Tag Archives: kentucky

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Perry County Central High School is located in the city of Hazard in Perry County in the Eastern Kentucky Coalfield. Hazard, once a nineteenth-century settlement with a booming coal mining community, is nestled in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains. The geographic isolation of Perry County has led to deep-rooted preservation of this region’s rich culture; but this has also contributed to economic stagnation over the years.

Families that do not have steady or sufficient incomes often find themselves without adequate housing.

Poverty, drug abuse, and a lack of health insurance are just a few of the problems that this part of Kentucky faces, and they are due to limited employment opportunities and the dwindling coal market. Though many Hazard families struggle, life for some has started to improve, as Perry County has taken steps to incite new economic growth. Yet one major issue still plagues low-income families: a lack of availability of affordable housing.

Students without homes

sponsor a child in kentucky

Hazard has very few low-income apartments for families in the community.

Founded in 1995 as the result of the consolidation of two other local high schools, our affiliated project Perry County Central High School is a large school with an enrollment of around 900 students. Seventy-two percent of the students there qualify for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). On a visit to the school, our U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, met with our Volunteer Coordinator Tina. Tina told Shelley that she feels she is perfect for her job because she grew up very poor in a large family with thirteen siblings. She, therefore, understands the issues that many of the families in the community are dealing with when it comes to living in poverty.

Tina explained to Shelley that at Perry County Central High School, there is not much of a middle class; as Tina described it, “There is no in-between – you either have money or you don’t.” Families that do not have steady or sufficient incomes often find themselves without adequate housing. As a result, there is a large homeless population among the students at the school.

A very long waitlist

According to Tina, Hazard has very few low-income apartments for families in the community. There are about 150 of these apartments in the whole town, so the waiting list to get in is very long. This means that many families have no choice but to find temporary housing arrangements, which is not ideal for students who require stability while they’re attending school.

The students who Tina considers to be homeless are not necessarily living on the streets or in shelters; some of them are staying on couches at friends’ houses, or staying with teachers or relatives. Currently, the high school has six students who are living in a homeless shelter. Tina says that at the end of the day, even some students who do have homes to go to often beg to go home with friends or teachers, because their home life is unstable — or even unsafe.

Currently, the high school has six students who are living in a homeless shelter.

A lack of transportation

Another great area of need for the students of Perry County Central High School is transportation. Many students want to work part-time jobs. In these cases, school buses can be re-routed to drop them off at work after school – but then they have no way to get home. Students often end up walking home, which can be dangerous and exhausting for them.

Transportation is also an issue for students who want to attend the local college, Hazard Community and Technical College, to get a jump-start on higher education courses. There is a transportation service through the college that picks students up and drops them off every day, but it costs $5.00 a day — or approximately $100.00 per month. Most students cannot afford this service. Tina wishes that students who want to go to college in the area could be provided with free transportation.

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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.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Situated in the hilly rural Eastern Kentucky Coalfield region of Appalachia, Leslie County is an area of stark contrasts. Its breathtaking rugged beauty and veins of coal drew its first residents there more than a century ago; and for generations, coal mining served as a primary source of employment for its residents.

For some students, whether they are sponsored or not, our program not only provides them with basic needs, but it also affords them the chance to feel as though they fit in at school.

With the rapid decline of that industry, however, employment opportunities have drastically diminished, resulting in the need for many families to move away and seek employment elsewhere. Those who remain must endure the daily realities of poverty, including a widespread drug abuse problem that devastates the entire community — not just the users themselves.

Thankfully, students at W.B. Muncy Elementary School have teachers and administrators to provide them with a well-rounded education, as well as support from Children Incorporated sponsors and donors to help them overcome the barriers they face living in poverty. For some of those students, whether they are sponsored or not, our program not only provides them with basic needs, but it also affords them the chance to feel as though they fit in with the other students who aren’t experiencing difficult circumstances.

Meeting Joseph

Helping a child in need will change their life.

Sponsorship often helps children with their self-esteem, as well as provides them with basic needs.

On a trip to Leslie County, Children Incorporated’s U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, visited with our Volunteer Coordinator at W.B. Muncy Elementary School, Amy, as well as with a few children in our program. Amy explained to Shelley that Children Incorporated helps her to obtain clothing, backpacks, and school supplies for her students, along with other essential items — which is incredibly important for single and unemployed parents, as well as for grandparents who are struggling to get by on a day-to-day basis because they are raising children again.

After meeting with Amy, Shelley had the opportunity to sit and talk with a special student named Joseph*. Joseph is currently unsponsored and on our waiting list. Amy helps him with additional funding that she receives from Children Incorporated’s Shared Hope Fund, which helps to support kids who are waiting for sponsors. When Shelley was first introduced to Joseph, she could see that he had a tough exterior; he sometimes found it difficult to allow himself to smile.

After he returned to class, Amy told Shelley that Joseph harbors a lot of anger because of the situation in which he finds himself: he is being raised by a single dad who doesn’t have a lot of money. Joseph feels like he really stands out from other kids at school. Amy then told Shelley a story about how our program was able to help Joseph to overcome some of those issues he faces.

A hat makes a big difference

A few months prior, Amy realized that Joseph needed new clothes and shoes, because his were worn out. So she invited him to the Family Resource Center so that she could ask him what he wanted and needed. He told her what he could use; but before he left, he leaned in close to Amy and quietly said, “The school is having a ‘Hat Day’ next week, and I don’t have a hat like the other kids. If you could get me a hat, too, I would really appreciate it.”

Thanks to the support he receives, Joseph feels less different from everyone else at his school – and he now holds his head high and smiles more often, because he feels like he fits in.

Amy purchased Joseph’s new clothes, including a hat, over the course of the next few days. When “Hat Day” came around the following week, Joseph made a point of returning to the Resource Center to see Amy; he was wearing his hat and a brand new outfit — as well as a big smile on his face. Joseph said, “I really love my hat. Thank you for remembering that I didn’t have one for today.” Later that day, he returned to the Resource Center once again and told Amy, “You don’t know how much this helps my dad. We don’t have a whole lot of money, so now he won’t have to worry about getting me clothes and shoes.”

According to Amy, the Children Incorporated program has had a great impact on Joseph’s life; it has really helped him to blossom and feel more confident. Thanks to the support he receives, Joseph feels less different from everyone else at his school – and he now holds his head high and smiles more often, because he feels like he fits in.

*Name changed for child’s protection.

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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.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Buckhorn School is located in Perry County in the Eastern Kentucky Coal Field. This region is known for its lumber and coal industries, which sustained the people of this beautiful, very rural and isolated part of Appalachia for generations.  Unfortunately, however, those industries are now waning, and there are few businesses in the area today. High unemployment and transportation problems are also major setbacks for most residents.

Just as Judy does, the school administration recognizes the importance of preparing kids with the tools they need to succeed, too.

Founded in 1902, Buckhorn School has a dedicated staff of teachers and administrators that have worked hard to create a nurturing environment where every student has the opportunity to obtain a quality education. This is especially valuable for students whose families are living in poverty.

As the only kindergarten through twelfth-grade school in Perry County, Buckhorn School has an enrollment of approximately 200 students. Our sponsorship program helps to provide children there with basic needs throughout the year. For many of Buckhorn’s high school students, support from sponsors means that they are receiving quality professional clothing and shoes that they may use for future job interviews.

Shopping for themselves

sponsoring a child changes their life.

Judy, who is pictured here with Shelley Oxenham, encourages her students to do their best.

While visiting Buckhorn School, our U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, met with Judy, the school’s Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC) Coordinator and Children Incorporated Volunteer Coordinator. Judy has worked at the school in various positions for twenty years, and she has been the FRYSC Coordinator there since October of 2017.

During their meeting, Judy explained to Shelley that the Children Incorporated program has allowed her to purchase clothes and shoes for sponsored children, which has been especially helpful for her high school students, who otherwise might never have new outfits to wear. Since they are among the older students in our sponsorship program, instead of shopping for them, Judy meets the high school-aged sponsored kids at a local clothing store and lets them pick out their own clothes and shoes. While shopping, Judy encourages them to choose items that they may wear not only to school, but also to professional settings when they are seeking employment opportunities after they graduate.

“Professional Day” for students

Judy explained to Shelley that she feels that preparing seniors for obtaining employment after graduation is about more than just wearing the right clothes. Just as Judy does, the school administration recognizes the importance of preparing kids with the tools they need to succeed, too. Every year, the school hosts a “Professional Day” where seniors are asked to wear their most professional outfit to school, and they are given tips on how to dress appropriately in their business attire. The seniors also receive help creating their resumes, they learn how to search for jobs online, and they carry out practice interviews so that they may feel more confident in pursuing employment on their own.

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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.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Roy G. Eversole Elementary School is located in Eastern Kentucky in the small city of Hazard. With a population of less than 5,000, Hazard is the county seat of Perry County. This region of Kentucky is known for its lumber and coal industries, which sustained the people of this beautiful part of Appalachia for generations.

Tammy knows that he is doing his absolute best as a father; but the family still requires additional assistance from a few caring sponsors.

Originally founded as a settlement in 1790, Hazard received its name in 1854 in honor of American naval hero Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry. Today, despite a progressive local government that has spurred economic growth, unemployment is high and wages are low in Perry County. The coal mining industry — once a main source of income for thousands of families in the area — is rapidly waning.

In addition, a variety of social maladies such as drug abuse and alcoholism plague the families of this small community. Amidst the poverty-related stress, our affiliated project, Roy G. Eversole Elementary School, supports children so that they may receive an education, while our sponsorship program provides kids with basic needs, so that students and families have the opportunity to overcome some of the barriers they face in life.

Eager to find sponsors

Sponsor a child changes lives.

Shelley pictured with Tammy, our Volunteer Coordinator at Roy G. Eversole Elementary School

On a trip to visit Roy G. Eversole Elementary School, our U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, met with our Volunteer Coordinator, Tammy, at the school’s Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC). Tammy is a former school secretary at Hazard Middle School, and she currently oversees the Children Incorporated program at both Eversole Elementary School and Hazard Middle School. In total, approximately 750 students between pre-kindergarten and the eighth grade are in attendance at the two schools. While they were meeting, Tammy explained to Shelley that she is anxious to obtain sponsors for some of the children that she has identified as very needy as soon as possible.

Tammy told Shelley about one particular family in which a single father is raising four children all on his own. He works for the Housing Alliance, and was able to acquire an apartment through his employer; but it is still difficult for him to manage day-to-day responsibilities at home while also having to work — and his job doesn’t pay enough for him to ensure that his children are receiving everything they need, like new school outfits, school supplies, and hygiene items. Tammy knows that he is doing his absolute best as a father; but the family still requires additional assistance from a few caring sponsors who she knows could really change this father’s life and his children’s lives drastically through their monthly contributions.

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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.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Hear from our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, about her visit with our volunteer coordinator and a sponsored child and his mother at our affiliated project Johns Creek Elementary School in Pike County, Kentucky:

“I arrived on a cloudy afternoon; and even though it was April, spring had not yet reached the higher mountain elevations. The trees had buds, but no leaves.

“I was welcomed warmly by long-time Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC) Coordinator and our Volunteer Coordinator, Dwayne. It had been a while since I’d visited, so Dwayne took me on a tour of the buildings and grounds so I could familiarize myself with them.

“Rebecca told me that she will never forget our organization’s special help when she and her husband were so desperate.”

– Renée Kube

“Dwayne explained that the original building was constructed around 1950. A separate addition was built in 1975, with a courtyard between the two structures. Finally, a third addition was built in 1991 that enclosed and reclaimed the courtyard for academic purposes, and also provided a new cafeteria.

“Johns Creek Elementary School is the second-largest elementary school in the entire county, with over 800 children. Dwayne feels the school has an excellent academic reputation, and that young parents choose to live in the community so their children can attend school there. It is located in the rural community of Meta, where there is a lot of poverty. Seventy-two percent of the students at the school receive free meals. However, the county’s overall poverty rate is so high that it has qualified for countywide free breakfasts and lunches.”

A tireless advocate

“Dwayne is a tireless advocate for his students, and he works with partners large and small, near and far, for their benefit. He uses a company called Kits for Kidz that provides new, discounted, name-brand school supplies that can be ordered by age and grade. He partners with Operation Warm, a nonprofit organization headquartered in Pennsylvania that provides new winter coats to needy children.

“And he works on a smaller scale with a county group called Manna From Heaven Outreach, Inc. that provides clothing, hygiene items, and sometimes furniture. By collaborating with Operation Warm, Dwayne doesn’t have to use sponsorship funds for winter coats, so he instead focuses on using that money for the purchase of shoes and clothing for our sponsored children throughout the year, which really helps him and the children in our program.”

Taking action

Renée with Joshua and his mom, Rebecca

“After our tour, Dwayne took me to his office, where he had made an appointment for me to meet with Joshua* and his mother, Rebecca*. Joshua is eight years old and is the youngest of three boys who live with their mother and stepfather. All three boys are currently in our sponsorship program. His mother is a homemaker, and his stepfather does landscaping work. Joshua has Down syndrome, which comes with some developmental and physical problems. Overall, his health was stable until this school year, when he had three emergencies that required hospitalization.

“One of these emergencies resulted in a delicate heart operation at the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. Rebecca took Joshua to Ohio, and she stayed with him while his stepfather stayed home with the two older sons. Dwayne appealed to Children Incorporated for help for the family during these emergencies, and we were able to respond. Our Hope In Action Fund provided food for the stepfather and older boys, some aid with food and lodging for Rebecca, and some funds to purchase food and pajamas to ease Joshua’s stay in the hospital.

“While visiting with them, Rebecca told me that she will never forget our organization’s special help when she and her husband were so desperate. And she added that they are, of course, very grateful for the regular assistance that the boys receive from their sponsors, too.”

Thank you, Renée, for sharing this heartfelt story as a reminder of how Children Incorporated sponsors and donors make a difference in the lives of so many children and families in Kentucky, all over the United States, and around the world!

*Names changed for individuals’ protection.

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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.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

It is an unfortunate reality that, when it comes to our affiliated projects around the world, including in urban and rural areas in the United States, we often hear from our volunteer coordinators that there just aren’t enough funds provided to them to help every child in need. Sometimes the reason is that a school’s budget has been cut, or the number of children in attendance is growing faster than the administration can keep up with; or maybe a significant donor is no longer able to fund certain programs, and no new donor has replaced them. Whatever the reason, a lack of funding means that children living in poverty suffer without basic resources, and they are at risk of falling behind in school.

Because funding isn’t always secure for the schools, community centers, and orphanages with which we partner, our volunteer coordinators are endlessly grateful for our sponsors and donors, who help the kids in their care that are enrolled in our program.

Because funding isn’t always secure for the schools, community centers, and orphanages with which we partner, our volunteer coordinators are endlessly grateful for our sponsors and donors, who help the kids in their care that are enrolled in our program. Donations from Children Incorporated don’t always cover the needs of every child at a project, however; and in many cases, our coordinators seek help from the surrounding community in order to ensure that kids living in poverty are getting what they need. One such volunteer coordinator who did just that is Deloris at Mullins Elementary School in Pike County, Kentucky.

Rebuilding her center

Sponsor a child in Kentucky.

Deloris shows Renée and Shelley her supply closet, which is full, thanks to a local church.

Mullins Elementary School is a spacious and well-equipped newer school located just outside the Pikeville city limits. Deloris originally worked in the school’s front office; then she was transferred to the family resource center when our last volunteer coordinator there, Tammy, retired a few years ago. On a trip to visit the school, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, and our U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, met with Deloris, who explained that when she took over in her new position, she felt like she was starting from square one.

The center had been completely cleaned out after Tammy’s departure, and Deloris found that she had almost no budget to work with and no supplies to distribute to kids who were going to school without proper clothes or any school supplies at all. She told Shelley and Renée that it has been a big task for her to rebuild the center from the ground up. She has had to work hard to figure out how to provide for the students at the school, as well as for their families, who she knows all too well are struggling to make a living in this impoverished region of the United States.

Getting the supplies she needs

In order to obtain the food and school supplies she needed, she reached out to a church in the community to make food baskets during Thanksgiving and Christmas for families who would otherwise go without holiday meals. The church also held a school supplies drive that enabled Deloris to stock a closet in her center. Thankfully, when it comes to the donations that sponsored children are receiving from their sponsors, Deloris has had the funds in place to shop for children enrolled in our program so that they receive new clothes, shoes, and school supplies, as well as hygiene items on a monthly basis.

Before their visit ended, Shelley and Renée discussed how Deloris could identify more children to enroll in our sponsorship program so that we could hopefully link them with sponsors, too. Deloris was excited to work towards getting more children sponsored, with the hope that with additional sponsorships paired with continued help from the community, she could ensure that all the kids at Mullins Elementary School are receiving the consistent support they so desperately need.

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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.