Tag Archives: help children in the united states

Shelley Callahan | October 23, 2022

As a part of our ongoing Stories of Hope blog series, we want to share with you our October 2022 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, your donations have:

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.

– Provided food for 25 children at the Dandora Community Center in Kenya

– Provided funds for backpacks for children at Martha Jane Potter Elementary School in Kentucky

– Provided funds to purchase meals for one full month for students at Kids Hope Ethiopia

– Provided funds for warm clothing for students at Fallsburg Elementary School in Kentucky

– Provided funds for meals for children for an entire month at Fortune’s Children at Parang in the Philippines

– Provided food for 25 children for a month at St. John’s Community Center in Kenya

– Provided funds for flood relief for families with children at Jones Fork Elementary School in Kentucky

– Provided funds for food, water, hygiene items and household items for children whose homes were damaged by flooding at Buckhorn Combined School in Kentucky

– Provided funds to complete a greenhouse project at St. Michaels Special Education School in Arizona

– Provided funds for menstrual hygiene items for girls at Santa Isabel Ana Seton in Guatemala

– Provided funds to help with flood relief efforts for children and their families at Hindman Elementary School in Kentucky

From all of us at Children Incorporated, thank you all for all you have done in just this month to help families living in poverty!

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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 online to our donation portal, create an account, and chose a particular fund in which to make a donation.

DONATE

Shelley Callahan | September 18, 2022En Español

Letters from our volunteer coordinators around the world are one of our favorite ways to show the impact that our sponsors have on children in our program. Today, we hear from Traci about how our sponsors help children throughout the school year at Valle Crucis Elementary School in North Carolina.

A warm thank you from Traci

“This year, Children Incorporated helped our school give extra support to the special children who are a part of this wonderful program. Last winter, we were able to send specific winter clothing, shoes, and holiday wish items to their homes.”

A sponsored child poses with a box of food he received thanks to his sponsor.

“Each child also received a holiday reusable bag of stocking stuffers which included a Valle Crucis School t-shirt, a water bottle, socks, toothpaste and toothbrushes, hats, scarves, gloves, candy, gum, Band-Aids, hair ties, body wash, wrapping paper and scotch tape.”

A trip to remember

“Their families were ecstatic to pick up these extra stocking stuffers at the school that were already bought and ready to go for their children. It made their holiday so much brighter. Our two 8th grade students who graduated this spring each received a Valle Crucis School yearbook with a slip inside that told them that Children Incorporated provided the book and wished them well as they transition to high school.”

“Children Incorporated also paid the cost of their 8th grade field trip to a whitewater center. They had never gotten to whitewater raft before so it made for an experience they will never forget!”

Ready for the summer break

“This spring, we also did a round of spring and summer clothing orders, shoes, swimsuits and a few outside summer toys that were sent to their homes. We also were able to purchase for each child a plastic tote they can reuse and filled it with summer fun and hygiene items that included a beach towel, hypoallergenic sunscreen and lip balm, a hairbrush, laundry detergent, flossers, Clorox wipes, granola bars, water balloons, sidewalk chalk, bubbles, board games and craft sets depending on their ages. It was a really nice gift to send off with them the last week of school to get them ready and excited for summer break!”

“The families are always so appreciative of everything Children Incorporated is able to help with for their children.”

“The families are always so appreciative of everything Children Incorporated is able to help with for their children. During this time when the cost of everything is rising, this program is becoming even more important and valuable for everyone. They grow out of clothes so quickly; I have seen that the most requested items from our families are clothing and shoes because it’s hard to keep them in the right sizes.”

“Thank you so much to all the sponsors who make this program possible! You make an incredible difference in our children’s lives!”

Best,
Traci

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How do I sponsor a child in North Carolina?

You can sponsor a child in North Carolina 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 North Carolina that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | August 29, 2022En Español

This week’s edition of Stories of Hope continues with our “virtual tour” of Floyd County, Kentucky. Our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, visits with our volunteer coordinator, Michelle, at James D. Adams Middle School, to tell us more about their school, community, and the power of working together to help children and their families.

Renée’s visit

“Adams Middle School is a rather small school located in Prestonsburg, Kentucky. It has the capacity to accommodate around 335 students in grades 6^th through 8^th. The poverty rate here is 64% — not as high as some other surrounding areas, but still significant and crushing for many families trying to make ends meet.”

Michelle is very proud of how quickly and well everyone worked together to create lesson plans and navigate continuing to communicate with the children while they were at home.

“Our Volunteer Coordinator at the school is Michelle. She is a long-serving coordinator for both the Family Resource Youth Services Center and for Children Incorporated.

Michelle told me during our virtual meeting that at the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020, the entire staff and administration of Adams Middle scrambled to figure out how to educate and to serve the children. She is very proud of how quickly and well everyone worked together to create lesson plans and navigate continuing to communicate with the children while they were at home. The school buses even transported food to students’ homes rather than them coming to the school for bagged lunches – which prevented so many children in this community from going hungry.”

challenges for students at home

“Michelle told me that most students were able to get online to do their work, and many stayed with grandparents during the day while their parents worked. But, a sizable portion of students did not have internet access at home. The Mountain Arts Center in Prestonsburg was one of the first local businesses that invited families to park in their parking lots during the day and sit in their cars to access the WIFI from inside the building, which for some students was their only means to connect and learn.”

“Additionally, as with many other schools in Eastern Kentucky, and around the United States, the 2020-2021 school year was delayed due to rising infection rates but had since started back fully in-person. Then sadly, things got bad again.”

Consistency in uncertain times

“When this new 2021-2022 school year started, and all the kids were together playing sports and having activities and club meetings, there was a quick uptick in cases. Infection rates and hospitalizations jumped in August and September and then declined slowly through December of last year. There was another surge in January and February of this year, the highest the area had seen yet. Cases have since declined again but remain high. There is without a doubt a lot of ‘COVID fatigue’ amount students, faculty, and parents.

Despite the difficulties, Michelle has been working hard to provide for the children, and she is deeply grateful for the sponsors’ support, which offered her, and the children in our program, some much-needed consistency during such uncertain times.”

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How do I sponsor a child in Kentucky?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | August 15, 2022

When children are living in poverty, they have fewer resources than children who come from more affluent households. Resources missing from impoverished homes include nutritious food, adequate clothes, and hygiene items — but also educational resources such as school supplies, computers, books, homework activities and learning games — which help equip young children for success in school.

Poverty has a determinate effect on childhood education and a child’s chances at success in school.

Additionally, families that live in poverty also often have parents that work long hours at multiple jobs, leaving them without the time or energy to help their children with homework. Without the proper resources and support to keep up with their studies, children living in poverty fall behind, feel inadequate about themselves, and no longer have a desire to stay in school and get an education, which is the key to breaking the cycle of poverty in which they live.

How Poverty Effects Children’s Education

Poverty has a determinate effect on childhood education and a child’s chances at success in school. Statistically, children from families with lower incomes have less developed vocabulary and communication skills than other students and have a harder time concentrating in school.

-1 in 7 children in the United States is growing up in poverty

-40% of children living in poverty aren’t prepared for primary schooling

– Children from low-income families are seven times more likely to drop out of high school than children from affluent families

– Children living in poverty have a higher number of absenteeism because they are more likely to have to work or care for family members

How Children Incorporated is Helping

Children living all over the world need our help to receive an education and have the chance to rise out of the poverty. Children Incorporated works in 20 countries, including the United States, to provide children living in poverty with school supplies, tuition, and other educational resources so they can go to school prepared and ready to learn.

Thanks to our caring donors, Children Incorporated has helped thousands of children in the United States since 1964.

Your support makes all our work to help children receive an education possible.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

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.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Sources:

https://www.nassp.org/poverty-and-its-impact-on-students-education/

https://www.insightintodiversity.com/povertys-long-lasting-effects-on-students-education-and-success/

https://learningpolicyinstitute.org/blog/covid-deep-poverty-struggle-education-equity

https://www.worldbank.org/en/topic/education/brief/what-is-learning-poverty

https://www.dosomething.org/us/facts/11-facts-about-education-and-poverty-america

Children Incorporated | August 8, 2022

Poverty means more than a lack of income for families. It also means a lack of resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods, such as food, clothing, clean water and proper shelter, and this has detrimental outcomes for children in the United States.

Children living in poverty in the U.S. often suffer from hunger and malnutrition, ill-health, and limited or no access to education and other basic services. When children are raised in impoverished households, they often have to drop out of school to help their families or don’t attend school at all. Without an education, they have a very little chance of breaking the cycle of poverty in which they live.

Children living in poverty in the United States often suffer from hunger and malnutrition, ill-health, and limited or no access to education and other basic services.

Poverty can cause children permanent damage, both physically and mentally, and in both the short and long term. A lack of essentials can stunt their growth, and lead to health problems. It also affects their roles within their families, communities, and society as a whole. Poverty denies children their human rights, and leads to a vicious cycle of deprivation, which is difficult to break without proper support or assistance.

Challenges for Children in the United States

Poverty in the United States has created an emergency situation for children. Right now, children all over the United States need your help, and your support today can give a child growing up in poverty the opportunity for a brighter future.

– About 15 million children in the United States, or 21%, live in families with incomes
below the federal poverty threshold

– There are 72.4 million children in the United States; 41% of them live
in low-income families

– Almost 40% of children in the United States spend at least 1 year in poverty
before they turn 18

– Approximately 1 in 8 households in the United States suffers from
food insecurity

– Students who come from low-income families are 7 times more likely to drop
out of school than those from families with higher incomes

With your help, we can ensure children in the United States have the basic needs they require to go to school, get an education, and have the chance at a brighter future.

Our Work in the United States

Thanks to caring people like you, Children Incorporated has helped thousands of impoverished children in the United States since 1964.

We work with our volunteer coordinators in local communities to provide health and nutrition, education, hygiene items, clothes, shoes, and other essentials that help children and families rise above the poverty in which they live.

Our strategy is to focus on individual children through our sponsorship program, ensuring they are receiving exactly what they need on a regular basis.

Your support makes all our work to help children in crisis in the United States possible.

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How do I sponsor a child in the United States?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Sources:

https://www.povertycenter.columbia.edu/news-internal/monthly-poverty-january-2022

https://www.aecf.org/blog/new-child-poverty-data-illustrates-the-powerful-impact-of-americas-safety-net-programs

https://www.unicef.org/social-policy/child-poverty

Kristen Walthall | August 7, 2022En Español

Our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, has two more stops on her virtual tour of Floyd County, Kentucky, which she conducted this past spring. Today, Renée met with Sharon at May Valley Elementary School to hear about how our sponsors are supporting students in this small community.

Meeting with Sharon

“May Valley is located in the community of Martin, right off of Kentucky Route 80. It is a busier and more bustling community than Eastern or Grethel. Martin has a grocery store, a gas/convenience mart, and a Walgreens pharmacy — which doesn’t sound like much but is more than some towns have in this part of the U.S.”

Sharon has always been very active on behalf of her students and readily asks Children Incorporated for extra assistance from our Hope In Action Program.

“The school educates 341 students in pre-Kindergarten through 5^th grade. The children here are performing higher than the state average on state tests, which is wonderful, considering that a majority of them come from difficult circumstances. The poverty rate at May Valley is high — 78% of households struggle to make ends meet.”

“The Family Resource Center Coordinator, Sharon, is also our volunteer coordinator. Sharon is an experienced, long serving coordinator who will be retiring in September 2022 and will be greatly missed by all of us at Children Incorporated, and I am sure by her students and the staff at May Valley.”

Our special funds helping kids in need

“Sharon has always been very active on behalf of her students and readily asks Children Incorporated for extra assistance from our Hope In Action Program, as funds are needed. We have been glad to help, and Sharon is very appreciative of our sponsors and donors.”

“We have recently provided aid for two little girls who had no beds. Thanks to our Beds and Linens Fund, the girls now have cozy beds of their own, ensuring they are well rested and ready to learn.”

“Sharon requested travelers’ aid for a little boy and his mother. The boy needed special surgery and was referred to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Thanks to our donors, we were able to provide some assistance with food and gas to and from the hospital, which the family desperately needed with no means to have emergency savings. We were delighted to hear that the young man came through his surgery with flying colors and made an excellent recovery!”

A letter from Sharon

After receiving Hope In Action funding, Sharon sent us to thank our donors for the support. Sharon wrote:

‘I would like to express my appreciation for your generous donation. I completed a home visit recently and saw dire circumstances. The home visit was to assess the living conditions of two little girls, their maternal grandmother, and their maternal great grandmother. The girls’ mother has not been able to look after them for some time. After the death of the mothers’ husband, she lost the family home.’

Sharon sent a photo of the new beds along with her letter of appreciation.

‘The two women rented a house, but it caught fire, and they lost everything. Thankfully, a relative had a small house left to her, and she has allowed the four of them to move into it. When I arrived at this house, among other things, I found that one of the girls was sleeping in the only bed. The two adult women and the other girl were sleeping on an old mattress on the floor.’

‘I called Children Incorporated and spoke to the U.S. Program Director, Renée Kube, who said right away that help could be provided. Renée also mentioned that a special gift had been given by two sponsors to be used for children in the Appalachian Mountain region. My school is located in Floyd County in the mountains of eastern Kentucky. There is a high poverty rate here and many families are struggling.’

‘With the funds, I purchased a set of bunk beds and mattresses for the girls, and a twin bed and mattress for their grandmother. The top bunk has a built-in desk. Arlene and Mary put two stools there, and the girls sit together and do their homework and studies.’

‘The girls are so, so happy with their new beds and want me to thank you for caring about them. They are so appreciative. You have made a huge difference in the girls’ healthy sleep, comfort, and education.’

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How do I sponsor a child in Kentucky?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD