Themes from Childhood: A Classic Concert for All Ages will feature Children Incorporated Board Member Theresa P. Steward along with special guests and will benefit our COVID-19 Response Fund.
We hear from Children Incorporated President and CEO, Ronald H. Carter, who discusses more about the event:
“Theresa P. Steward is a member of the Children Incorporated Board of Directors. She is a classically trained musician; she holds a Ph.D. in Musicology from the University of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Theresa also serves as pianist and organist at Grace (American) Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, which is also the church that I attend.
Grace Baptist has been a loyal supporter of Children Incorporated for more than a decade, supporting our work each December with funds raised from their mission market. They have also partnered with us on our work to support families in need in Puerto Rico.
Theresa and various other musicians have staged four previous concerts at Grace Baptist for charitable purposes. Those concerts, which were held in person, have been great successes, raising thousands of dollars in support of various missions and ministries. Themes from Childhood is the first of these concerts to be held virtually, and Theresa has designated that all profits from it will be donated to Children Incorporated in support of our COVID-19 Response Fund.
I have had the pleasure of attending all of Theresa’s concerts at Grace Baptist Church, and I have been astounded by the talent she and the other musician’s display. I have been blown away by what Theresa shares. She chooses music that is familiar, fun, and uplifting, and her performances are warm and welcoming. I encourage all fans of good music, whatever their tastes may be, to tune in and share in this event.”
Please plan on tuning in on Saturday, September 12th at what will surely be an unforgettable event!
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How to attend the event
Please visit either the following Facebook or YouTube link on Saturday, September 12th to watch live:
As you know, COVID-19 has disrupted family events worldwide, from births and weddings, and sadly to funerals.
School closures have also disrupted activities for the Class of 2020. The high school students in our program were looking forward to attending senior prom, having their friends sign their yearbooks, saying goodbye to their teachers, and finally getting to walking across a stage in an auditorium packed with family and getting a handshake from the principal and their high school diploma.
“Your support has helped me in so many ways — with clothes, books, school trips, and presents for my birthday and Christmas.”
Needless to say, they are tremendously disappointed, but they are also keeping things in perspective. In many cases, coping with poverty and extra responsibilities has made many of them mature beyond their years, and they have been looking at all their ways their glasses are half full, not half empty.
A different graduation for Landon
Meet Landon.* Landon is in 12th grade. He attends Hazard High School in Kentucky. Landon lives with his single mother, a brother, and two sisters. The mom has a low-wage job and has really struggled. Our sponsorship program has meant the world to her, and both she and Landon are very grateful.
Landon has benefited greatly from his sponsor during his high school years.
Since the students were sheltering at home through the end of this school year, our volunteer coordinator, Helen, telephoned the students and dictated letters for their sponsors. Landon said:
“Dear Sponsor, I want to thank you for all the support you have given me. I am excited to be graduating from high school, even though it’s not how I thought it would be. After graduation, I will be moving to Louisville, Kentucky. I want to be an airplane mechanic, and there is a college program with UPS to help pay the tuition. After I finish, I will be working for UPS and will have a good job.
Your support has helped me in so many ways — with clothes, books, school trips, and presents for my birthday and Christmas.
I will miss my school, principal, teachers, and Ms. Helen so much. All of you helped me to learn and to succeed.
Again, thank you. What you did was important to me, and I love you.”
*Name changed to protect the child.
ABOUT HAZARD HIGH SCHOOL
Nestled along the Kentucky River’s North Fork amid the majestic Appalachian mountains of eastern Kentucky, the town of Hazard (with a population of a little less than 5,000) serves as the county seat of Perry County. Both town and county are named in honor of American naval hero Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. Until the arrival of the railroad in 1912, the town’s idyllic yet remote and forbidding setting had long isolated it from the outside world. With this change, the town enjoyed an economic boom, which, unfortunately, the Great Depression expunged just as quickly.
“I will miss my school, principal, teachers, and Ms. Helen so much. ALL of you helped me to learn and to succeed.”
Moreover, since the decline of the coal industry in the early 1900s, unemployment in the area has skyrocketed, contributing to a rapid increase in drug use, crime, and alcoholism. Many residents here have no choice but to rely upon government assistance to meet day-to-day needs. Indeed, in July 1999, Hazard was the first stop on President Bill Clinton’s tour of poverty-stricken communities that had failed to share in the economic boom of the 1990s. Amid this crippling poverty, however, Hazard High School serves as a beacon of hope. With ten percent of its student population struggling daily with homelessness, the school offers students a safe haven, a welcome escape from the despair of poverty, complete with warm meals, a caring staff, and a well-rounded education — the key to breaking the chain of poverty and the opportunity to rise above the difficult circumstances from which they come.
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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN KENTUCKY?
You can sponsor a child in Kentucky in one of two ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.
We recently heard from our affiliated project, the Parikrma Home, in India, wanting to let us know how grateful they are for the support from our sponsors and donors. Recently sent funds to the project are being used to purchase food for children and families in need who otherwise would go hungry during this challenging time. The Parikrma Home is also providing school assignments for children to do at home so they can keep up with their studies during school closures.
Today we hear from Anuradha Roy Chowdhury, Head of Operations of the Parikrma Home, about their work in India during the COVID-19 crisis.
Hope for the future in India
Today we hear from Anuradha Roy Chowdhury, Head of Operations of the Parikrma Home, about their work in India during the COVID-19 crisis:
“In the middle of this bizarre COVID pandemic, I have found much to be thankful for. Over the last three weeks, our donors have overwhelmed us – not just with the generosity of their contributions, but also with the faith that they have reposed in us. It is this faith and trust that keeps us going in our objective of ensuring that our badly hit communities are somehow able to survive this time and emerge on the other side, to take up their lives as best as possible. Beyond the financial support, many of our donors have even reached out to us with their time – offering to help us with the actual distribution of the dry rations in the schools, despite knowing the real possibility of being infected. We are very grateful.
Our alumni have been a revelation in the enthusiasm of their response to our call for help. They have reached out to us, some through financial donations and some through their unstinting work in the schools during the weekly distribution of the rations. Our alumni validate all our efforts over the years and make it all worthwhile.
Bags of food that have been packed for distribution.
As of April 20, 2020, we have distributed food rations and basic sanitation to over 1,802 children from 1,050 families and will be reaching out to our families residing in over 70 slums in Bengaluru. We have now started giving out lesson plans, worksheets, and storybooks to our children every time we do distribution of rations to the families. Our teachers have gone virtual too – working out strategies and means to reach out to our children in the slums.
Our donors and our alumni are our proverbial silver lining. The biggest THANK YOU is insufficient, but we would like to say it anyway.”
A note from the Founder
Shukla Bose, Founder of the Parikrma Home, shares her observations during this crisis.
“In spite of all our personal introspection, mindfulness, and self-awareness practices, it’s during moments of deep crisis that self-realization takes on a different dimension.”
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 donation portal, create an account, and search for a child in India that is available for sponsorship.
*Note: This blog was written prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. Although much has changed regarding our sponsored children’s learning experience in the past months, our On the Road stories remain relevant in regards to our volunteer coordinator’s work and the impact of sponsorship on children in our program thanks to our sponsors. We are pleased to continue to share stories with you about our work.
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Greyhills Academy High School, located in Tuba City, Arizona, has been affiliated with Children Incorporated since 2006.
This unique school focuses on nurturing students who have the potential for higher levels of academic success but might struggle in other areas such as behavior or attendance — often due to the circumstances involving the impoverished households from which they come.
Helping students on a path towards success
Renée met with some of our sponsored children during her visit.
To encourage students to want to do well in school, Greyhills offers programs and activities in Navajo culture and language that foster pride in their heritage. Additionally, the school also provides a highly structured program called the Freshman Academy, where efforts are made to ease the transition from middle to high school for incoming ninth graders.
According to the Greyhills Academy website, “To help incoming freshmen ease into the rigors and expectation of our school, we have the Freshman Academy. This is a transitional program to give our incoming freshmen the support they need to be successful.”
Part of helping students transition into high school is also offering a residential program for those children who are coming from faraway areas. These students live in the Academy’s dormitories during the week and then go home on weekends and school breaks. During their stay, they enjoy athletics, clubs, and family engagement activities that help them get acclimated to their new environment, make friends and learn new skills and hobbies.
This unique school focuses on nurturing students who have the potential for higher levels of academic success but might struggle in other areas such as behavior or attendance.
It takes a village
While visiting Greyhills Academy last year, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, met with our volunteer coordinator at the school, Roger, as well as some other staff members who are vital to the success of our sponsorship program at the school.
“Roger had set up a committee specifically to manage the Children Incorporated program at the school,” explained Renée.
“With this system, he and three other administrators take turns going on shopping trips for our sponsored children. Many of the families meet them at local stores, or they will shop personally for those who cannot make the trip.”
“Thanks to the committee members’ support, Roger can handle the workload involved with providing for sponsored children regularly as well as ensuring that the children are given opportunities to communicate with their sponsors through letters,” said Renée.
Greyhills Academy is home of the Knights.
After meeting with Roger and the other committee members, Renée had the chance to meet a few of the students in our program.
Meeting Maria and Bradley
Maria* is in 11th grade and was enrolled in the Children Incorporated Program in the 3rd grade when she attended our other affiliated project, Tuba City Boarding School. She loved volleyball then, and she still loves it now. She lives with her mother, grandmother, and three younger siblings and wants to be a nurse when she gets older. Maria’s sponsor lives in Switzerland and has been part of our organization since 1975. Maria told Renée how appreciative she was for having her sponsor for so many years, especially as she transitioned from school to school while growing up.
Bradley enrolled in our program in 2016 when he was a new 9th grader. He is now a bright and funny 12th grader who jokes that he is always tired from the many activities and sports he participates in. His favorite sport is baseball. Bradley has taken welding courses in school, and he is also interested in auto mechanics. He is also thinking about becoming a carpenter or construction technician when he graduates. In his downtime, he enjoys drawing and listening to music. Bradley is the middle of three children who live with their single father. His father hauls and sells wood for a living, and he earns a meager income. Having a sponsor has helped Bradley to focus on his passions and interests instead of worrying about having clothes, shoes, and school supplies over the years.
*Names changed to protect the children.
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How do I sponsor a child in Arizona?
You can sponsor a child in Arizona in one of two ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.
We are pleased to share with you our 2020 Spring Newsletter. Thank you for support children in need around the world!
Our Beds and Linens Fund is More Important Than Ever
Children living in poverty go without so much in life — including a comfortable place to sleep in their own homes.
“Our Bed and Linen Fund allows us to purchase new mattresses, bed frames, sheets, blankets and pillows for children so they can get a good night’s sleep and be ready for the school day.”
– Renée Kube
“During my travels to visit our affiliated projects, especially this past year, I have heard more and more stories from our volunteer coordinators who conduct home visits in which they have discovered children who have either no beds at all or too few beds. As a result, two to four or more siblings are sleeping together on one, old, worn mattress,” said Children Incorporated Director of Development, Renée Kube.
“Our Bed and Linen Fund allows us to purchase new mattresses, bed frames, sheets, blankets and pillows for children so they can get a good night’s sleep and be ready for the school day. We are endlessly grateful for any contributions to this invaluable fund that helps us better support children in our program.”
If you would like to find out more about our Beds and Linens Fund, or make a contribution, please contact us today!
New Shoes for a Special Child in Arizona
Joseph*, like many of our sponsored children, is being raised by his grandmother.
Joseph with his new shoes
Joseph and his siblings live in Arizona and were abandoned by their mother after their father died.
Suddenly, Joseph’s paternal grandmother found herself raising children again with no income and no means to support them. She can scarcely provide food and shelter for her grandkids, and she has virtually no money to keep them clothed properly. Thankfully, Joseph has a caring sponsor who provides him with the items he needs as he rapidly grows into a young man.
Recently, our volunteer coordinator at Joseph’s school called him into her office to present him with brand new shoes, along with other items he needed. Joseph is young and plays hard, and his old shoes were badly worn. Joseph was ecstatic, and proudly stood for a photo of him with his new shoes.
We are able to provide new shoes for children thanks to our sponsors and donors to our Shoes and Socks Fund. If you would like to make a donation to our Shoes and Socks Fund, contact Children Incorporated today.
*Name changed to protect the child.
Apartments for Graduates in Honduras
The living area of new apartments for students in Honduras
Once sponsored children graduate from high school and move onto higher education, they often continue to live with their families until they can complete university or vocational training.
Unfortunately, for some students, like those at our affiliated project, the Maria Reyna Home in Honduras, this is not an option. Coming from very poor families, and facing issues such as abuse, gangs, and drugs in the neighborhoods where they lived, these children cannot return home because it isn’t safe.
Thankfully, because of contributions to our Hope in Action Fund, Children Incorporated was able to support the construction of apartments at the Maria Reyna Home so that those students attending college or university will have safe housing until they can find steady employment that will allow them to live on their own.
Thank You for Giving So Many Children a Reason to Celebrate Christmas!
This past holiday season, we received hundreds of pictures from our affiliated projects of children around the world enjoying Christmas parties and receiving gifts, thanks to their sponsors. Thank you so much for everything you do for children in need during the holidays and all year long!
Brand New Items for Children in Paraguay
For many children living in poverty, having a sponsor is their only means of receiving basic necessities such as food, clothing and educational assistance. Some may never receive brand new items such as blankets and shoes without the support of a caring sponsor.
Thanks to you, children, such as the girls from Hogar Medalla Milagrosa in Paraguay, and others around the world are being provided for in ways in which their parents cannot. We are incredibly grateful for your support to make sure children experience the joy of receiving items that are new and just for them.
In Bolivia, Students are Learning Skills for the Future
One of the ways in which we support children beyond our sponsorship program is through our Skills Training Programs, which are implemented at many of our projects around the world. Thanks to these programs, students are given the opportunity to learn skills to help them obtain employment after they graduate, so that they can help support their families right out of high school and eventually become financially independent.
We received pictures of students at our affiliated project, the Santa Rosa School in Bolivia, participating in a Gastronomy Skills Training Course, thanks to support from Children Incorporated. These students are learning skills they can use at home or use to gain employment upon graduation.
Protecting Children from Harsh Weather in El Salvador
Thanks to donations to our Hope In Action Fund, Children Incorporated was able to provide funding for a roof cover over the playground at our affiliated project, Escuela Santa Luisa in El Salvador. The cover will protect children from rain and heat as well as offer a place for activities and assemblies for parents and students.
Our affiliated project, the Maipu Center, is located on the outskirts of Chile’s capital city, Santiago. Santiago lies nestled between the towering Andes Mountains to the east and a smaller, coastal range to the west. Nearly five million people — more than a third of the country’s population — reside here, many of which are underprivileged Chilean families.
Concentrated in the city’s southern and northwestern regions, the slums of Santiago are home to impoverished children who are forced to live in makeshift dwellings or deficient public housing. Many of their parents work in the service industry or for small businesses, making low-wages with very little chance for upward mobility.
Helping families in need
The Maipu Center supports children from impoverished families in Chile.
The Maipu Center was founded over 80 years ago by a Roman Catholic congregation of women, the Daughters of St. Joseph. Today, 70% of students at the Center are from families living below the Chilean poverty line. Without the support of the Maipu Center, or their Children Incorporated sponsors, these children would not have the chance to receive a quality education, which is the key to helping them break the cycle of poverty in which they live.
Functioning as a private school and community center, the Maipu Center is a spacious, well-kept complex of buildings comprised of classrooms, a kitchen, a dining hall, a church and a community room for activities. Students receive two nutritious meals a day. In addition to standard academic courses, children also take dance and aerobics classes.
Improved academics and new energy
During a visit to the Maipu Center, Children Incorporated Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet, and International Projects Specialist, Kristen Walthall, were excited to find that the school academics have improved over the years — thanks to the support of a recently hired energetic principal and new, young teachers who are bringing more knowledge of technology and modern methods of education to the school.
“The school’s new principal has renovated all practices and academics in the school, implementing a new information technology department, as well as music and arts departments,” explained Luis.
Thanks to their sponsors, children are not only receiving help while in school but outside of school as well. With the children’s basic needs met, their parents don’t have to worry as much about affording these necessary items.
“Sponsored children are benefiting greatly from these changes, and according to the principal, they are doing better academically because of the school’s new programs and the enthusiasm of the staff.”
On top of receiving a great deal of support from the Maipu Center administration, children enrolled in our program also benefit from their sponsors. Sponsorship funds are used to help cover school fees; to provide school supplies, book bags and daily snacks; as well as to purchase clothing.
Thanks to their sponsors, children are not only receiving help while in school but outside of school as well. With the children’s basic needs met, their parents don’t have to worry as much about affording these necessary items.
Still more To accomplish in the future
Although an academically progressive school, the principal expressed to Luis that he still struggles to find local funding for operating costs. Still, he wasn’t going to let it get in the way of him giving children every opportunity they deserved to succeed.
Before Luis left, the principal talked about his desire to remodel some of the classrooms, as well as cover the playground area with a roof so it can be used during the hot summer and cold winter months for outdoor activities.
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How do I sponsor a child in Chile?
You can sponsor a child in Chile 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 Chile that is available for sponsorship.
Theresa also serves as pianist and organist at Grace (American) Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, which is also the church that I attend.
