsorship program ever encounter. In fact, many of them face just the opposite issue. Over the years, we have heard numerous stories of children with only one outfit suitable to wear to school, or of children whose clothes are threadbare and ill-fitting. We have even witnessed siblings who shared one coat between them, forcing them to alternate the days they attended school during the heart of winter.

Our Clothing and Shoes Fund provides for children in the United States and across the world.

It is a common theme, even today, in many of our U.S. site locations for children to attend school during the coldest months of the year without socks, wearing flimsy footwear such as flip-flops, and without jackets, coats, gloves, or hats.

Our Clothing Fund is one of the most important resources we have for helping children to dress appropriately, neatly, and warmly. This fund has provided pants, shirts, shoes and socks to thousands upon thousands of children in need. It was one of the first special funds that we created back in the 1960s and was originally called simply our Warm Clothing Fund. Over the decades we, through the incredible and continuing generosity of our sponsors and donors, have supplied children with coats and jackets, hats and gloves, and in some situations, sandals, shorts and t-shirts, to equip them for the weather where they live.

We come to you again, asking for your support of our Clothing Fund. New needs arise each day, and Children Incorporated is there to meet as many of those needs as possible, often through this special outreach effort – our Clothing Fund.

Our organization has repeatedly been recognized as an exemplary nonprofit by the major charitable monitoring groups, such as Charity Navigator and Charity Watch, because we take helping children seriously. Our mission is and always has been to improve lives and to offer hope and opportunity. We can only do these things with your help.

From the heart,
Ron Carter, President and CEO
Children Incorporated

DONATE NOW

Shelley Callahan | February 6, 2023En Español

In this edition of Stories of Hope, our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, concludes his trip to our Costa Rica affiliated sites with a visit to the Costa Rica Center in San Jose.

The beginning of the center

“This center is located in the northern part of San Jose. It is run by a woman, Marta, who is also our volunteer coordinator,” said Luis.

“The mother told us that she was so grateful for Marta and the program because without it, she would have a hard time sending all her children to school.”

“Marta used to work at what was the Costa Rica Children’s Orphanage, located in the downtown area of the city, which supported abandoned children or children from low-income families that could not raise their children on their own.”

“Our sponsorship program was initiated at the orphanage to provide additional educational support to the children, until the local government decided to part with the orphanage and converted it into an afterschool program and then a community center. When this happened, Marta was no longer employed, and the Children Incorporated program was dissolved,” explained Luis.

“But Marta was persistent and didn’t want her community to lose the support from sponsors or Children Incorporated. She decided to look for support through a local church, and she started her own version of a center where children could meet and receive food, school supplies and other essential items. And so started the Costa Rica Center!”

Teaching a community new skills

“Marta still gets help from the church today and still uses a portion of the church to meet with the children and families on a regular basis. While I was visiting in September of 2022, I met with children and their parents, and they all expressed how helpful the sponsorship program is, and how grateful they were for the much-needed support that Marta provides,” said Luis.

“Marta finds ways to stretch the funds to provide what is most needed for the children’s education. After our meeting, the children and their families showed us some crafts they had made, all thanks to Marta, who is teaching crafting skills so families can earn extra money.”

“We then went to a couple of houses of our sponsored children. One particular house was made with scrap and metal sheets and had dirt floors and partial wooden sections. The mother told us that she was so grateful for Marta and the program because without it, she would have a hard time sending all her children to school, just as many of the other parents,” said Luis.

Looking to expand and grow

“Before we finished for the day, Marta expressed to me that she is working with a local community center so that they will have more space to do handcrafts and workshops. She hopes to expand on the skills training, so that parents and children can have a way to make life easier.”

***

How do I sponsor a child in Costa Rica?

You can sponsor a child in Costa Rica 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 Costa Rica that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | February 1, 2023En Español

In the fall of 2022, our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, visited our affiliated sites in Costa Rica for the first time since before the pandemic. Today, we hear from Luis about his visit to La Milagrosa, where he met with our volunteer coordinator, as well as with parents and students in our sponsorship program.

“Our sponsors provide food, school supplies, shoes, clothing, and any basic resources and emergency support that the children need that their families cannot cover.”

About La Milagrosa

“La Milagrosa Center is located in an area of San Jose, the capital of Costa Rica, with very few opportunities for employment, and therefore has many low-income families,” said Luis.

“Like our affiliated site, The Santa Luisa Center in Bambu, La Milagrosa is operated by the Sisters of Charity, and offers educational support to children living in the surrounding neighborhoods, as well as to children in the periphery of the city.”

“The children who attend the Center meet weekly, and the Sisters follow-up with them regarding their lessons in school, as well as provide support and information on how to resolve problems they may be having, whether in the classroom, with other students, or even at home,” explained Luis.

Offering help when it is needed the most

During his visit, Luis had the chance to meet with children and their parents, who told him how valuable our sponsorship program is to them.

“Our sponsors provide food, school supplies, shoes, clothing, and any basic resources and emergency support that the children need that their families cannot cover.”

“The majority of the children attend local public schools and live in dwellings that lack some basic services, such as electricity, running water or indoor plumbing. The schools are supported by the government, but they also lack many resources, which is why our program is so important for the children,” said Luis.

“When the children meet with our volunteer coordinator, she determines what their most immediate needs are, whether it be food items, mattresses, new shoes, or hygiene items. At the beginning of each school year, they receive new uniforms purchased thanks to their sponsors’ generous donations.”

Hope for the future

“I met with most of the parents and children participants in our sponsorship program, and they all expressed their gratitude for the support. They also hope for support to continue until their children graduate because many of the parents feel that without the help from sponsors, their children will fall behind in school and be forced to drop out at an early age,” said Luis.

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How do I sponsor a child in Costa Rica?

SPONSOR A CHILD