Tag Archives: opportunity

Shelley Callahan | February 27, 2022En Español

One of the ways we work to help children in our program is by supporting the needs of the affiliated sites where they are receiving care. This is especially important at our sites, like the J. Calvitt Clarke Home in India, where children not only attend school at the home but live during the week and require additional resources — including nutritious meals.

A loving gift

Today, we hear from our volunteer coordinator, Benarji, who wrote a letter to donors thanking them for a gift which allowed them to purchase much-needed kitchen and dining room equipment.

“These were essential items for the home and the children to not only provide daily meals, but to safely cook and avoid smoke inhalation.”

“Greetings to you! First of all, I thank you for your loving concern towards our Home. The funds were used to purchase two dining room tables and four wooden benches, as well as a water geyser with a 15-liter capacity, an inverter, a gas stove and a new gas connection. These were essential items for the home and the children to not only provide daily meals, but to safely cook and avoid smoke inhalation. The equipment also allows us to have hot water so the children can bathe comfortably in the rainy and winter seasons!

I am closing my letter with a heartfelt thanks from our children and ask for your continued thoughts during the pandemic.”

About the J. Calvitt Clarke Home

Named in honor of the father of Children Incorporated-founder Jeanne Clarke Wood, the J. Calvitt Clarke Home serves impoverished children in this region by providing for their basic, immediate needs while also investing in their futures by way of a well-rounded education – the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.

Located in the town of Dornakal, about 100 miles east of Hyderabad in the southeastern Indian state of Telangana, the J. Calvitt Clarke Home serves as a beacon of hope as poverty in the region is extensive, especially in years when droughts destroy the rice harvest and families working in agriculture are not able to support their children.

***

How do I sponsor a child in India?

You can sponsor a child in India in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child in India that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | February 24, 2022En Español

It is always exciting to hear from our volunteer coordinators that they are able to expand our sponsorship program within their regions because it means that more children in need will benefit from having a loving sponsor. This year, thanks to the efforts of our coordinators in the Philippines, we have added not only one new affiliated site but two — which will help hundreds of children in need.

This year, thanks to the efforts of our coordinators in the Philippines, we have added not only one new project but two — which will help hundreds of children in need.

Of course, we couldn’t do our important work in the Philippines without the support of our amazing sponsors who are now able to sponsor children in two new locations in the Philippines — the Santo Nino Center and the Cangumbang Center, which help change the lives of some of the most impoverished children and their families in the Philippines.

About the Philippines

The Philippines comprise a vast island nation in Southeast Asia. This archipelago of more than 7,000 islands boasts sandy beaches, towering mountains and volcanoes, tropical rainforests and an incredible wealth of natural resources and biodiversity. Humans have called these islands home for thousands of years, predating historic records. Today, the Philippines incorporate a staggering number of languages, ethnic groups, religions and cultures. Despite its status as an emerging market, however, nearly half of all Filipinos still earn less than $2 a day. Adequate sanitation, access to healthcare and access to potable water are still daily challenges in this widely underdeveloped country, which is also prone to typhoons, earthquakes and volcanic activity.

About the Santo Nino Center

Families from from Tacloban, where the Santo Nino Center is located, earn meager incomes, and often only one parent is working in the informal sector. Most inhabit concrete dwellings, but many others live in shacks fashioned from nipa palm shingles, bamboo and castoff boards. Children living in these impoverished conditions tend to suffer from neglect, abuse, or displacement. Amid this devastating poverty and its socioeconomic effects, the Santo Nino Center serves as a beacon of hope.

The Center is dedicated to facilitating community development, providing healthcare and promoting education. Especially in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan — one of the worst storms to hit the area in a hundred years — in November 2013, Children Incorporated plays a vital role in this mission. Together, we can help provide these deserving children with the opportunity to rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances from which they come.

About the Cangumbang Center

The Cangumbang Center, located on the southern side of the province, is categorized as an agricultural area, and is almost thirty minutes away from the city, which can be reached by jeepney and habalhabal (a single motor vehicle). Most families here are farm tenants and belong to poor families. The area is known to be flood prone, and during rainy or typhoon season, knee-high deep floods are common. Most families struggle while waiting for harvest or planting season. The children we support in this center come from families with meager income, most often with just one parent who works in the informal sector. Due to a lack of education, many parents end up in low-paying jobs. Some children at the Center are also neglected, abandoned, abused or displaced. Thankfully, with the support of Children Incorporated sponsors, we can help provide these deserving children with the opportunity to rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances from which they come.

***

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

Shelley Callahan | February 13, 2022En Español

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

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

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

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

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

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

About India

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

***

How do I sponsor a child in India?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | January 24, 2022En Español

One reason Children Incorporated is so special is because of our ability to help children around the world with their particular needs – largely due to the closeness that our volunteer coordinators have with children in our program.

One reason Children Incorporated is so special is because of our ability to help children around the world with their particular needs.

Last year, we received sponsorship enrollment information for a little boy named Ricardo at the Laboure School in El Salvador. In the comment section of his forms, our volunteer coordinator at the school indicated that Ricardo is deaf in his left ear, is partially deaf in his right ear, and that he needed hearing aids.

Our international programs department contacted our volunteer coordinator at Ricardo’s school immediately upon finding out about Ricardo’s situation to see if Children Incorporated could help. Soon after, we sent Hope In Action Funds to get Ricardo the hearing aids he needed — and shortly after that, Ricardo was matched with sponsor!

About El Salvador

Ricardo is pictured with his new hearing aids.

Abundant in rivers, lakes, and fertile, tropical farmland, El Salvador’s wealth of natural beauty traverses a vast central plateau bordered by Pacific coastal plains to the south and rugged mountains to the north. For centuries, several Mesoamerican nations called this land home, including the Lenca, Olmec, Maya, and Pipil/Cutcatlec. However, this smallest and most densely populated Central American nation is particularly susceptible to natural disasters like earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and it has been plagued by chronic political and economic instability for more than a century. High unemployment rates, rising inflation, organized crime, and a soaring birthrate leave many Salvadorans to live in abject poverty. The nation’s capital, San Salvador, is no exception to these maladies.

About the Laboure School

The Laboure School serves as a beacon of hope to this impoverished community. Although originally founded in 1934 as an orphanage for girls, today it operates solely as a school, providing a well-rounded education and moral support to both boys and girls of the city of San Salvador. The school offers children here an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and to rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances from which they come.

***

How do I sponsor a child in El Salvador?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Ron Carter | January 4, 2022En Español

When the COVID-19 pandemic initially hit in early 2020, I admit that I was greatly concerned about the negative impact it might have on our ability to raise the funds so badly needed to provide services to the thousands upon thousands of children and families that rely on us for help. I was fearful that our donors might be overwhelmed by their individual burdens and concerns and find themselves unable to continue to support our work.

Thank you, all, for your continued support of Children Incorporated’s work. Together, we can change and improve our world, one child at a time.

But…I was wrong. Very wrong! Our donors, contributors, and sponsors not only continued to fund our relief efforts; they upped their contributions and shared even more generously than before. They recognized that those who were already struggling prior to the pandemic were among the most vulnerable during it, and they – our loyal supporters – came through like never before.

Humbled by generosity

Our sponsored children had an especially wonderful Christmas, thanks to their sponsors!

I have been especially humbled by the generosity shown to Children Incorporated during the last two trying years. While the pandemic has certainly shown us the dark side of humanity at times, it has mostly revealed to us how kind and caring people truly are. My faith in humankind has been restored as I have witnessed compassion in action in so many wondrous ways. As donations came into our office in support of our COVID-19 Relief Fund, and we were able to provide masks, medication, hand sanitizers, and food, I saw the goodness of human hearts on full display. As the funds that we received allowed us to purchase laptop computers and personal tablets so that children could continue their studies remotely during school shutdowns, I witnessed hope for the future. As sponsors inquired about the individual children they sponsor and sent specialized gifts for them, I witnessed love, even across the miles and among relative strangers.

Remaining hopeful in the New Year

As I write these words, the COVID-19 pandemic rages on. The Omicron variant has now made its ugly presence known, and our society – once so hopeful that an end was in sight – is experiencing déjà vu and moments of concern, confusion, and conflict. I feel those things as well, but I remain hopeful, optimistic, and filled with a sense of expectation and wonder, for I have seen what we can do together. I know that good still exists among us, and with love and kindness, we will not only survive, but thrive.

Thank you, all, for your continued support of Children Incorporated’s work. Together, we can change and improve our world, one child at a time.

Ronald H. Carter
President and Chief Executive Officer

***

HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD with Children incorporated?

You can sponsor a child in 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 | December 19, 2021En Español

Today, we want to share a letter from our volunteer coordinators in Letcher County, Kentucky, who want to express their gratitude for everything that our sponsors have done for the children in our program over the last year.

Children Incorporated has made a big impact in the lives of these students.

A note from Jennifer

“Dear Staff and Sponsors,

Letcher County Central High School, our Youth Services Center, and our students would like to thank Children Incorporated and its sponsors for all they have done for our students throughout the 2020-2021 school year. The program has been a great asset.

The unprecedented COVID event of the past year and a half has been difficult for all of us, especially our children. Their daily struggles with life took on new meaning as students coped with isolation, spotty internet service for virtual instruction, lack of personal contact with teachers, and no social interactions with peers. The support from Children Incorporated enabled us to purchase clothing, shoes, and hygiene items. Our Children Incorporated families were provided with Thanksgiving dinner in their own homes. The Christmas holiday was merrier due to the generosity of the sponsors, enabling us to purchase for each student gifts of new shoes or boots and a Christmas stocking filled with candy, gloves, and hygiene items. Some sponsors sent additional gifts for their students as well.

Our sponsors have helped change the lives of many students who live in Letcher County, Kentucky and attend the local public schools

Two seniors graduated from the program this spring. They had wonderful sponsors throughout their high school years. One sponsor sent the student a gift card and fleece blanket for graduation. The other sponsor sent money, with which we purchased three sets of nursing scrubs for the student’s nursing program.

Children Incorporated has made a big impact in the lives of these students. Our families struggle daily with unmet needs, but through your organization some of those needs can be met and our students benefit emotionally, physically, and socially. We look forward to working with Children Incorporated in the coming school year.”

Sincerely,
Jennifer

A sweet story from Genevieve

“Dear Children Incorporated,

This is such a cute story that I had to share it with you.

Taylor* and his family happen to live 52 miles from Jackson, the little town where our school is located. They live way up in a hollow, and to reach their home, you have to drive to the end of a pavement drive, then to the end of gravel, then drive through the creek, jump on an old 4-wheeler and cross a hill.

The mother was explaining how badly Taylor wanted Hot Rod magazines – and you had sent exactly enough to purchase one this month with your thoughtful additional gift funds. Usually with your extra gifts I get him laundry soap, coloring books, art supplies, or ear buds.

It worked out great! Taylor was floored when he came to pick up items Tuesday with his mom. They only get to come out to town once a month to grocery shop. He was so excited. He said, “How did my sponsor know?” So, I made him sit down and write that thank you letter on the spot and ask you. He said, “Is she psychic?” I am encouraging his interest in these magazines, as it builds his reading skills.

Thank you so much for your help, and especially during this extraordinary school year.”

Sincerely,
Genevieve

*Name changed to protect the child.

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