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In December 2024, Renée Kube and Kristen Walthall of our U.S. Programs Division and our Director of Development Shelley Callahan traveled to Louisiana to visit five affiliated schools in New Orleans, where our sponsors are helping children with their most basic needs to ensure they can attend school ready to learn.

“Our coordinators are immensely grateful for the support that we provide to children at their school, especially when it comes to helping them purchase school uniforms and hygiene items.”

“It was amazing to get a chance to meet all of our volunteer coordinators and some of our sponsored children during our visit,” said Callahan. “Our coordinators are immensely grateful for the support that we provide to children at their school, especially when it comes to helping them purchase school uniforms and hygiene items.”

“New Orleans is the only city in the United States with a city-wide charter school system, and all children must wear expensive uniforms. Sometimes, because of these extra costs for families, children only have one uniform for 165 school days in a calendar year,” explained Callahan.

“Thanks to our sponsors, students have multiple uniforms to wear. Additionally, sponsorship provides children warm clothes during the colder months, rain gear, and much-needed hygiene items that these students would otherwise go without. It was amazing to hear such inspiring stories about how our sponsorship program is making such a difference.”

“Thank you to all our incredible supporters who make our work in New Orleans possible! You are truly helping so many lives by sponsoring a child. We couldn’t do it without you,” said Callahan.

Want to learn more about our work in New Orleans? Subscribe to our blog series, Stories of Hope, today! https://childrenincorporated.org/stories-of-hope/

REMEMBERING OUR DEAR FRIEND, MAGDA KEGLEY

Magda Kegley, a longtime employee of Children Incorporated, passed away quite suddenly on Saturday, March 8th, 2025. During her tenure with Children Incorporated, Magda served in various capacities, including over two decades as Director of our International Division. Many of our coordinators and sponsors became quite familiar with Magda and grew to love her, just as our staff did. She was a ray of sunshine, always smiling and always caring about others. Magda’s kind words touched many hearts, and her laughter challenged us all to find joy in life. Our staff will certainly miss our dear friend. Our heartfelt condolences go out to her children, Lisa and Scott, her granddaughter, Brynn, and her sister, Nayda, and the entire family.

Keeping Kids Cozy in the Winter

We want to say a huge thank you to Salisbury Presbyterian Church Preschool in Midlothian, Virginia, for donating pajamas to Children Incorporated through our long-time partner, the Pajama Program!

Each pair of the 233 new children’s pajamas was distributed to children at local schools in the Richmond, Virginia, area, along with a storybook, which the Pajama Program provided.

“Thank you so much for your very valued support! It means so much to all of us that you care so much about these children and their well-being.”

“This is such a fabulous program, and it was so thoughtful for Salisbury Presbyterian to think of students in our sponsorship program,” said U.S. Programs Director Renée Kube. “Knowing that these special children are going to go to bed warm and comfortable in brand new pajamas is very touching for the entire staff of Children Incorporated, our volunteer coordinators at the school, and the parents of these deserving kids. Thank you for your donations!”

Our CEO and President, Ron Carter, Visits Mexico

“Visiting our four affiliated sites in Mexico was quite inspiring for me. Having previously not been to Mexico, I was impressed by the rich heritage of this beautiful and historic country, but more than anything else, I was moved by the commitment and dedication of the sisters who oversee our programs. These women obviously care deeply for the children they serve, and this was never more apparent than at Hogar Casa Julia in San Miguel de Allende”.

“At this site, girls who have been removed from their homes due to various forms of abuse are provided with a safe place to live, nice clothes, and nutritional food, and they receive excellent education and guidance as they heal from their dysfunctional pasts. Sister Isabel, who has been serving at this school for more than a quarter of a century, is a parent figure to these girls, making sure that their needs are met each and every day. She manages funds provided by Children Incorporated sponsors with excellence and precision.  She and all of the sisters with whom we work in Mexico are simply incredible, and I was thoroughly impressed with each of them.”

– Ronald H. Carter 

New Shoes for Children in Kentucky

Not long ago, we received a letter from Jackie, our volunteer coordinator at Breathitt Elementary School in Kentucky, thanking us and our amazing donors for allowing Hope In Action Funds to purchase shoes and socks for every child in our sponsorship program at her school!

“I am writing in appreciation of the support shown by your organization on behalf of sponsored children at my school. In a school of four hundred students between three and eight years old, fostering independence is vital. Thanks to Children Incorporated Hope In Action Funds, each child in the sponsorship program received a pair of sturdy, name-brand Crocs shoes.”

“These shoes do not require tying, are easy to clean with soap and water, and, most importantly, are comfortable to wear.”

“The kids were thrilled to receive the shoes and loved the attractive colors. They wear them daily. Thank you so much for your very valued support! It means so much to all of us that you care so much about these children and their well-being.”

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In October 1964, Mrs. Jeanne Clarke Wood started a non-profit children’s organization called Children Incorporated. What began with just 95 sponsored children in Guatemala quickly escalated to helping 1600 children in 10 countries within just two short years. Today, Children Incorporated has sponsorship programs in 20 countries worldwide and provides tens of thousands of impoverished children with clothing and school supplies, medical care, and many other types of assistance.

Thanks to our donors, schools, dormitories, clinics, and housing developments have been constructed in various locations, and our special funds help to feed hungry children, support families and communities in emergencies, and offer our volunteer coordinators the vital support they need throughout the year. 

We thank every one of you, our incredible supporters, for being a part of the last 60 years of our journey helping children in need all over the world. Our Fall 2024 Newsletter is dedicated to the memory of our founder, Mrs. Jeanne Clarke Wood, and to the history of this special organization. Thank you for your support. We couldn’t do our work with you.

Our Fall 2024 Newsletter is dedicated to the memory of our founder, Mrs. Jeanne Clarke Wood, and to the history of this special organization. Thank you for your support. We couldn’t do our work with you.

A Timeline of Our Six Decades of Work 

October 1964 – The first meeting of the Board of Directors for Children Incorporated is held.

November 1964 – The first appeals for funds were mailed to Mrs. Wood’s contacts; a goal of shipping 10,000 pounds of clothing to Guatemala was met.

January 1965 – Mrs. Wood and her small fledgling staff secure funds to help 95 children in Guatemala, seven
children on American Indian reservations, and six children in Lebanon. These become Children Incorporated’s first sponsorships.

December 1965 – Children Incorporated sponsorships grew from 108 in January 1965 to nearly 800 by the end of the first year. 789 children in 20 affiliated sites in 8 countries (Africa, Japan, Mexico, India, Latin America, Lebanon, Syria, U.S.) have been matched with sponsors.

October 1966 — More than 1600 children now have sponsors, and Children Incorporated has expanded its reach to 35 affiliated sites in 10 countries.

April 1967 – 2,335 children are sponsored in 45 sites in 11 countries; Children Incorporated helps its first child to attend college.

Mrs. Wood traveled with Children Incorporated and often wrote about our work for our newsletters, which were accompanied by photos of children in our program, such as this one.

November 1971 — Children Incorporated continues to grow. At this point, 7,750 sponsored children are in 113 sites in 18 countries. For the first time in its history, over 2,000 new sponsors signed on in just one year. 

May 1972 — Mrs. Wood receives a commendation from President Richard Nixon for her charitable work with impoverished children and families.

September 1974 – Mrs. Wood’s name appears in the 38th edition of Who’s Who In America.

December 1983 – An article on Children Incorporated appears in Good Housekeeping magazine, drawing much positive attention to the benefits of child sponsorship.

October 1994 – Children Incorporated celebrates 30 years of service to children around the world.

January 1997 – Dr. Richard Carlson’s best-selling book, Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff, is published. In it, Dr. Carlson mentions Children Incorporated as his charity of choice. Children Incorporated gained over 3,100 new sponsorships as a result of the mention in Dr. Richard Carlson’s book.

July 2004 – Mrs. Wood steps down as President of Children Incorporated after forty years of loyal service. Her successor is Marian Cummins, a long-time employee.

October 2005 – After operating out of Mrs. Wood’s home for over 40 years, Children Incorporated relocates to its first official offices on Dover Road in Richmond, Virginia.

November 2005 – Children Incorporated begins working locally, creating partnerships and establishing sponsorship programs within several Richmond Public Schools; the organization’s Inner-City division is born, with work in Detroit, Michigan, New Orleans, Louisiana, and other U.S. cities to follow.

January 2006 – Our founder, Mrs. Wood, dies at age 89. Her legacy lives on through Children Incorporated.

January 2011 – Children Incorporated’s third President, Marianne Vermeer, begins her 14-month tenure with the organization.

April 2012 – Ronald H. Carter, who had worked with the U.S. Programs division since coming to Children Incorporated in 2003, is appointed as the fourth President and Chief Executive Officer.

October 2014 – Children Incorporated celebrates its 50th anniversary and anticipates many more years of service to children both locally and globally!

We thank every one of you, our incredible supporters, for being a part of the last 60 years of our journey helping children in need all over the world.

April 2016 – Children Incorporated launches its On the Road blog series, which follows our sponsors and donors along with our program teams as they visit our affiliated sites around the world. 

January 2017 – Children Incorporated moves from its home on Dover Road in Richmond, Virginia, to North Chesterfield, Virginia. 

April 2022 – Children Incorporated launches its Stories of Hope blog series, in which readers are shown their donations’ impact on education, community support, emergency relief, and health and well-being. 

May 2024 — Children Incorporated introduces our Guardian Circle, a giving circle opportunity that allows our donors to support special projects around the world. 

October 2024 – Children Incorporated celebrates 60 years as an organization by establishing Founder’s Day, which will be celebrated on October 19th.

Congratulations to Our Amazing Staff

2024 is a year to celebrate so many incredible milestones at Children Incorporated, including the 40th work anniversary of our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, and the 25th work anniversary of our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet. 

Luis Bourdet is pictured with Ron Carter during Luis’ 25th work anniversary celebration at our office.

“I am very blessed to work with such a wonderful and dedicated staff at Children Incorporated. Over the years, I have been thoroughly impressed with the quality of people who have been employed here. From those who have stayed for many years to others who have had shorter tenures, I have admired and respected their desire to help children and families better and improve their lives.  

The staff of Children Incorporated is a good group: dedicated, caring, honest, and real people who truly want to make a difference in the world. They are my co-workers, yes, but we are also family in many ways. I love and value each one of them.”

– Ron Carter, President and CEO

“I started working at Children Incorporated in 1984. My office equipment and supplies included an IBM electric typewriter and carbon paper; a facsimile machine was state of the art. In 2024, I will use a PC, and faxing will be quaint. 

Over the past 40 years, I have done different jobs for the organization. I have chosen to stay and grow with Children Incorporated because of our organization’s important mission and our connection to our donors, staff, volunteer coordinators, and the children we serve. I love working with my head and my heart and with amazing people.”

– Renée Kube, Director of U.S. Programs

“It has been an immense privilege to dedicate years of my life to this remarkable organization! From the very beginning, I have been deeply committed to our mission of supporting children in need and empowering them through education. The belief that every child deserves the chance to envision a brighter future has been the driving force behind my work. 

Witnessing the transformative impact of our affiliations, our special projects, and our support has been truly inspiring. Countless children have achieved remarkable strides, not only improving their own lives but positively influencing their communities as well. I am profoundly grateful to be a part of this mission and contribute to the positive change we are creating together with our donors and sponsors.”

– Luis Bourdet, Director of International Programs

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Dear Friends, 

Before joining the staff of Children Incorporated in 2003, I worked for another child sponsorship organization for over a decade. During that time, I occasionally heard about Children Incorporated from my then co-workers, but no one seemed to know a great deal about the organization founded by Jeanne Clarke Wood in 1964. Children Incorporated was often downplayed and written off as being rather insignificant in comparison to the much larger organization where I was then employed.

Then, in 2002, when my position with that other firm was unceremoniously eliminated, I found myself seeking new employment. I loved nonprofit work and wanted badly to remain in the child sponsorship arena; thus when a former employee of the larger organization told me that he was then working at Children Incorporated and made arrangements for me to interview there as well, I was elated. I met with Mrs. Wood, her successor as president, Marian Cummins, and a couple of other employees, and I was hired on the spot. What I immediately discovered is that those who had tried to make Children Incorporated appear insignificant were wrong. 

Within days of my hire, I knew what thousands of loyal sponsors had been saying for 39 years: that Children Incorporated was an organization with incredible integrity, far-reaching arms, and a huge amount of personality. As I watched and listened to my co-workers interact with sponsors, donors, and a vast network of volunteer coordinators, I came to understand why so many had labeled Children Incorporated as “an organization with heart.”

All these years later, I am still impressed by what Children Incorporated accomplishes, and my hope for our future is that we will keep on meeting needs as we have for the last six decades, and that we will be able to meet many more needs as they arise. I also hope that we will be able to reach many new people with information about our work. I hope to share the message that Children Incorporated is an honest and dependable organization that matters greatly to thousands and thousands of children and their families. Cheers to 60 years and thank you for all you do to make our work possible! 

From the heart,
Ronald H. Carter
President and Chief Executive Officer 

Clean Water and Healthy Living in Kentucky

Last fall, thanks to a wonderful proposal submitted by our volunteer coordinator Kelly at Salyersville Grade School in Kentucky, we were able to provide water bottles to students as a part of a healthy living initiative started in the school district. Kelly shared that during the pandemic, many school districts either closed/shut down or greatly reduced the number of water fountains.

Cheers to 60 years and thank you for all you do to make our work possible!

This was originally done in an effort to halt the spread of COVID-19. However, many of those districts have decided to remove the water fountains altogether and to replace them with water bottle stations. This move is seen as more hygienic, reducing possible COVID transmission, but also the common cold, flu, RSV, rotavirus, enterovirus (hand, foot and mouth disease) and more. Outbreaks cause sick children and high rates of absenteeism. Upon receiving the water bottles, Kelly wrote a note of thanks to Children Incorporated: 

“Thank you again for the special gift, which provided water bottles for all our students. The timing was perfect, as Friday was Eagle Spirit Day for the last day of Red Ribbon Week. The students, and myself, are so thankful and excited. I am also sending you some pictures taken as I passed out the bottles. Thanks so much for all you do!”

A Warm Partnership with Subaru 

In January, Children Incorporated was selected by another nonprofit organization, Operation Warm, to receive 100 new coats for our Richmond sponsored children, thanks to its partnership with Subaru of America. Our staff welcomed two employees, Rachel and Michael, from a local dealership, Hyman Bros. Subaru, who brought the coats themselves to our office to then be distributed to children at our Virginia affiliated schools! We are so grateful for the support!

Thank you, Operation Warm and Hyman Bros. Subaru! 

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