Tag Archives: help children

Children Incorporated | May 2, 2022

What do we mean when we talk about special projects at Children Incorporated? Our special projects come from a variety of requests from our volunteer coordinators at our affiliated sites, but they all mean one thing — crucial support for children, families and communities.

“Furthermore, our special projects allow our donors to help more than just one child or one family – often the projects we support help hundreds of children or members of a community by creating jobs and improving the overall structure of a place or location.”

“We consider three different types of support when we talk about the ways that our donors can help some of the most vulnerable people in the world,” explains Children Incorporated’s Director of Development, Shelley Callahan.

“First, our sponsorship program partners sponsors with individual children. Secondly, our special funds focus on certain aspects of helping children and families with, for example, warm clothes or emergency assistance — necessities that are beyond sponsorship.”

“Thirdly, our special projects range from infrastructure to renovations to building projects that are vital to us having access to the children we support, making sure they have a safe place to live and learn and that even more of their basic needs are meet,” Shelley continued.

“Furthermore, our special projects allow our donors to help more than just one child or one family – often the projects we support, such as building a dorm or an agricultural school or renovating an old kitchen in a group home, help hundreds of children or members of a community by creating jobs and improving the overall structure of a place or location.”

“Over the years, donations to our special projects have allowed us to hire teams of engineers to build greenhouses, playgrounds, and additions on schools. On a smaller scale, our special projects offer things such as art supplies for summer camps or reading materials for libraries — items that fill in the gaps that our coordinators are missing in making their programs that support our children successful,” expressed Shelley.

The Dandora Center in Kenya celebrates the new renovations on multiple classrooms thanks to our donors

Read more about our special projects around the world from past years and find out how you can support future projects through your generous donations!

A Place to Call Home

In partnering with our nearly 300 affiliated sites around the world, including Casa Central, it is our goal at Children Incorporated to work with our volunteer coordinators to provide everything that we can for children in our program so they can receive an education – including offering them a safe and stable place to live.

“Casa Central is a social service center located in the center of the city but serves and supports children from the peripheral, struggling areas of Guatemala City,” explained Children Incorporated Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet.

“Many of our sponsored children live in shacks, and the support through our sponsorship program has given them food, clothing, and educational supplies. Yet our volunteer coordinator, Sister Estefania, recognized that some of the children, despite the resources we offered, are still struggling due to the terrible housing conditions they live in. Through her immense efforts, she was able to secure titles for land in different areas of the city, and Children Incorporated was able to fund the construction of eight houses which have offered stable homes for eight children in our program,” said Luis.

“The houses are simple, but of permanent nature, made of cinder block, metal trusses and metal roof, two metal exterior doors, and protected from the weather. The families selected are so grateful and thankful for this support.”

Children Incorporated was able to fund the construction of eight houses which have offered stable homes for eight children in our program.

A New Playground and New Supplies for Students in Richmond

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

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

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

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

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

Renovations at the Lou Ann Long Hostel made the kitchen safe for staff and children.

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

A New Kitchen for the Lou Ann Long Girls’ Hostel in India

In many developing countries, food is often cooked over open fires in poorly ventilated kitchens. It is estimated that 3 billion people worldwide cook over an open flame, which releases toxic smoke that is dangerous to health and safety.

At one of our affiliated sites, the Lou Ann Long Girls’ Hostel in India, the cooks prepared meals for the students in a small, dark one-room kitchen with only one small window that was continuously filled with thick smoke. The kitchen was badly in need of updating, but the administration did not have the necessary funds.

Thanks to our donors – just like you – Children Incorporated was able to renovate Lou Ann Long’s kitchen. New gas stoves with proper ventilation systems were installed, and modern sinks and updated windows and floors now provide more space, a cleaner environment, and natural light for the kitchen staff.

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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

Shelley Callahan | April 11, 2022En Español

Beyond what we are able to do through our sponsorship program for children living in poverty, we are also able to help make improvements to the affiliated sites, thanks to our sponsors and donors.

At Children Incorporated, we feel that it is just as valuable to support infrastructure projects, such as building repairs, as it is to help our children and their families — largely because without our affiliated sites, we wouldn’t have access to the children in need.

A concern that we discuss when it comes to ensuring we can provide basic needs to our children is also ensuring that our affiliate sites are able to function safely and efficiently. If any of our affiliated sites around the world are falling into disrepair, we worry they could be dangerous to use or could even face closure — meaning we would no longer have contact with the children that so desperately need our help.

Repairs done to the infrastructure at Maria Reyna will ensure that the Home is safe for children and staff.

For these reasons, our Hope In Action Fund allows us to fulfill requests from our affiliated sites as needs arise — such as those at the Maria Reyna Home in Honduras. In recent months, our volunteer coordinator at the Home submitted a request for funding to repair and repaint a wall that was crumbling outside the home, as well as for funds to purchase new kitchen utensils so that the kitchen staff could prepare meals for our sponsored children.

Now, both the Maria Reyna Home administrators and our sponsors can feel confident about not only the home being safe for the children, but about children being properly cared for for many more years to come!

About Honduras

Nestled in northern Central America, Honduras was once home to several Mesoamerican peoples – most notably the Maya. This ecologically diverse land – with its rainforests, cloud forests, savannas, mountain ranges, and barrier reef system off the northern coast – teems with life.

Its wealth of natural resources is equally impressive, including a variety of minable minerals and agricultural exports (such as coffee, tropical fruit, sugar cane, and lumber). Moreover, its growing textiles industry serves an international market. The nation’s wealth of natural beauty and resources, however, belies the dire poverty in which its people live. In fact, Honduras holds the unfortunate distinction of being one of the poorest nations in Latin America. This is due in part to its longstanding political instability, social strife (including the world’s highest murder rate), and economic issues (fluctuating export prices, rising inflation, and unemployment).

At Children Incorporated, we feel that it is just as valuable to support infrastructure projects, such as building repairs, as it is to help our children and their families.

Other contributing factors include frequent natural disasters (hurricanes, mild earthquakes, and flooding), widespread poverty, disease, and inadequate education, which results in a high rate of illiteracy. San Pedro Sula, where the Maria Reyna Home is located and Honduras’s industrial center and second-largest city, is no exception to these maladies.

About the Maria Reyna Home

Founded in 1942 as a girls’ orphanage, the Maria Reyna Home cares for the area’s orphaned, abandoned or neglected children.

The Home serves as a safe haven, away from the slum housing, hunger, disease, crime, and pollution that are all-too-tragic realities in this region. Through education and moral support, these deserving girls receive the opportunity to rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances from which they have come.

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How do I sponsor a child in Honduras?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | April 11, 2022

As we always strive to do, I am pleased to share with you highlights of our work around the world over the past two years. In this report, you will find information about our programs, lists of our board members and staff, testimonials from our volunteer coordinators, and other information about the effectiveness of our work and how it truly changes the lives of children in need.

We are honored to share a glimpse of our successes with you.

It is our goal to always stay and remain in full compliance with all of the major charitable monitoring groups, as well as meet and exceed all of the requirements and expectations of our annual audit by the professional team of Young, Hyde, and Barbour’s CPAs and consultants. Additionally, as we strive to remain as transparent as possible with our donors and supporters, we also post our annual IRS Form 990 and audited financial statements on our website where they remain accessible to the public year-round.

We believe passionately in what we do, and our staff is dedicated to continual improvement and growth. We know that Children Incorporated remains a vital organization, now in its 58th year and still going strong. We are honored to share a glimpse of our successes with you.

Sincerely,

Ronald H Carter
President and CEO
Children Incorporated

READ OUR FULL ANNUAL REPORT

Children Incorporated | April 1, 2022En Español

Child sponsorship is one of the most effective ways to help end child poverty. When you sponsor a child for $35 a month, you are not only immediately meeting the most basic needs of that child, but you are providing them with an education that will allow them to go on to higher education or obtain employment in the future.

Our current monthly sponsorship rate is $35, and it goes toward providing basic necessities such as school supplies and fees, food, clothing, and access to healthcare, among other services.

WHAT IS THE SPONSORSHIP EXPERIENCE LIKE WITH CHILDREN INCORPORATED?

The sponsorship relationship enables a sponsor to help support an impoverished child through monthly contributions, and through the exchange of correspondence with a sponsored child, if the sponsor so desires. A sponsor’s friendship and encouragement are priceless to a child in such circumstances. Indeed, many children value the relationships they establish with their sponsors as much as they appreciate the financial support they receive from them. There is an opportunity to build a relationship between a sponsor and child that can be quite profound.

Our current monthly sponsorship rate is $35, and it goes toward providing basic necessities such as school supplies and fees, food, clothing, and access to healthcare, among other services.

HOW LONG CAN I SPONSOR A CHILD?

We hope that you will assist your sponsored child until he or she leaves our program. This may occur when a child graduates from high school, moves out of our service area, or for a variety of other reasons. Due to the transient state of many families and the difficult circumstances of the regions where they reside, we cannot predict or guarantee how long a child will remain enrolled in the Children Incorporated sponsorship program. However, we make every effort to provide services to children for as long as possible.

When a child leaves our program, it is our policy to select another child in need for you to sponsor, in the hope that you will accept sponsorship of the new child and continue to partner with us in changing lives. Unfortunately, we usually lose contact with children once they leave the sponsorship program (as we do not maintain personal addresses or contact information for any of the children). Even so, the positive impact of your generosity – both upon the individual child and upon his or her community – endures!

WILL I RECEIVE UPDATED INFORMATION FROM MY SPONSORED CHILD?

Yes. We will send you updated information and an updated photo about once a year, although the frequency may vary depending on the child’s location. The typical progress report includes information about the child’s grade level in school, hobbies, and interests.

HOW DO I PAY FOR MONTHLY SPONSORSHIP?

When you sponsor a child, you are changing their life for the better.

Sponsorship contributions may be made by check, money order, credit or debit card, or ACH transfer (debit from a checking or savings account). Checks or money orders may be mailed to Children Incorporated at P.O. Box 72848, North Chesterfield, VA 23235. Contributions via credit or debit card are accepted online or over the phone, and we can mail you an application to authorize ACH transfer. The current sponsorship rate is $35 a month ($360 a year). Contributions may be made on a monthly ($35 a month), quarterly ($90 every three months), semi-annual ($180 every six months), or annual ($360 every twelve months) basis.

You may also set up automatically recurring contributions (as charges to your American Express, Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card; or as debits from your checking or savings account). Please call our office or send us an email at sponsorship@children-inc.org for more information.

MAY I SEND PACKAGES TO MY SPONSORED CHILD?

Yes. Sending a gift is a great way to help your sponsored child at certain times of the year, or to let him or her know you are thinking of them. Here are some suggested guidelines:

Monetary gifts should be sent directly to our North Chesterfield, Virginia office for processing and distribution; our site coordinators are not able to process checks or cash. However, already-purchased items should be mailed directly to your sponsored child’s school address. If possible, use a tracking service when shipping a package.

If you wish to send a package as a Christmas gift, please mail it no later than mid-November, so the coordinator can distribute the gift before school closes for winter break. Please send summer gifts no later than April 15th, as most schools close by mid-May. Due to high customs duties and the likelihood of loss, we do not recommend sending packages to sites outside of the United States. Children Incorporated cannot guarantee that the child you sponsor will receive such packages.

MAY I WRITE TO THE CHILD I SPONSOR?

Yes! Corresponding with your sponsored child can be a delightful experience, and you will find your sponsored child’s site address enclosed in the child’s informational brochure. Our affiliated site volunteers will translate your letter, if necessary, and deliver it to the child you sponsor.

WHAT SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT?

The children enjoy learning about the lives of their sponsors. Writing about your own family (children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters) is always a good place to start. The children also like to learn about your part of the world, what you do for a living, your hobbies and interests, and about any pets you may have.

WHAT IF I HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS REGARDING THE CHILD I SPONSOR?

If you have questions or concerns about your sponsored child, please call or email our office. Depending on the nature of a child-specific question, we may need to contact our volunteer coordinator at the site your child attends for the requested information. Still, we will get that information to you just as soon as possible, provided it does not violate the child protection and privacy laws to which we adhere.

IS IT POSSIBLE TO VISIT MY SPONSORED CHILD?

It is possible to visit sponsored children; however, since we work with a network of volunteers and sites, we cannot guarantee that all sites are open to sponsor visits. Circumstances vary from area to area. If you are interested in visiting your sponsored child, please contact us for specifics relating to the child and site.

If your child’s site does allow visits, we ask that you contact us at least 45 days prior to your planned visit. The sponsorship manager who oversees your child’s site will assist you by making arrangements with the site, the child’s parents, and our volunteer coordinator. You will need to fill out our visit request forms, as well as familiarize yourself with our child protection policy to which we ask that you adhere; this includes a background check at your expense.

How can I sponsor a child today?

You can sponsor a child in one of three ways – call our office and speak with one of our sponsorship specialists at 1-800-538-5381; 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.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | February 20, 2022En Español

Not too long ago, we reported on how our partner, Altar’d State, was able to help our international affiliated sites during the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to their generous contributions to our many special funds. Today, we have multiple updates to share with you about how Altar’d State also supported our U.S. sites — from Kentucky across the country to New Mexico.

A letter from Renée

In response to the donations made to our affiliated sites in the United States, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, wrote the following letter to thank Altar’d State:

Today, we have multiple updates to share with you about how Altar’d State also supported our U.S. sites — from Kentucky across the country to New Mexico.

“Dear Friends,

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for your generous gift supporting our programs and the health and education of vulnerable children. I had the pleasure and privilege of disbursing the U.S. funds during the year based on appeals and proposals from our volunteer site coordinators from the Appalachian mountains of the rural southeast to the Navajo Nation of the rural southwest. Our volunteer site coordinators were so grateful for the extra support for our special projects, including our feeding programs, Back to School Fund, Warm Clothing Fund, COVID-19 Response Fund, and Hope In Action Fund.

I have included letters from our coordinators expressing just how much your donations have helped them and the children in our sponsorship program.”

A Note from Anita

Across the U.S., Altar’d State has helped us provide for students in our program.

Our volunteer coordinator at Betsy Layne High School in Kentucky writes:

“I absolutely cannot thank you enough for the generous gift. My center does a weekend backpack program for several of our students. Many of the students don’t have the resources for extra food and snack, so the program makes it possible to help them. Each Friday, they receive a backpack with milk, cereal, bread, sandwich meat, mac and cheese, and spaghetti to help supplement their meals during the weekend. Your donation is greatly appreciated!”

A message from Delores

At Tohaaili Community School in New Mexico, Delores, our volunteer coordinator, sent this message:

“We send greetings and thanks to you for approving our proposal and making it possible. We wished to provide a traditional Navajo weaving revitalization program to our students and community members, and with the grant funding, we were able to purchase weaving tools that were handmade by a local vendor as well as buy commercial yarn. These efforts on your part are helping us preserve the traditions of our historical home and teach our students new skills that will help them later in life.”

Thanks from Steven

At the Hanaa’Dli Community School and Dormitory in New Mexico, our volunteer coordinator, Steven, says:

“We have a high poverty rate and a lack of infrastructure in the children’s homes here, especially when it comes to access to water. Thankfully, the children are able to live in the dorms on the weekdays and transfer to regional schools — but with COVID-19, we faced some unique challenges.

“Our volunteer site coordinators were so grateful for the extra support for our special projects.”

With your generous gift, we purchased cleansers, disinfectants, and supplies including face masks. It is important for us to be able to provide and maintain well sanitized living spaces as we continue to work to keep our students and their families safe, especially since the Navajo Nation has been hit so hard by the pandemic. We are deeply appreciative.”

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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

Shelley Callahan | February 13, 2022En Español

We are grateful that despite many of the issues that India has faced during the pandemic, many of our affiliated sites in the country have been able to resume classes in person in 2022.

“Together, we can continue to ensure that children living in poverty will receive the educational support they need.”

A note from our volunteer coordinator the Chandrakal Boarding Home informed us about these important updates:

“Our state government has given permission to re-open all the educational institutions for physical classes. We are happy to let you know that we have welcomed all the children back to hostels, schools and colleges. All the children are excited and so happy to meet all their friends, classmates and teachers. We are taking care of them with all the needed safety measures.

As we continue to navigate our work through the pandemic, we are grateful, and all of our sponsored children remain grateful for all the support of their sponsors. Together, we can continue to ensure that children living in poverty will receive the educational support they need.”

Thanks to our volunteer coordinators having daily and direct access to children in schools in India, it is now much easier for them to distribute educational and well-being resources to children in our program — which is all thanks to their amazing sponsors who provide the monthly subsides!

About India

From the snowcapped Himalayans to tropical beaches, India is truly a nation of contrasts. It boasts a rich history spanning tens of thousands of years. In fact, the earliest known civilization in South Asia once called India’s fertile Indus Valley home. Today, with the world’s second-largest population, India includes a staggering variety of ethnicities, languages, religions and cultures. Its wealth of natural resources and vibrant cultures, however, belie the abject poverty in which so many of India’s citizens live. For this reason, our sponsorship program is incredibly important to children and families at our affiliated sites in India who otherwise would go without much-needed resources.

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How do I sponsor a child in India?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD