Tag Archives: poverty

Shelley Callahan | March 26, 2024

As she continues her visit to our affiliated sites in New Mexico, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, visits the Mariano Lake Community School where she meets with Barbara, our volunteer coordinator.

VISITING MARIANO LAKE

“During my visit, Barbara had just received Hope In Action Program funding based on a request where she told me she could use things for the dorm, primarily books and arts and craft supplies.”

“Mariano Lake Community School is located about 60 miles south-southwest of Lake Valley. Whereas the Lake Valley area is rocky and has become more arid, the Mariano Lake area has sandy soil and more vegetation. There are several types of grasses, as well as shrubby plants and bushes.”

“The eponymous lake is across the road, but is down a hilly area and is not readily visible from the school. At one time, people came from all over the area to fish, but now the lake is actually more of a marsh and is no longer suitable for fishing,” said Renée.

Barbara is pictured with one of our sponsored children at Mariano Lake Community School.

“This area was originally settled by the Navajo because of the abundant vegetation and because it is an ideal area to raise sheep, which is still the case hundreds of years later. Prized for their adaptability to the land and for their overall health and hardiness, Navajo-Churro sheep have a long history with both Navajo and Hispanic families in the region. The sheeps’ ancestors were originally from Spain and were quickly acquired through trades and raids by the Navajo.”

“Today, they are important to the Navajo culture and economy. The meat sustains many families, and the wool is used for weaving. Mariano Lake is no exception; like other communities, many families keep at least a few sheep,” said Renée.

“Some families also came to the area years ago to work in the uranium mine, which, unfortunately, was closed in 1982 and is now a highly contaminated site full of hazardous waste. As a result of the mine’s closure, there are few job opportunities in the area. Most adults travel to work low wage jobs in nearby Gallup or Crownpoint.”

Meeting with Barbara

“When I arrived at Mariano Lake Community School I was met by our wonderful, long-term volunteer coordinator, Barbara. We strolled around the school so I could get reacquainted with it since my previous visit. Then we went into the teachers’ lounge for our meeting. Barbara said that, like so many other schools, the pandemic caused disruptions,” explained Renée.

“Barbara was so excited and grateful about the most recent donation and was happily making her spending plans.”

“When the lockdown began in March 2020, the dorm was shut down along with the school. Children struggled with remote learning at home and many families experienced severe illness and death, which was further trauma for the children. Eventually, the school reopened to hybrid instruction, and then during the 2022-2023 school year, the school went back to fully in-person instruction, and masks were required. Masking is optional this school year, but many are choosing to continue, especially households with elders or people with chronic health conditions. Barbara kept on her mask throughout my visit, and so I did too.”

“Our coordinator told me that all the children who are enrolled at Mariano Lake have parents and grandparents who can scarcely make ends meet, and our sponsors’ support is deeply appreciated. During my visit, Barbara had just received Hope In Action Program funding based on a request where she told me she could use things for the dorm, primarily books and arts and craft supplies. Barbara was so excited and grateful about the most recent donation and was happily making her spending plans,” said Renée.

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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 in that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | March 9, 2024

The purpose of our International Feeding Programs Fund is to feed children who would otherwise go hungry, so they can be alert at school and ready to learn. This important Children Incorporated fund supports children at our affiliated projects in the Philippines, Kenya, and Ethiopia. In some instances, our International Feeding Programs Fund provides meals for children during the school days. Other times, it is used to purchase grains, meats, vegetables, and cooking supplies for children to take home to their families.

Every year, 3.1 million children (8,500 children per day) die due to poor nutrition.

Hunger and child poverty

Hunger is a problem that most often affects low-income families who often can’t afford basic needs such as food, clothing, and adequate shelter. Without enough food or proper nutrition, impoverished children face a variety of setbacks that can derail their path out of poverty.

Facts about child hunger

– Every year, 3.1 million children (8,500 children per day) die due to poor nutrition

– Today, there are 815 million people in the world who do not have enough to eat

– Approximately 28% of all children in developing countries are considered to be underweight or have had their growth stunted as a result of malnutrition

For children to have a chance at a bright future, they need to eat healthy meals every day. When they’re hungry, they face a higher risk of having health conditions due to a weakened immune system and are therefore more likely to be hospitalized. Even if they are consuming an adequate volume of food, they may not be receiving enough of the vitamins and minerals they need to sustain their health and are therefore malnourished.

How you can help

$25 provides a child with food for one month. You can help children in need by donating to our International Feeding Program Fund. For a minimal amount of money, you can provide a child living in an underdeveloped country with meals and food that will ensure they are prepared to learn.

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Children Incorporated | February 15, 2024

Poverty means more than a lack of income. It also means a lack of resources to ensure sustainable livelihoods, such as food, clothing, clean water and proper shelter.

Poverty has many detrimental outcomes for children — hunger and malnutrition, ill-health, limited or a lack of access to education and other basic services. When children are raised in impoverished households, they often have to drop out of school to help their families or don’t attend school at all. Without an education, they have very little chance of breaking the cycle of poverty in which they live.

Today 385 million children around the world live in poverty.

Poverty can cause children permanent damage, both physically and mentally, and in both the short and long term. A lack of essentials can stunt their growth, cause them to fall behind in school, and lead to health problems for them. It also affects their roles within their families, communities, and society as a whole. Poverty denies children their human rights, and it leads to a vicious cycle of deprivation, which is difficult to break without proper support or assistance.

What is the definition of child poverty?

According to UNICEF, child poverty is when a child is living within a household in which the family’s economic resources are below the threshold of what is required to meet their basic needs such as food, clothing, housing and hygiene items.

Why is child poverty an issue?

Yes, child poverty is an issue that effects millions of children around the world every year. UNICEF states that the consequences of child poverty are detrimental. Children living in poverty are twice as likely to die in childhood than children not living in poverty.

What are the causes of child poverty?

Child poverty is caused by parental unemployment, disability, discrimination, lack of education, and lack of social services.

Global poverty facts

– According to UNICEF, 333 million children around the world live in poverty

– Children currently make up half of the global poor population

– Impoverished children are twice as likely to die in childhood than their wealthier peers

– Globally, 1 billion children lack nutritional food and basic necessities

– According to the World Bank, 15.9% of children around the world are living in extreme poverty

National poverty facts

– In 2022, 16.3% of children under the age of 18 in the United States was living in poverty

Poverty has detrimental effects on children that can last a lifetime.

– 11.6 million children in the United States today are living in low-income households

– 17.3% (6.4 million) of households with children were food insecure in 2022

– Children living in poverty have a higher rate of absenteeism or leave school altogether because they are more likely to have to work or care for family members

– Students who come from low-income families are 7 times more likely to drop out of school than those from families with higher incomes

What Children Incorporated does to help alleviate childhood poverty

Children Incorporated provides basic necessities such as food, clothing, healthcare, and educational support to children living in poverty in the U.S. and abroad. These essentials, so often taken for granted, are vital to a child’s growth and success in school. Each year, we give thousands of impoverished children all over the world a chance at a better life.

How you can help

You can help a child living in poverty in a few different ways. One is through our child sponsorship program. Our sponsorship program does more than just feed or clothe a child; for $35 a month, you not only help meet the basic and critical needs of a child, but you also make an investment in their future.

For $35 a month, you not only help meet the basic and critical needs of a child, but you also make an investment in their future.

Our policy has always been to consider the needs of each sponsored child on an individual basis. We work closely with our volunteer coordinators at our project sites, who are familiar with each individual circumstance, and the needs of every child in their care. Sponsorship donations are sent to our sites – orphanages, homes, community centers, and schools – at the beginning of each month in the form of subsidy stipends. Our on-site volunteer coordinators use these funds to purchase basic and education-related items for children in our program, to ensure that they have what they need to do their very best and succeed in school.

You can also help children in need by donating to one of our special funds. Our special funds offer a variety of giving options for sponsors who wish to further their support, as well as for donors who wish to make a difference without making a commitment.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD with Children Incorporated?

You can sponsor a child with Children Incorporated 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 that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

References:

http://nccp.org/topics/childpoverty.html

http://nccp.org/publications/pub_1194.html

United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME). “UNICEF: Committing to Child Survival: A promise renewed.” UNICEF, 2014. Accessed February 25, 2015.

https://www.urban.org/sites/default/files/publication/65766/2000369-Child-Poverty-and-Adult-Success.pdf

http://www.feedingamerica.org/assets/pdfs/fact-sheets/child-hunger-fact-sheet.pdf

https://ourworldindata.org/children-and-poverty-results-from-new-data

https://borgenproject.org/10-facts-children-living-poverty/

https://www.unicef.org/social-policy/child-poverty

Shelley Callahan | January 21, 2024En Español

After almost a week in Sucre, our International Director of Programs, Luis Bourdet, and I were winding down our visits to our affiliated sites, with only two left before we would leave Bolivia. Up until then, all the sites we had visited were schools or afterschool centers, but now, we were visiting the one site we work with that is a group home for girls in need.

Located in the city center of Sucre, the Santa Clotilde Home is unassuming from the outside, looking just like our other sites when one is standing on the street facing the building. Large doors and a high wall hid the interior buildings from view for security. But, once we walked inside, we really got to see just how vast and impressive the property is.

Upon entering the home, not only did our volunteer coordinator, Jhanneth, greet us at the door, but so did all the sponsored girls in our program, who were lined up wearing colorful outfits and holding balloons. We entered through a narrow lobby into a beautiful courtyard, surrounded by study rooms, activity rooms, dormitories, a kitchen and other administrative offices — everything the girls and the staff needed to live at Santa Clotilde full-time. Jhanneth explained to Luis and me that the girls attend local public schools, but the home was very focused on offering vocational training so the girls could learn fun and valuable skills while growing up here, such as sewing and cooking.

Vital support for vulnerable girls

Before Jhanneth gave us a tour of the home, the girls presented Luis and me with small gifts they had made themselves, showing off the amazing skills they had with arts and crafts. They then performed dances, played guitar and sang for us — all activities that were a regular part of their routine at Santa Clotilde. Jhanneth even had a music teacher come in each week to work with the girls in the afternoons after school.

Jhanneth went on to say that it was vital that the girls receive support from the home, and from Children Incorporated sponsors, to make sure they grow up in a safe and loving environment.

After their presentation, we had a chance to see where the girls lived, which were dorms that had been divided into areas based on ages and then designated by colors. Younger girls lived in the pink room while older girls lived in the green and purple rooms. Each color room had a lead girl who was in charge of helping the other, younger girls keep their beds and lockers tidy, which gave them a sense of responsibility they were very proud of.

As we walked between the dorm rooms, Jhanneth explained to Luis and me that these girls were some of the more vulnerable children in all of Sucre. Most of them had at some point been abandoned by their parents, some soon after birth, and they had no family to return to. Others were removed from their homes due to alcoholism or abuse by their caretakers. She went on to say that it was vital that they receive support from the home, and from Children Incorporated sponsors, to make sure they grow up in a safe and loving environment.

An amazing home full of love

Our tour ended in the kitchen of the home, where all the girls were waiting for us to join them for a delicious lunch, prepared by the full-time kitchen staff. Each of the girls helped set the tables, pour juice, and then clean up plates after we were done eating. The scene was lively as the girls giggled and told jokes to us through our meal.

I couldn’t help but have a huge smile on my face seeing them enjoy themselves so much in this amazing home, where they had everything they needed, including a family of peers and caring adults who looked out for them each and every day.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Ron Carter | January 1, 2024

I am a big believer in the idea of maintaining “an attitude of gratitude.” I have discovered over the years that I can weather crisis, hardships, trials, and difficulties much better when I remind myself of just how blessed I am. Even during my most trying days, I am aware that there are always others who perhaps struggle more, face greater challenges, and lack many things that I daily take for granted. I try very hard, even when I am frustrated, disappointed, or disillusioned to see the proverbial light at the end of the tunnel, and I constantly work to hold on firmly to my “attitude of gratitude.”

I want you to know that Children Incorporated appreciates each and every one of our sponsors and donors. Thank you for allowing us to serve those in need.

As we begin yet another year – Children Incorporated’s 60^th year of assisting those living in poverty – I want to clearly express my thanks to each of you who contributes to our special funds and sponsors our beautiful children. Your generosity over the decades is what has allowed us to feed, clothe, and help educate children and youth in many varied locations around the globe.

Children Incorporated would not and could not exist without your financial support and the trust you place in us to use your gifts for good. We take this responsibility quite seriously and constantly work to make each dollar go as far as possible in meeting the huge volume of needs before us.

I am grateful – truly thankful! – for your generous support, and I want you to know that Children Incorporated appreciates each and every one of our sponsors and donors. Thank you for allowing us to serve those in need.

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

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Ron Carter | December 2, 2023

Dear Friends,

December is an important month. For some, it is the end of yet another year, a time to wrap up loose ends and bring matters, personal and professional, to closure. For others, both religious and otherwise, December is the season of advent, of fresh starts, of hope, peace, joy, and love. Sprinkled throughout the month are all sorts of days of special recommendation. For example, December 4th is “Wear Brown Shoes Day,” December 6th is “Bartender Appreciation Day,” and December 13th is “Ice Cream Day.” Of course, the majority of us celebrate Christmas on December 25th.

Children Incorporated, as a business, operates on a fiscal year calendar (July 1 through June 30), so December is definitely not a month of endings for us, though the end of the calendar year is crucial for us as far as contributions go. As our financial supporters bring their annual contributions to an end, we always anticipate the generosity of those wishing to support our work with monetary gifts before the close of the calendar year.

Our Annual Fund is what drives our mission and vision and allows us to plan for the future of our organization — one in which we can help more and more children each and every year.

This year is no different. As always, we need your support and ask that you seriously consider what you may give to help us continue our life-changing work around the world. The needs of those we serve are ever-present and ever-real as children and families struggle with food insecurity and poor nutrition, the high cost of education, a lack of adequate clothing and hygiene items, and sub-par housing and shelter.

We do all that we can with the funds we receive from sponsorship and general contributions, and our honest efforts are recognized by the major charitable monitoring groups — Charity Navigator recently awarded Children Incorporated a score of 99 out of 100! — but the needs always seem to outweigh the dollars collected. This December, we ask for your help once again by considering making a donation to our Annual Fund. Our Annual Fund is what drives our mission and vision and allows us to plan for the future of our organization — one in which we can help more and more children each and every year, while keeping up with meeting the needs of the children we already support.

Yes, December is an important month. I’d like to designate it as “Children Incorporated Thanks Its Incredible Sponsors and Donors Month” and share my gratitude to each of you for allowing our small but dedicated staff and me, personally, to do the work of helping and improving the lives of children and families. You make it all possible. Thank you.

From the heart,
Ronald H. Carter

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