Our sponsors might not realize just how far their donations go to help children in need, but our volunteer coordinators, who see our sponsored children throughout the year, get to see first-hand how powerful sponsorship really is for kids and their families.
Today we hear from Melania at Crossroads Elementary School in Kentucky about how grateful she is for our program, and how it has affected so many people in her community.
“I have never been so thankful to receive funds to purchase new underwear, shoes, and socks. This removed a lot of my worry because I simply didn’t have the funds to purchase them.”
Hearing from Melania
“Dear Children Incorporated,
“On behalf of our wonderful students and the Family Resource Center here at Crossroads Elementary, I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for allowing us to participate in your wonderful program. The sponsorship program has allowed the Family Resource Center to help supply our students with various needs for their educational journey. Whether it be new school supplies, hygiene items, or new clothing and shoes, there’s nothing like seeing the pride and confidence on their faces after receiving the items. Even the school’s staff notices how proud the students are when they come to school the next morning wearing their new clothes and shoes that they received after a shopping trip, made possible by your wonderful sponsors and donors!”
Thanks to their sponsors, children at Crossroads Elementary School are receiving support throughout the year.
“I would like to share a couple of stories about how the Children Incorporated program and its donors have helped with our students’ needs. I have a grandmother who is raising her grandson who I speak with quite often over the phone. She’s tremendously grateful for the Children Incorporated program. She told me that she would not be able to make ends meet if it wasn’t for the program and it helps lift the burden of worrying about where she is going to find the extra money for clothing, shoes, and other needs her grandson requires.”
“Next, I have a family with three children who are enrolled in the Children Incorporated program. The youngest came to me one morning and was extremely upset because her shoes were coming apart, and she felt embarrassed. I found her a pair of shoes to wear and told her I would make sure she and her brothers received new shoes within a few days. Thanks to the Children Incorporated program, I was able to purchase each of the three children a new pair of shoes, along with socks! Now, every time she sees me, the youngest child smiles really big and runs up to hug me. Believe it or not, this program allows us to build such heartwarming relationships with our students and their families.”
“I would like to let everyone know that there aren’t enough words to describe how wonderful the Children Incorporated program is.”
“As a Family Resource Center Coordinator, I am extremely grateful for all the services that the Children Incorporated program has to offer our students. I noticed I was very low on shoes, socks, and underwear at the center. So, I called and requested Hope In Action funds from your organization. That was one of the biggest blessings! I have never been so thankful to receive funds to purchase new underwear, shoes, and socks. This removed a lot of my worry because I simply didn’t have the funds to purchase them.”
“As I am finishing up this letter, I would like to let everyone know that there aren’t enough words to describe how wonderful the Children Incorporated program is, and I want to thank the donors for all the contributions they graciously provide for the students and their families. Trust me, nothing goes unnoticed! We here at Crossroads Elementary School are truly blessed to be a part of the Children Incorporated program.”
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.
A few months ago, I had the privilege of getting to meet our volunteer coordinator, Katalina, from Cardinal Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia. Katalina, like so many of our volunteer coordinators around the world, feels strongly about the value of our sponsorship program, mostly because she grew up in a family that had to work to make ends meet and didn’t always have access to basic needs. For her, helping kids at her school has a personal meaning, and she is endlessly grateful for the support of Children Incorporated sponsors.
Today, we hear from Katalina, who wrote us a letter to thank all of our supporters for what she is able to provide to the children at Cardinal Elementary School, all thanks to their donations.
“The families served by Children Incorporated are so grateful, as I am, for the comfort it brings to these children.”
A letter from Katalina
“This is the second year I have had the opportunity to partner with Children Incorporated through their affiliation with Communities in School at Cardinal Elementary School. I am so amazed and thankful for the difference they make in the lives of children.”
“This school year, I had 24 children enrolled in the Children Incorporated sponsorship program, and the impact has been incredible. Each of the children received items they otherwise would not be able to buy. I also had two families this year that were recipients of Hope In Action Funds. The first family, which has two children sponsored, was struggling after a job loss and their lights had been cut off. Children Incorporated was able to step in and help pay their electric bill just in time for the cold winter months as they worked hard to get back on their feet.”
Helping when emergencies strike
“The second family experienced a devastating house fire that destroyed everything. The family’s three girls, who were also in the sponsorship program, were overjoyed to get not only clothes, but educational toys and arts and craft supplies. I had the joy of dropping these items at their new home, and it felt like Christmas morning to them. The girls were going through the bags so excitedly, as they smiled seeing new books and other gifts. The parents were really excited that they received workbooks to help them with their reading and math skills.”
“The other children in the program received a great deal of support as well. They were able to get new clothes at the beginning of each new season, so they stayed warm in the winter and were able to adjust when the weather got hot again in the spring.”
“Having appropriate clothing is something that we often take for granted, but for these children, clothing is hard to come by, and it is difficult to concentrate and learn if you are cold or too hot. The children get so excited about the new clothes and shoes they receive, and it never fails that many come to me and show off their outfits when they wear their new items to school.”
Making birthdays and holidays special
“In addition to the monthly gifts which help so much, several sponsors give additional extra funds to the children for the holidays or for birthdays. These extra funds made such an impact. In every instance, I met with the child and explained that they had received some extra funds from their sponsor and told them what they could spend it on. Then I would get their direct input on what they wanted, and we would shop online for the gifts. This brings the children so much joy – one little girl, Megan, asked for roller blades for Christmas, and when I brought them to her home, she immediately put them on and started skating around.”
“In addition to the monthly gifts which help so much, several sponsors give additional extra funds to the children for the holidays or for birthdays. These extra funds made such an impact.”
“Another child, Mark, really wanted a Lego set — the expression on his face when receiving it was indescribable. He began to cry with happiness, and his mom was overwhelmed with gratitude. I only wish the sponsors themselves could see first-hand how they are changing the lives of these children. I am honored to be able to be a part of this program throughout the year.”
“Most of the families at my school are of very low socioeconomic status, and as a result, their children don’t always get what they need. The children are also growing so fast it’s hard for parents to keep up with well-fitting clothing and shoes. The families served by Children Incorporated are so grateful, as I am, for the comfort it brings to these children.”
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.
In Latin America, poverty often means lower levels of education, and therefore lower income for children once they reach adulthood. When children from impoverished households can’t go to school, they are often subject to crime and exploitation. Without our help, thousands of children in Latin America risk joining the job market at a young age to help their families, which can lead to dangerous situations.
Sponsors positively impact the lives of the children they sponsor through the simple knowledge that someone cares about their well-being.
FACTS ABOUT POVERTY AND EDUCATION IN LATIN AMERICA
– According to UNICEF, almost half of households in Latin America where children are present are living in poverty
– Lack of education leads to a widening gap of inequality in Latin America, where children and families continue in poverty throughout their lifetimes
WHAT CHILDREN INCORPORATED DOES TO SUPPORT CHILDREN’S EDUCATION
Children Incorporated provides resources to children in Latin America through our sponsorship program because we passionately believe that children everywhere deserve education, hope, and opportunity. Our sponsors and donors provide basic necessities such as food, clothing, healthcare, and educational support to children living in poverty. These essentials are vital to a child’s growth and ability to attend school and succeed.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
You can help a child living in Latin America receive an education by becoming a sponsor today. 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 simple knowledge that someone cares about their well-being. This gives children in need hope, which is powerful.
Our policy has always been to consider the needs of each sponsored child on an individual basis. We work closely with our volunteer coordinators at our affiliated sites, who are familiar with each individual circumstance and the needs of every child in their care. Our on-site volunteer coordinators use sponsorship donations to purchase basic and education-related 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 sponsor a child with 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 sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our donation portal, create an account, and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.
As our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, continues her visit to our affiliated sites in Arizona, we find out more about Shonto Preparatory School and how our Hope in Action Fund is helping children, often in dire circumstances, at the school.
Home of the Bears
“Shonto Preparatory School is located in the small community of Shonto. It’s about 64 miles southeast of Page, Arizona and about 51 miles northeast of Tuba City. Shonto Preparatory School consists of an elementary division with approximately 300 students in grades kindergarten through eighth and a secondary division with approximately 80 students in grades ninth through twelfth. There are a total of 64 children across both divisions in our sponsorship program,” said Renée.
“Marlita is also deeply appreciative of the many projects that have hugely benefited the children, thanks to our Hope In Action Program.”
“The high school division placed in the top 50% of all schools in Arizona for math and reading test scores during the 2018-2019 school year. Then came the pandemic, and scores fell. Nonetheless, the students do well here, and the school takes pride in providing an excellent educational experience. The graduation rate is over 80%.”
Visiting with Marlita
“Upon my arrival to the school last fall, I had a good meeting with our coordinator, Orleta, and the elementary principal, Marlita. Marlita is actually our former and very long-term coordinator. She was formerly the librarian. She is a huge believer in Children Incorporated. Her mother was a sponsor until her death. When Marlita was promoted to the elementary principal, she appointed Orleta as our new volunteer coordinator, and she too is seeing the incredible value of our program,” explained Renée.
“First, we discussed shopping for the sponsored children. Marlita and Orleta have found that ordering some things from Amazon works best because it saves time driving to stores. In those cases, the children and parents give their shopping lists to Orleta, who gives them to Marlita for placing the orders. For other things, they go to Walmart and buy gift cards. Then they have the parents and children meet them at the store. After the items are chosen, Marlita or Orleta hands a gift card to the cashier. So far, it’s working well, and everyone is happy with the arrangement.”
Hope in Action to the Rescue
Renée is pictured with one of our sponsored children in the school’s library.
“Marlita and I urged Orleta to let us know of any larger needs that may require consideration for Hope In Action Program aid. Marlita said she is so grateful for our sponsorship program. But she is also deeply appreciative of the many projects that have hugely benefited the children, thanks to our Hope In Action Program. The original school building was constructed in 1963 without central air conditioning. Marlita said it got bad in May, and it was often unbearable in August. Everyone felt so uncomfortable, and some children felt sick. Several years ago, when she was the coordinator, Marlita applied and was approved for a Hope In Action grant to purchase and install ceiling fans. She said these made a profound impact on the children’s comfort and ability to focus on their studies,” said Renée.
“Marlita also praised another Hope In Action Program grant in which she had requested audio books with accompanying paperback books. The children listened to the stories and followed along in the books, and this helped with their comprehension and vocabulary.”
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.
In this edition of our Stories of Hope blog series, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube continues her visits to our affiliated sites in Arizona, where she meets with administrators at Greyhills Academy to talk about how the school is helping children prepare for the future and how our sponsorship goes a long way in supporting those efforts.
“If parents choose Greyhills, then their children could maintain their sponsors’ support and encouragement through high school graduation.”
Getting to know Greyhills
“Greyhills Academy High School is located in Tuba City, a busy and bustling place on the Navajo reservation. When I first contacted our volunteer coordinator, Roger, about the proposed site visit in late 2022, he said the school’s pandemic policy does not allow visitors on school grounds at this time. I proposed that Roger and I have an off-site meeting at a local restaurant, and he readily agreed.”
“Despite the different surroundings and my disappointment at not seeing any of the students, we had an excellent meeting. Roger explained that their Governing Board had voted to go on lockdown back in March 2020 and had not lifted that order until this 2022-2023 school year. Greyhills was not only fully virtual during the rest of the 2019-2020 school year, but remained virtual through the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 school years as well. There was no hybrid option.”
Adjusting after the pandemic
Students at Greyhills Academy are benefiting thanks to theirs sponsors.
“Roger said in-person instruction returned on August 9, 2022. The school has daily temperature checks, maintains social distancing, and does vigorous contact tracing. So far there have been no outbreaks of COVID-19, although they were concerned at the time about rising influenza and RSV.”
“Roger says two other staff help him with our sponsorship program: Lee, the school’s Special Education teacher and Zelda, the Homeliving Manager. He’s grateful for their support to run our program smoothly.”
“The school’s enrollment is currently 197 students in grades 9th through 12th. The student to teacher ratio is 10:1. Roger was very proud to share that the graduation rate is over 90%, and he attributes this to the high level of attention and instruction. Yet, Roger still expressed his concern about the impact of the pandemic on their students and families – enrollment has declined 23% over the past five years.”
A wonderful partnership
“One of the developments Roger was happy to share was a partnership between the high school and Arizona State University. Juniors and seniors can take engineering classes through a portal called ASU Prep Digital. The students get a taste of how a college course feels while earning college credits. Roger said the students are hungry to learn and are so appreciative of the opportunity.”
“Native American students are underrepresented on college campuses. Demographic data shows that only 3.5% of people who live on Arizona’s reservations have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher. Programs like ASU’s can make high school students more confident and ready.”
“Roger also shared that this year the school is beginning an initiative to recruit more students in an organized and purposeful way. In the past, the administration would usually sit back and let parents come to them, and they had plenty of students. But with the pandemic and sharply declining enrollment, they must work to spread the word of the benefits that Greyhills Academy High School has to offer. In addition to the personal attention from faculty and staff, the school offers student learning opportunities, STEM programs, and the Miss Greyhills Pageant.”
“Roger and I both agreed that Children Incorporated’s sponsorship program is one of those benefits and advantages that the school has to offer. Several of the elementary schools that feed into Greyhills are also affiliated with our organization. Thus, if parents choose Greyhills, then their children could maintain their sponsors’ support and encouragement through high school graduation.”
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.
Last fall, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, and our U.S. Sponsorship Specialist, Kristen Walthall, had the chance to return to Arizona for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic to visit our affiliated sites and meet with our volunteer coordinators. Today, as a part of our Stories of Hope series, we hear from Renée about the history of Navajo Nation and the effects of the pandemic on this already vulnerable population.
“The families are trying to hold on to their way of life while developing their capacity to earn their livelihoods and facing the challenges of poverty.”
About Navajo Nation
“The Navajo Nation is a semi-autonomous territory that includes portions of Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah, and shares a border with Colorado. The community of Teec Nos Pos is close to the Four Corners National Monument and Navajo Tribal Park. It contains the quadripoint where those four states come together, the only place in the U.S. where that occurs. The Hopi Reservation is completely enclosed by the Navajo Reservation,” explains Renée.
“The largest towns and small cities within Navajo Nation (in order of size and population) are Tuba City, Arizona; Shiprock, New Mexico; Chinle, Arizona; Kayenta, Arizona; Fort Defiance, Arizona; Window Rock, Arizona (the capital); and its bordering community, St. Michaels, Arizona. Children Incorporated has affiliated sites in Tuba City, Kayenta, and St. Michaels, as well as in many of the smaller communities.”
“There are larger cities just outside the border of Navajo Nation, and these are important places for shopping for groceries and supplies; for medical care that falls beyond the scope of the Indian Health Service Clinics; and for job opportunities for those who choose to live outside the reservation. Two of these cities are in Arizona: Flagstaff to the south and Page to the north. Children Incorporated has affiliations in Page,” said Renée.
“However, many Navajo people choose not to live in either the larger cities or the towns. Instead, they prefer hozho naasha, which means ‘to walk in beauty,’ expressed by being in balance with and closely interconnected with the natural world, living in very small communities, and finding happiness and joy in daily life skills, ceremonies, and events. For traditional Navajos, such things might include living in a hogan (or having one nearby for ceremonial use), growing traditional crops (especially corn for its food and sacred pollen), herding sheep (for its meat and wool), and attending ceremonial events like a kinaalda (puberty ceremony), nidaa (enemy way), ye’ii bicheii (a healing ceremony), and more. It is considered important to understand hozho so that one can use it to guide choices and decisions throughout one’s life.”
Renée is pictured in one of the many amazing national parks in Arizona.
“Traditional Navajos believe that at birth one starts the Corn Pollen Path of Life. One aspires to reach 102 years of age, the culmination of a long, happy, and fruitful life, and to be in good condition and in balance with everything. Within the path of life, they wish to have and maintain beauty and balance within family, home, livelihood, kinship, community, Navajo Nation, and the world outside. Wherever one goes, one is to live by the teachings, to find good things out there, and to bring them home,” explains Renée.
Understand the people
“The Navajo tribe call themselves Diné, which literally means ‘The People.’ Traditional Navajo believe it is imperative to go back to the true essence of hozho and to instill it back into the lives of Diné children and youth. They believe that their youth feel a yearning for more knowledge of Navajo language and culture, which will help them to feel pride and to help them make moral decisions.”
“The reservation’s landscape is full of beauty and variety; it is ever changing. The families are trying to hold on to their way of life while developing their capacity to earn their livelihoods and facing the challenges of poverty. The pandemic has dealt a terrible blow to these efforts,” said Renée.
The detrimental effects of the pandemic
“Covid-19 was and still is contracted at disproportionate rates on Navajo Nation as compared to the rest of the country. This is due to the historic marginalization of its people. There has been long standing neglect by government entities when it comes to basic infrastructure to support Native populations. The conditions in which people are born, live, learn, and work are known as the social determinants of health. When those are inadequate, then there are negative effects on people’s physical and mental health. It has been documented extensively that low quality jobs, limited income, poverty, and low education are fundamentally connected to poor health outcomes.”
“Within Navajo Nation, 35.8% of households are below the federal poverty threshold, and most hover at or barely above it. (This is compared to 12% at the national level.) Federal funding for health care has been inadequate and has not kept pace with rising costs of prescription drugs, specialized healthcare, and competitive salaries to attract health professionals. Life expectancy is lower for Navajo Nation as compared to the rest of the country. There are higher rates of heart disease, substance abuse, diabetes, and obesity,” said Renée.
“With the return of not only students, but the entire administration, faculty, and staff, assessments can now be better made on the negative impacts of the pandemic on student population and enrollment.”
“These pre-existing conditions made people more vulnerable to contracting the coronavirus, and to experiencing serious illness and death. Access to basic health services presents challenges for most of Navajo Nation, due to the remoteness of rural areas where families live. Lack of family transportation and/or cost of fuel are often factors that impede access to health care.”
“Navajo Nation enforced some of the most extreme social distancing measures in the country. It enacted 57-hour weekend lockdowns during the height of the pandemic and closed even essential businesses such as gas stations,” said Renée.
“When schools across the U.S. closed abruptly in March 2020 in an effort to slow the spread of Covid-19, there were immediate challenges for continuing the children’s education. Many districts across the country already had technology infrastructure, and students had school-issued electronic devices. That was not the case on Navajo Nation.”
“The remainder of the 2019-2020 school year was a scramble to make paper packets for the littlest students and to try and get electronic devices into the hands of the older students. This resulted in sibling groups walking for distances to find hills that might have a cellular signal; families driving to towns where they could go to parking lots and surf off merchants’ Wi-Fi signals; and even school buses becoming Wi-Fi hotspots where families would drive to predetermined places so they could take their children to the buses to upload their work and download their new assignments,” said Renée.
“Navajo Nation President, Jonathan Nez, said the reservation is a telecommunications desert, but it is a desert that is ready to bloom. There has been a big push to build and expand the network, but there’s a long way to go.”
“The 2020-2021 school year began as more of the same. Some Navajo Nation school districts were able to implement hybrid instruction with increased school-based health measures. In these, children were divided, with half going to the schools for in-person instruction for two days, then the other half going for two days, with one day reserved for deep-cleaning, parent conferences, and/or food preparation and distribution. But many remote districts were not able to implement hybrid instruction. Instead, they remained on fully-virtual instruction, which has many deficits for students. The children missed the face-to-face encounters with caring administration, faculty, and staff. They missed opportunities for in-person classroom discussions and hands-on learning in small groups. They missed athletics, clubs, and other activities. Furthermore, in many communities, schools are also the hub for needed supports such as school meals, counseling, and before-and-after-school childcare,” said Renée.
“Thankfully, the development of a vaccine and its trial in December 2020, followed by a rollout to the public over the spring of 2021, was a huge help. As the school year ended in May 2021, more families were getting the vaccine. Infection rates began to drop.”
New hope in a new school year
“The 2021-2022 school year saw the development of boosters and a big push to return to fully in-person instruction. All public health measures were followed, and Navajo Nation displayed an online Covid Dashboard to show the rise, drop, and autumn/winter surges of infection rates. Just like everywhere else, people developed ‘Covid fatigue.’ People found it increasingly difficult and depressing to stay at home for so long,” said Renée.
“The 2022-2023 school year is seeing a further return to normal. In most places, schools have fully reopened to in-person learning, and athletics, clubs, and activities have resumed. The Navajo Nation Fairs returned. However, on the reservation, caution is still the byword. Masking and social distancing are still observed. With the return of not only students, but the entire administration, faculty, and staff, assessments can now be better made on the negative impacts of the pandemic on student population and enrollment. The smaller and more rural schools have lost a large percentage of children, as their families migrated to other towns in search of work, health clinics, and schools that could offer more opportunities for their children. The viability of some of these schools is in question, and a few of these are affiliated with our organization.”
You can sponsor a child 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.
