Tag Archives: opportunity

Shelley Callahan | En Español

Kimper Elementary School, one of our many affiliated projects in Pike County, Kentucky, is proud of its reputation of academic excellence. With an attendance rate of 96 percent, this school has had a positive impact on the children and families of this struggling Appalachian community for decades. The school itself is very small, with an enrollment of about 175 students from kindergarten to the eighth grade. Our sponsorship program is making a difference there, as we help to ensure that the children receive the clothes, shoes, school supplies, and hygiene items they need on a regular basis.

So little time left for family

Kimper Elementary School students’ parents often work long hours away from home.

Recently, on her way to visit with our Volunteer Coordinator at Kimper Elementary School, Vivian, our U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, drove by a fairly large Kellogg Company factory, where well-known breakfast cereals and other convenience foods such as Corn Flakes are produced; she also passed a McCoy Elkhorn Coal Operation mine. Shelley was surprised that both seemed to be in full operation, and she was pleased to see industry in such a remote part of the county, where there would usually just be closed factories and mines.

When she arrived at the school, Shelley asked Vivian about employment options in the area. Vivian told Shelley that the McCoy Elkhorn Coal Operation mine used to be one of the better companies to work for – offering great pay, good benefits, bonuses, and pensions. Today, however, the mine operates on only a very small skeleton crew.

The Kellogg Company factory, on the other hand, employs a large number of people in Pike County – many of whom are parents of our sponsored and unsponsored children. Their shifts are long, though; employees work twelve-hour shifts either from 7:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m., or overnight from 7:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. This leaves staff with little time to be available for their kids. The long shifts are especially difficult for single parents.

The effects of working long hours

Thankfully, these children have the Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC), Vivian, and the support of their sponsors.

Even with better-paying jobs, parents who work long shifts still have plenty to worry about when it comes to providing for their kids. If they aren’t home in the evenings, they aren’t able to help their kids with homework, or prepare nutritious meals for them. Parents that work into late afternoon can’t take their kids to and from after-school activities, either; their kids may therefore miss out on sports and other school functions.

Kellogg Company employees may not have a chance to ensure that their kids are ready for school and properly dressed, with their book bags packed for the day. They may also miss important evening meetings at school. Thankfully, however, these children have the Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC), Vivian, and the support of their sponsors. Although their parents may not have as much time to dedicate to them as they would like, these kids are still being looked after and cared for each and every day.

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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

Last year, we wrote a story about how our Hope In Action Fund was able to help a boy named Robert* at East Ridge High School in Pike County, Kentucky. At the time, our volunteer coordinator at the school, Rhonda, was just starting her position as the head of the Family Resource Center when she met Robert as an incoming freshman. Shortly after getting to know Robert, Rhonda emailed our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, to tell her about Robert’s special situation.

“Thank you for the help you always give me and all the kindness you show me. I know you must have a heart of gold and full of love to help someone you don’t even know and have never met.”

– Robert

A special place in her heart

Here is Robert’s story:

The Children Incorporated volunteer coordinator at Robert’s elementary school is especially close to him. When she spoke with Rhonda at the beginning of the school year, she expressed that she has a special place in her heart for him. She shared some information about his home life – and most importantly, about the degree of need that he experiences.

Robert lives with his single father, who was renting a trailer; but there came a time when he could no longer afford it. So they had no choice but to move into a very small apartment. Robert’s father is disabled, and his limited disability benefits barely pay rent. The father has no transportation, and he sometimes struggles to provide food for his son. It wasn’t just the details of Robert’s home life that the elementary school coordinator wanted to share with Rhonda; she also felt it was important to mention that Robert was extremely self-conscious about his appearance.

The elementary school coordinator explained that, as a kid, Robert’s four front teeth had been knocked out, and he was desperately in need of a dental partial plate. At the time of the injury, a dentist helped him to recover from losing his teeth. Later, the dentist made an impression for a bridge, which is covered by Robert’s medical insurance – but the insurance does not cover partials or dentures.

When Robert’s father was told the cost of the partial plate, he told the dentist he couldn’t afford it. A few years later, when Robert reached high school, he was still missing those teeth – and he was unwilling to smile or talk to teachers or other students directly, because he was so embarrassed about it.

Robert smiles for the camera!

Realizing that Robert was in great need of some additional help outside of what he receives from his sponsor, Rhonda reached out to Renée to ask if Robert could be considered for assistance from our Hope In Action Fund to replace his missing teeth. Renée didn’t waste any time working on the request. Within a month, Rhonda received the funds needed to purchase Robert’s dental plate, and she ordered it for him immediately. Thanks to our Hope In Action Fund, Robert finally has something to smile about.

Catching Up with Rhonda

When our U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, returned to Pike County in spring of 2018 to meet with Rhonda, she was shown a letter written by Robert thanking his sponsor and Children Incorporated. Rhonda explained that at first, she kept it a secret as to where Robert had obtained the money to get his teeth fixed, because she didn’t want to embarrass him; but then she realized that Robert was telling all of his classmates about his sponsor, because he was so proud to be in our program!

Robert’s not the only one who’s proud to have a sponsor. Rhonda says there are many other children at her high school that absolutely love having sponsors, especially when they have the opportunity to show off new school clothes, and receive Christmas gifts during the holiday season – things that these kids would otherwise go without entirely.

A letter of gratitude from Robert

“Thank you for the help you always give me and all the kindness you show me. I know you must have a heart of gold and full of love to help someone you don’t even know and have never met. Because of the money you send to the Children Incorporated program, my family resource center was able to pay the dentist for my new front partial. We are sending you a picture of the ‘new me’! Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.”

– Robert

*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

On a trip to Pike County, Kentucky, Children Incorporated’s U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, visited the Family Resource and Youth Services Center (FRYSC) at our affiliated project Belfry Middle School, where she met with our Volunteer Coordinator Brittany. Brittany is relatively new to her job, and is taking on a variety of roles and responsibilities as she helps the children at her school receive basic needs.

Shelley noticed that Brittany is full of energy and enthusiasm, and it was obvious that she loves what she does. She is able to do her job well because of the support she receives from our sponsors. Brittany told Shelley repeatedly that our organization is a blessing to the FRYSC at Belfry Middle School, and that she depends heavily on our sponsorship program to serve her students – especially those who are struggling to eat at home.

The challenges of facing hunger

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) defines food insecurity as “a household-level economic and social condition of limited or uncertain access to adequate food.” In America today, people who live in rural areas often face hunger at higher rates than in other parts of the United States – oftentimes due to the challenges they face living in remote areas.

Our Volunteer Coordinator, Brittany, works hard to ensure that the children at Belfry Middle School have food, as well as other basic needs.

When families live far away from businesses or commercial districts, they might not have a way to access food pantries or other social services that could help them feed their families – if those services even exist in those districts. Furthermore, the majority of employment opportunities in rural parts of the United States tend to be for low-wage work; and unemployment and underemployment rates are often higher in rural areas than in non-rural ones. This is what we frequently hear in our work with families living in poverty in Eastern Kentucky.

Working together to feed kids

As they met, Brittany explained to Shelley how food insecurity is a big concern in her district. When Kentucky teachers went on strike earlier this year in an attempt to have improvements made to their working conditions, they held a rally to collect canned and dry goods, because teachers were worried about kids missing school meals and not eating during the day as a result of the strike.

When families live far away from businesses or commercial districts, they might not have a way to access food pantries or other social services that could help them feed their families.

Brittany said that her resource center is also fortunate because American Electric Power (AEP), her husband’s employer, and its employees are generous about holding food drives. The local branch of the company gives the food to Brittany’s husband, who takes it to Belfry Middle School for Brittany to distribute. She said that the AEP employees are a huge help in keeping kids nourished. She has enrolled thirty of her most vulnerable children in her weekly Backpack Feeding Program; and when she has a significant overstock of food, she shares with the other coordinators in her district.

Brittany’s work doesn’t stop when the children leave school for summer break, either. In fact, summertime concerns her even more with regard to whether or not children are receiving meals. During the summer, when schools are closed and kids don’t have access to the National School Breakfast and Lunch Program, Brittany works with local churches to host a weekly Vacation Bible School to give our sponsored and unsponsored kids morning snacks and lunches so that they can enjoy their summer instead of being hungry.

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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

In the northern part of Pike County, Kentucky lies the Belfry community, which pertains to the Thacker Coalfield. Years ago, there were active mines there; but today, the mines are no longer worked, and many parents of our sponsored and unsponsored kids have found themselves scrambling to find jobs – none of which pay as well as working in the mines did. Most available employment is in the service industry, such as at convenience marts and fast food restaurants for minimum wage – which means that many families have less money than they used to, and that they have to make hard decisions about which basic necessities to buy for their children. In considering their needs, important hygiene products are often overlooked.

A very devoted coordinator

sponsoring children helps them to succeed in life

Pat with one of our sponsored children at Belfry High School

On a recent trip to Pike County, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, was warmly greeted by our long-term Volunteer Coordinator at Belfry High School, Pat. Formerly our coordinator at Runyon Elementary School, Pat has seen the value of our sponsorship program over many years. She explained to Renée that when she moved from the elementary school to the high school, working with older kids was a big adjustment for her, because they have a lot more issues and insecurities than younger students. She is now thriving as our coordinator, and she finds herself very devoted to and protective of the teenagers she supports through the school’s Family Resource Center.

Belfry High School is the largest in the county, with an enrollment of 648 students in grades nine through twelve. The building was constructed in 2005 between the communities of Belfry and Goody; the former high school building became another affiliated project of ours, Belfry Middle School.

While they met in the resource center, Pat shared with Renée that her budget has been cut drastically over the past few school years. Pat has tirelessly sought community partnerships to provide for her students; one that she acquired is with a small local realty company that donated a few new coats for the holiday season. Pat says she doesn’t know what she would do without the Children Incorporated program, which she feels is vital in helping the most impoverished students at the school, who would otherwise not receive any assistance at all.

For both boys and girls, hygiene is about more than just health and well-being – when kids feel clean, they also feel confident, and their self-esteem is raised.

Keeping kids confident

Beyond clothing and school supplies, Pat’s greatest need is for hygiene items, which families are not legally able to purchase with food stamps. Additionally, when parents and guardians need to pay bills and buy food, deodorant and soap can be low on their priority lists; kids, therefore, might go without them.

These items are essential for students as they grow – especially for high school students – because without them, children feel like they don’t fit in with other kids. As a result, they may skip school out of embarrassment. Pat told Renée that it is especially important that she be able to provide sanitary supplies for her female students on a regular basis, because it makes a huge difference in the girls’ attendance.

For both boys and girls, hygiene is about more than just health and well-being – when kids feel clean, they also feel confident, and their self-esteem is raised. It is important for kids to feel good about themselves, because only then can they concentrate on obtaining an education and doing well in school, rather than be concerned about whether their hygiene is up to par with that of their classmates.

Thankfully, adolescents enrolled in our program at Belfry High School have their sponsors’ monthly support to help them receive the hygiene items they so greatly 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.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

When we think about what constitutes a well-rounded education for a child, what might first pop into our heads are academic subjects like math, science, and English. The arts, though, can have just as much of a significant impact on a child’s development, character, and personality as other core subjects.

This is exactly why our volunteer coordinator at our affiliated project Belfry Elementary School is working hard to bring an arts camp to children enrolled in our program.

Eugenia feels that an art camp would not only be a good way to keep kids busy so they don’t get into trouble, but art could also encourage their mental, social, and emotional development.

On a recent visit to Pike County, Kentucky, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, met with our Volunteer Coordinator Eugenia, who told Renée about her desire to create a Belfry-area summer arts camp for the students at her school and others nearby. She explained that in previous years, kids have attended a local church’s vacation Bible school during summer break. The church is no longer offering the camp, however, due to a lack of finances.

Eugenia is concerned that, without activities to keep them occupied in the summer, children won’t be safe at home alone while their parents are working. She is also worried that, without the school lunches that they usually receive during the school year, students from impoverished families will go hungry in the summer months. In addition, Eugenia feels that an art camp would not only be a good way to keep kids busy so they don’t get into trouble, but art could also encourage their mental, social, and emotional development.

Why art matters

Eugenia with one of our sponsored children

Art and creativity can benefit children in a variety of ways. Holding a paintbrush, crayon, or marker helps a child to develop their fine motor skills, as well as improves their ability to problem-solve. Drawing and painting can promote patience and determination for kids, because it gives them a task that they feel driven to complete. Since art is also a vehicle for emotion, children can work through ideas and issues when they exercise their creativity. Many children in our program have witnessed abuse or addiction, or they face depression and anxiety in their own lives or in the lives of those that surround them. Art can help them to express their feelings, which is crucial for them as they deal with past and present traumas, or other adversity in their lives.

A coordinator who goes above and beyond

Eugenia’s work goes beyond developing a summer arts program in order to support our sponsored and unsponsored children. She also ensures that the kids in her care are receiving exactly what they need in order to attend classes. She sends a letter home at the start of each school year asking parents for their kids’ clothes and shoe sizes. She also inquires as to what kinds of school supplies they would like to have. Then she shops for the students.

She also partners with a local hair salon, “Just Teasin’,” so that all the children enrolled in our program get haircuts so they may start the new school year looking their very best. During the holidays, for either Thanksgiving or Christmas, Eugenia uses sponsorship funds to provide vouchers that families can use to purchase food at a local grocery store, and have a nice meal together to celebrate.

Before her visit was over, Renée let Eugenia know that Children Incorporated could provide support for her summer arts program from our Hope In Action Fund. Just as Eugenia is passionate about using art to help kids succeed, we at Children Incorporated also feel that art and creativity are an important part of a child’s education. Through academics and art, we hope that children are able to reach their full potential. With the support of our sponsors and donors to supplement special programs, kids will have the chance to overcome the difficult obstacles they face living in poverty.

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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

Pike County Central High School is the largest of five high schools in Pike County, Kentucky, with an enrollment of approximately 720 students. On a recent trip to Pike County, our U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, met with our volunteer coordinator at the school, whose name is also Shelley. Our volunteer coordinator Shelley is the Youth Services Center (YSC) coordinator for the school; she describes the YSC as a safe space for all students of any economic background where they may freely come and go without judgment when they are in need of a new clothing item, shoes, school supplies, hygiene items, or a snack to eat.

Businesses choose to help support kids in need for a variety of reasons.

Shelley explained that the children who are enrolled in our program – kids that she says are the most impoverished at the school – can visit her office for items they need without feeling embarrassed that their parents are unable to afford the school supplies they lack. Included among these necessities are book bags, notebooks, and socks.

Both businesses and our sponsorship program are helping children at Pike County Central High School.

Shelley says that with the sponsorship funds she receives every month, she especially likes to buy “school logo” clothes for her students; they help kids to feel like they fit in with the rest of their classmates. In the fall, sponsored and unsponsored children each receive a hoodie, a long-sleeved shirt, and sweatpants; and in the spring, another long-sleeved shirt and a couple of t-shirts. She supplements the clothes with hygiene items like soap and shampoo, or other special necessities, depending on what each student’s particular needs are, throughout the school year.

A unique place 

During the visit, Shelley explained that her school is unique as a result of its close proximity to Pikeville, the county seat or governmental center of the county. Since the school is nearby, several Pikeville businesses support its resource center with food and clothing drives, which are a great help in keeping supplies stocked all year long. When she can, she tries to share with the other high schools in the area, like Phelps and East Ridge, which do not have as much local support due to their remote locations. Shelley is hopeful that, with the recent uptick in businesses and factories moving into the area, there is potential not only for more jobs for graduating seniors from Pike County Central High School and their parents, but also for more support for the center from local businesses.

Why small businesses help

Just like us, they, too, believe in the value of helping children succeed, and in giving them the chance that they deserve to have education, hope, and opportunity in their lives.

Businesses choose to help support kids in need for a variety of reasons. For starters, there are tax benefits for doing so. Donating to a qualified tax-exempt organization that falls under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code means that a business may deduct these contributions in its tax return. There are also marketing opportunities for businesses to advertise the philanthropic donations they make; non-profits may, in turn, publicize support as well. Additional possibilities for networking with new potential clients may present themselves, too, as a result of a business-charity partnership.

Working with charities may also offer volunteer opportunities for a business’ employees; and many companies offer matching gifts programs for employees to participate in. Despite the many benefits for businesses themselves, however, business owners oftentimes support charities simply because they want to give back to their own communities. Just like us, they, too, believe in the value of helping children succeed, and in giving them the chance that they deserve to have education, hope, and opportunity in their lives.

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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