Tag Archives: help children

Shelley Callahan | July 30, 2023En Español

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.”

***

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 | July 16, 2023En Español

Our Hope In Action Fund is designed to allow our volunteer coordinators to request funding for a variety of different reasons, from emergency food to field trips to construction projects. Today we hear from our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, about how our volunteer coordinator, Linda, at Tonalea Day School in Arizona has been able to support children — and parents — at her school, thanks to the flexibility that this special fund offers.

Visting Tonalea

“Linda has also applied for extra assistance from our Hope In Action Program, and she sang its praises.”

“Tonalea Day School is located in the very small community of Tonalea, about 24 miles north-northeast of Tuba City, Arizona. About 52% of the residents live below the poverty line, with most of the rest hovering at or barely above it,” said Renée.

“The school is the heart of the community. It serves about 137 students in grades kindergarten through eighth. Over the past five years, the number of teachers has declined by 23%; there are now just ten teachers. In 2019, the number of enrolled students was approaching 250. There was a big decline during the pandemic. Both the reading and math standardized test scores are at a low 15%-19% proficient, as compared to an Arizona state average of 45%. The free lunch rate is 100%.”

Getting to meet sponsored children

During her visit, Renée had the pleasure of meeting every one of our sponsored children at Tonalea Day School.

“Upon my arrival, I was warmly greeted by our long-term volunteer coordinator, Linda. She escorted me down a hallway into an unused classroom, and then she went to the teachers’ rooms and pulled every single Children Incorporated sponsored child out of class. That does not often happen, and I was touched and gratified by her efforts,” said Renée.

“The children were super excited because Linda had promised them a lunch as a part of our meeting. Sure enough, a staff member had driven all the way to Tuba City and came back with sandwiches, chips, and bottled water. You would have thought it was Christmas. The children got in line and picked up their food and little packets of mayo and mustard. Linda and I went around and helped the youngest with their packets and napkins. First, there was silence as we ate, and they stared at me. But then Linda invited me to stand and speak to them. I greeted the children and thanked them for cooperating with Linda on her requests for their thank-you letters, pictures, and progress reports. And I told them that the updates and their letters are important and so appreciated. There were some giggles and wiggles during this talk. Then Linda let them chat quietly amongst themselves while I went around to each child, took a picture for their sponsor, and asked a few questions about their likes and hobbies. They were so sweet.”

Thankful for our support

“After the children returned to their classrooms, Linda and I talked. She is so grateful for our sponsorship program and the positive impact it has on the children. Linda has also applied for extra assistance from our Hope In Action Program, and she sang its praises. Linda said one of the most significant ways the fund has helped kids is by allowing her to purchase eyeglasses. She and the principal also started a Parent Engagement Initiative, and our organization helped with materials and supplies. This was deeply appreciated, and Linda feels the initiative succeeded in its goals and demonstrated increased parent involvement at the school,” said Renée.

***

How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | July 9, 2023En Español

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.”

***

How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | July 4, 2023En Español

In late 2022, when our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, was getting the chance to visit our affiliated sites again after two years, she found that many of them, especially in the Navajo Nation region of the country, were still adjusting since the pandemic. Although for Renée it meant restrictions on seeing children in the schools, it didn’t deter her from having much-anticipated meetings with our volunteer coordinators, and getting to see the schools in person after a few years of not traveling.

Today, we hear from Renée about her trip to Tuba Boarding School in Arizona, where she got a better idea of how administrators and students are adjusting to new rules and regulations regarding the handling of COVID-19.

Today, we hear from Renée about her trip to Tuba Boarding School in Arizona, where she got a better idea of how administrators and students are adjusting to new rules and regulations regarding the handling of COVID-19.

Hearing from Renée

“Tuba City Boarding School is named after the city in which it is located, which is a hub for business and connections across the reservation. As I approached the main office, I could see colorful Halloween decorations, which I’m sure the children enjoyed. A banner hung on the fence announced Red Ribbon Week. This is the largest drug and alcohol awareness and prevention program in the country, sponsored by the National Family Partnership. The children wear red ribbons and distribute them to family members, and also participate in activities ranging from essay and poster contests, to decorating school doors, to fun runs and more,” said Renée.

“After I signed in, the receptionist ushered me into a meeting room. I was shortly joined by our volunteer coordinator, Valli; her assistant, Elvira, and the principal, Mr. Coffland.”

Tuba Boarding School exterior view

“Tuba City Boarding School has a very old and established affiliation with Children Incorporated. The boarding school was established in 1898. It was moved twice before finding its permanent site in 1901. From its beginnings through the 1940s, the boarding school was operated by the U.S. Army. After that, it came under the direction of the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA). Some of the old buildings are still in use. There is a growing awareness of the abuses and injustices that many Native American children experienced in the BIA boarding school system, but this is not addressed on the school’s web site. The community may recognize that the boarding schools did harm in the past, but at present, they also serve a purpose that many parents need and value for their children’s education and welfare,” explained Renée.

Home of the Thunderbirds

“This is also one of the largest schools we serve in the United States. The enrollment is about 1,135 children in grades DK (developmental kindergarten for ‘young five year olds,’ with birthdays from June through December) through 8th grade. The DK offers structured learning opportunities, but at a slower pace that includes more play and rest times than regular kindergarten. The school’s demographics are 100% Native American from 100% low income families. The school is divided into ‘educational thirds’: Little Thunderbird Academy for pre-kindergarten to 2nd grade; Rising Thunderbird Academy for 3rd to 5th grades; and Thunderbird Academy for 6th through 8th graders.”

“At present, the majority of the children are day students. In part due to the pandemic and worries about spreading the virus in close proximity, the residential hall’s enrollment has declined to just 20 children. Mr. Coffland was able to use some of the federal pandemic grants to implement some badly needed improvements in the dorms, primarily to the HVAC and the bathrooms. There is also a new playground. And the athletic fields were improved with new sod and a sprinkler system. He feels these improvements will make the residential hall a more attractive option for parents who are deciding where to enroll their children who need a residential facility during the week as well as schooling,” said Renée.

Thanks to their sponsors, children at Tuba Boarding School are receiving much-needed support throughout the year.

“Our meeting opened with the principal stating the school’s pandemic policy included no visitors beyond the reception area. In their ongoing efforts to stop transmission of the virus, visitors could not have contact with students, nor could they go into the classrooms or dorms. Mr. Coffland explained he is being extremely cautious and is trying to keep the children in school and healthy, as well as protect their families.”

“During our meeting, Valli also shared that Elvira, who had formerly helped only with shopping trips, is now doing more. Mr. Coffland then said that Elvira will be a big help to Valli in the upcoming school year, and that the two of them should be able to begin enrolling more children. All three expressed their appreciation for our organization and all of our sponsors,” explained Renée.

***

How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | June 11, 2023En Español

I spent the last three days of my trip to the Philippines with our volunteer coordinators, WimWim and Ester, visiting our affiliated sites in Tacloban, all operated under the Volunteer for the Visayans organization, or VFV.

After visiting the Visayans Center at Bliss and the Santo Nino Center in previous days, it was time to visit our final site, the Cancumbang Center, located in the Cancumbang neighborhood about an hour outside of the city center.

Making the trek to Cancumbang

On my last day, I met WimWim and Ester at the VFV office early in the morning, the cargo truck that was taking supplies to the Cancumbung Center for distribution was already fully loaded. Cartons of eggs, large bags of rice, and boxes of canned goods and hygiene items were stacked high on the floor and benches, with enough room in the back for the three of us to sit comfortably. As WimWim, Ester and I loaded ourselves in, other VFV staff members hopped on small motorbikes to make the trek, heading out in front of us, knowing our vehicle would have to drive slowly to not disturb the dry goods.

I could only imagine what it was like for the families to have to endure potential flooding whenever it rained.

We made our way out of the city, and the drive was noticeably different than the route the day before to the Santo Nino Center — although located in a rural community, we still remained in what felt like city limits yesterday. Today, once we turned off the main road to head towards Cancumbang, rice fields surrounded the truck on both sides of the road, and houses were barely noticeable in the distance.

As she saw me ponder our surroundings, WimWim commented that for the sponsored children and their families here, the biggest issue they faced was transportation costs. Even to get to some of the schools, families needed to hire a motorbike, and those expenses cut into purchasing food and other basic necessities they required. But for these residents, living where the work was among the rice fields was their only option for employment, and relocating to the city to look for work was not a guarantee for a better or easier life.

Arriving to our destination

After some time, we stopped in front of a small store on a dirt road, and WimWim and Ester jumped out of the truck, gesturing for me to follow them. Between two houses that stood along the road was a small concrete walkway with a bamboo gate that was swung open. I walked down the path, and as soon as I got beyond the first row of houses, I could see the Cancumbang Center, standing on stilts, two stories above ground.

WimWim explained that this center was built to handle the flooding that occurred in the area on a regular basis, and like the Santo Nino Center, acts as an evacuation center in emergencies as well. The center was built in 2013 and had been completed only a few weeks before Typhoon Yolanda. Although the center sustained a lot of damage during the typhoon, it did not collapse, and VFV was able to repair it and reopen within a few months.

We walked up the stairs to reach the front doors of the center, and as I entered, there was already a lot of activity in the large gathering area. WimWim introduced me to John, the local staff member who lived in the neighborhood and took care of day-to-day operations at Cancumbang, like seeing that the children who wanted to use the computer lab and printer had access, and that the feeding program was running a few days a week. This made things much easier for WimWim, who otherwise only needed to make the drive out to the center a few times a month, so she could focus her efforts on operating the Visayans Center at Bliss. She told me another staff member also lives near the Santo Nino Center, and serves the same purpose of helping on a more daily basis.

At least these families, who were receiving support thanks to Children Incorporated sponsors, could rely on the Cancumbang Center and the VFV staff to help ensure they had what they needed.

Providing the care the community needs

The staff worked quickly to unpack the truck and to bring all the supplies up the stairs, unpacking boxes and unloading egg crates onto tables. Each group of items had their own place to make sure the children each got exactly the same items and everything was accounted for precisely, just like the distributions at the other two VFV centers.

Before long, the children had arrived with their parents and made their way into the center, where they sat in folding chairs facing the front of the room. Each child’s name was called, and without instruction, they filed in line to fill their reusable bags with rice, soap, canned meats, and toothpaste, among other items. I could only imagine what it was like for the families to have to endure potential flooding whenever it rained, which would sometimes keep them from leaving the neighborhood for days at a time. At least these families, who were receiving support thanks to Children Incorporated sponsors, could rely on the Cancumbang Center and the VFV staff to help ensure they had what they needed, which gave them less to worry about in a place where their livelihood, whether in a storm or not, was already fragile.

As all the other sites had, the Cancumbang Center impressed me a lot, and I felt that I was able to leave the Philippines feeling confident that Children Incorporated, and especially our sponsors, were making a huge and lasting difference for these families. And thanks to our amazing partners, just like the VFV, we can continue to offer sustainable support to kids well into the future.

***

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

Ron Carter | June 10, 2023

Dear Friends,

Each summer, as the time for a new school year approaches, businesses launch their latest “Back to School” sales pitches. They roll out the big promotions to encourage consumers to purchase everything from pencils and pens to backpacks, calculators, and laptop computers. Many states even have days when they suspend sales taxes to encourage greater spending on these school items. According to the National Retail Foundation, people in the United States spent an astounding $37 billion dollars on back to school supplies in 2022. That breaks down to roughly $864 per student, up from nearly $200 from just two years before.

The strong need for support

For families already living in poverty and struggling to just get by, back to school shopping is a huge burden; in fact, they often just cannot do it.

For families already living in poverty and struggling to just get by, back to school shopping is a huge burden; in fact, they often just cannot do it. When we visit with our voluneer coordinators at our affiliated site locations, many which are school-based, we often hear stories of how many children do not have the supplies they need to do their schoolwork. Though most schools now provide access to computers and laptops that students may use, many young learners still lack basic educational materials. These items are essential to students not only being prepared for class, but without them, they may feel ashamed or embarrassed to be lacking where their classmates are not.

With our help, children can start the school year off right, thanks to donations to our Back to School Fund.

Our volunteer coordinators do their best to maintain a supply of composition books, notebook paper, pencils, pens, rulers, glue sticks, staplers, and backpacks in their offices to meet the many needs of these children. They also maintain essential clothing such as pants, shirts, underwear, shoes, and socks for those children whose own wardrobes are worn, dirty, or ill-fitting. Snacks such as granola and protein bars and juice boxes are also badly needed as children return to school each year and throughout all of the months that follow. But sometimes, there is just not enough. This is where Children Incorporated comes in.

our Back to School Fund to the rescue

Money contributed to our affiliated school sites, all thanks to Children Incorporated donors, enables our coordinators to stock their shelves and supply closets at the beginning of the school year and beyond. This is why our Back to School Fund is an absolutely essential part of what we offer and why we are asking for your support of this essential fund.

If you can, please consider what you can afford to give in support of our Back to School Fund, and know that your dollars are contributing to the growth of future generations of leaders. When we help students start the school year off right, we set a path for them to stay confident for the entire year. Together, we can make a huge difference.

Thank you for your loyal support of children in need.

From the heart,

Ronald H. Carter
President and Chief Executive Officer
Children Incorporated

DONATE

***