Tag Archives: sponsor a child

Children Incorporated | July 28, 2022

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.

High unemployment rates, rising inflation, organized crime, and a soaring birthrate leave many Salvadorans in a desperate state.

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 in a desperate state. El Salvador’s poverty is a problem that prevents many from getting a proper education, adequate healthcare, drinkable water, and sanitation services. It also affects children’s growth.

Challenges for Children in El Salvador

In El Salvador, children’s very lives and futures are at risk, as they struggle with poverty and lack of educational resources. Right now, children in El Salvador need your help.

25% of children under the age of 5 live in extreme poverty
36% of the rural population lives in poverty
Half of all the country’s children and teenagers live on less than US $1.25 per day
Almost 25% of school-aged children do not attend school, and roughly 10% work as child laborers
Almost 20% of males and 25 % of females aged 15 or above cannot read or write
El Salvador has one of the highest rates of crime and murder in the world, and gang violence and extortion disturb the economy, leading to widespread poverty

Our Work in El Salvador

Thanks to caring people like you, Children Incorporated has helped thousands of impoverished children in El Salvador since 1964.

We work with our volunteer coordinators in local communities to provide health and nutrition, education, hygiene items, clothes, shoes, and other essentials that help children and families rise above the poverty in which they live.

Our strategy is to focus on individual children through our sponsorship program, ensuring they are receiving exactly what they need on a regular basis.

Your support makes all our work possible to help children in crisis in El Salvador.

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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

Sources:

https://databank.worldbank.org/data/download/poverty/987B9C90-CB9F-4D93-AE8C-750588BF00QA/AM2020/Global_POVEQ_SLV.pdf

https://www.statista.com/statistics/790764/poverty-rate-el-salvador/

Shelley Callahan | November 11, 2021

We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with Banter™ by Piercing Pagoda®. Starting this upcoming Giving Tuesday, $1 will be donated to Children Incorporated from any item purchased from Banter by Piercing Pagoda’s Kids Collection through December 19th, up to $50,000.

All proceeds will go to our Hope In Action Fund which supports children and families in emergency situations, such as natural disasters, extreme hardship due to health challenges, and when families are unable to pay for school activities for their children.

“Using every purchase from our Kids Collection for this partnership only felt right when working with Children Incorporated to support the need of the children they serve, and we can’t wait to continue our partnership in the future.”

“We’re excited to partner with Children Incorporated this Giving Tuesday to help kids on their journeys to becoming the best versions of themselves. When we came across Children Incorporated, we felt an immediate connection based off our brands’ mutual passion for everyone, and in this case children, to have the opportunity to succeed,” says Brandi Guccion, Vice President of Brand Marketing, Banter™ by Piercing Pagoda®.

“Banter™ by Piercing Pagoda® empowers individuals to celebrate who they are and have the confidence to believe in themselves, which is why we felt an instant synergy with Children Incorporated. Using every purchase from our Kids Collection for this partnership only felt right when working with Children Incorporated to support the need of the children they serve, and we can’t wait to continue our partnership in the future.”

About Piercing Pagoda

Today, Piercing Pagoda®, the rapidly growing, affordable fine jewelry and piercing retailer, announced it’s ushering in a bold new chapter in its 50-year evolution with the testing and introduction of a new master brand name, “Banter™ by Piercing Pagoda®.” This new name reflects the personal relationship the retailer has with both its new and long-held customers, its innovative customer experiences, and its omnichannel growth strategy. “Banter™ by Piercing Pagoda®” has plans to roll out the name to its more than 500 U.S. locations, digital platforms, and social media channels. Already, one-fifth of existing locations are testing the new Banter™ by Piercing Pagoda® name in cities including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

“Our new Banter™ by Piercing Pagoda® name is full of energy, invoking the excitement of playful conversation, like the adrenaline of a new piercing or piece of jewelry. Our customers are fiercely individual, creative people who inspire us to reject labels and celebrate our unique identities each day,” said Kecia Caffie, President of Banter™ by Piercing Pagoda®. “Guided by our Inspiring Brilliance strategy, our passionate team draws inspiration directly from our customers to continually evolve our product offerings and our connected commerce experiences so that we’re there for them whenever, wherever and however they choose to shop with us.”

Known by its distinctive gold-script capital letter “B,” Banter™ by Piercing Pagoda® aims to empower more customers to express themselves with chains, charms, necklaces, and earrings that are gender neutral – and safely offers piercing services for the face, nose, and ears. Banter™ by Piercing Pagoda® combines stylish designs and approachable service at affordable price points with tech-enabled stores and warm, modern service.

Banter™ by Piercing Pagoda® is part of Signet Jewelers, the world’s largest retailer of diamond jewelry. Within the Signet portfolio, which features nine jewelry retail brands with distinct value propositions, Banter™ by Piercing Pagoda® caters to the tech-savvy Gen Z and millennial customer, who is passionate about jewelry and fashion – and lets their style tell their story. Banter™ by Piercing Pagoda® takes inspiration directly from its customers to evolve product offerings, underscoring the company’s consumer-inspired strategy based on data-driven insights.

Shelley Callahan | July 14, 2021En Español

Our Mosquito Net Fund is one of the most effective ways our sponsors and donors can offer help to keep children healthy and protect them against mosquito-borne diseases. For roughly $10 apiece, we can provide essential mosquito nets to children in our program living in Africa and India.

Each year, we give approximately 1800 mosquito nets to our sponsored children, such as those at our affiliated project, the Materi Girls’ School, in Tharaka, Kenya.

Each year, we give approximately 1800 mosquito nets to our sponsored children, such as those at our affiliated project, the Materi Girls’ School, in Tharaka, Kenya.

A school in high demand

Located 170 miles north of Nairobi, the Materi Girls’ School was created to educate children from the poor, rural agricultural area between Tharaka county and Meru County. Although situated in a remote area, the school draws students from all over the country due to its reputation as a reputable educational establishment.

“The Materi School integrates a demanding curriculum for secondary (high school) students that allows them to qualify to attend almost any university in Kenya, a rare accomplishment,” explained Children Incorporated Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet.

The large school serves girls within a very rural and impoverished part of Kenya.

“The secondary school education that students receive here is very advanced for Kenya. Many of the girls take computer science classes in addition to their general studies. They also participate in theater, music, and speech classes.”

Because the school is located in such a remote part of Kenya, the students all board there, returning home during school holidays.

Protecting the well-being of the whole community

“The girls are provided with nutritious meals every day and housing. A medical dispensary monitors their health and offers advice on treatment of any tropical illness affecting the children, staff, and part of the community,” said Luis.

“Mosquito nets and medication are readily available to attack the diseases, such as malaria, for all children and staff at Materi School — our sponsored children receive mosquito nets as well as school supplies, uniforms, tuition support, and hygiene items thanks to their sponsors.”

“The medical prevention program has been so successful that the Materi School implemented the same plan with the community living within a one-kilometer radius. Then it was expanded to 5 kilometers, thus ensuring a great area surrounding the school was protected against illness,” said Luis.

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How do I sponsor a child in Kenya?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | May 28, 2021

It’s often said that a good education grants the best odds of social mobility. But even the simplest things can keep the poorest kids away from school: lack of new clothes, new shoes or basic books and stationery. Karim Bukhadurov from Great.com interviewed Children Incorporated as part of their ‘Great.com Talks With…’ podcast. This series aims to shed light on organizations and experts whose work is making a positive impact on the world.

Breaking the Cycle and Inspiring Change

Without healthy encouragement or the right equipment, children from very poor backgrounds will likely drop out of school, perpetuating the cycle of poverty across a new generation. Poverty affects kids in a number of less obvious ways, too. Without ready access to transport, many poorer families are relatively isolated, with a restricted choice of healthy foods to feed their kids and poorly maintained housing to shelter them. Some do not have access to utilities we take for granted. This can all take a huge toll on a child’s development.

Without healthy encouragement or the right equipment, children from very poor backgrounds will likely drop out of school, perpetuating the cycle of poverty across a new generation.

Shelley explains that Children Incorporated bridges the financial and emotional gap and gives these kids a chance to shine. They partner individual sponsors with children around the world, working in three hundred affiliated projects with volunteer coordinators in twenty-one countries.

An Inspiring Story from Bolivia

Listen to the whole interview to hear the inspiring story of Andre from Bolivia, who has gone from strength to strength thanks to sponsorship and is now giving back to his community. Children Incorporated also welcomes donations and sponsors.

Great.com is an organization aimed at solving the world’s most dire problem — global climate change. Their mission is to take money from an otherwise harmful and greedy industry (online casinos) and move it towards a positive and good cause (solving the climate crisis).

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Ron Carter | February 10, 2021

Dear Friends,

One of the most asked questions for the staff of Children Incorporated is,“How can so little do so much?” People truly want to know how their dollars can change the lives of the children they sponsor.

I would like to share a few stories from our volunteer coordinators about how your donations are bringing joy to children and their families during some of the most difficult times of their lives.

For us, that answer is simple. For decades, our wonderful volunteer coordinators have shared incredible stories of how your donations can have life-changing effects on children in our programs. From offering children a pair of socks and clean underwear, or perhaps providing them with a new pair of shoes, to purchasing simple school supplies such as paper and pencils, Children Incorporated is there. From helping families have nutritious meals on their tables every day to providing them with special Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners, Children Incorporated meets a vast array of needs. More often than not, the little amounts — those that may seem insignificant to many — can make the biggest difference, for collectively, they add up and allow us to provide services that change the lives of children and families in ways they will never forget.

I would like to share a few stories from our volunteer coordinators about how your donations are bringing joy to children and their families during some of the most difficult times of their lives.

“Because of your financial support we have been able to purchase clothes, backpacks, supplies for the entire school year, toiletries, books for the children to take home, as well as special gifts for birthdays and different holidays throughout the year. It is so exciting and rewarding to see the students when they are called to the office to receive their items. It is also exciting to see the students with their smiling faces as they come in the school with their new outfits on, and they make sure to come by to show us. We were also able to supply families with a nice gift basket of a country ham, biscuit mix, jams and jellies, and candies for the students and their families to enjoy over the winter break. We also purchased much needed hygiene and toiletry items such as shampoo, deodorant, toothbrushes and toothpaste. As the families came by the office to pick up the baskets, they expressed their sincere gratitude. ”

Mandy
Sparta Elementary School

“I would like to first of all say ‘Thank You’ to all of you, our sponsors. Without you, there would not be this wonderful program. This is a program that changes lives, and I am truly thankful to be a small part. The benefits that Children Incorporated brings to my small hometown is truly a huge blessing.

As you can see, small, as well as large, amounts matter. Please, will you consider contributing to our Shared Hope Fund?

The sponsors’ selfless monthly donations help to build young children with positive self-esteem and self-worth. Thank you, sponsors, for faithfully sending your generous donations for these deserving youth. You are helping build a confident child who is more prepared to face life’s challenges. Sponsor donations help provide academic resources that are necessary to a child’s learning. You provide them with school supplies to help them learn in today’s competitive curriculum. Sponsor donations also provide clothing and health items that most often take for granted. You provide warm socks and sturdy shoes, under garments and outerwear. You also provide new, stylish clothes and book bags so the child can be confident heading out to school each day. You help promote good attendance.

As an educator, I have actually been told that a parent kept a child home from school because they didn’t have clean clothes to send the child in on that day. You provide a helping hand for struggling families. Because of your thoughtfulness, children do not have to suffer due to a family’s economic situation. All families you serve here at Dunlow Elementary are thankful and grateful for your donations.”

Tracy
Dunlow Elementary School

These are just two of the many stories we receive from our volunteer coordinators each year; testimonials of the effectiveness and impact of your generosity in supporting our work. As you can see, small, as well as large, amounts matter. Please, will you consider contributing to our Shared Hope Fund? Your gift will allow us to purchase much needed, often life-changing items for children who are currently enrolled and awaiting individual sponsors of their own. A few dollars can make a world of difference.

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

DONATE

Shelley Callahan | February 8, 2018En Español

We meet a wide array of needs for children and their families through our Hope In Action Fund, which provides support outside of sponsorship. From providing aid in the wake of emergencies to supporting weekend and summer feeding programs, individual, one-time donations to this special fund really go a long way. They support income-generating projects, and they go towards the construction of homes and schools – and even medical clinics at our affiliated projects. As a way to show our appreciation for your support, we want to share just some of the many amazing accomplishments we were able to make in 2017, thanks to your contributions to our Hope In Action Fund.

Helping kids in the united states

Last year, our Hope In Action Fund provided continued assistance for a combined College/Career Awareness and Parent Resource Program at our affiliated project Carr Creek Elementary School in Kentucky. The fund also aided our volunteer coordinator at Lucy Ellen Moten Elementary School in Washington, D.C. in the development of a mentoring program. Thanks to your contributions, we were able to provide additional resources in New Orleans, Louisiana, which included aid for an after-school program, uniforms for children whose families could not afford them, and 500 books distributed at three literacy events during the year to increase a love of reading and to help build the home libraries of 500 children.

Kids in Kentucky have benefited greatly from our Hope In Action Fund.

Our Hope In Action Fund also provided backpacks and school supplies for “Readifests” at several of our Kentucky schools to support kids at the start of the school year. Funds enabled the entire student body of Bevins Elementary School in Kentucky, including children enrolled in our program, to benefit from an educational drug awareness and personal resiliency program. Additionally, our Hope In Action Fund provided opportunities for our sponsored and unsponsored children at Sparta Elementary School in North Carolina to attend cultural and educational performances outside of their community – experiences that they otherwise would not have had.

Donations also offered disaster relief for children impacted by serious flooding in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Thanks to you, we were able to provide canned hams, canned vegetables, and boxed food for Thanksgiving for children at our newest project in Richmond, Virginia, E.S.H. Greene Elementary School. We were also able to pay for a young girl in Kentucky to have a much-needed eye exam, and to replace her broken glasses, improving her vision so that she’d have less difficulty keeping up in class.

Thanks to you, we were able to establish a weekend feeding program at Shonto Preparatory School in Arizona on the Navajo Reservation, as well as provide assistance for a partial denture for a high school student in Kentucky who suffered an accident that caused him to lose his four front teeth. We were also able to address food insecurity by supporting weekend feeding programs and monthly markets of fresh fruits and vegetables at our four affiliated projects in Washington, D.C. We assisted three children enrolled in our program at Piney Creek Elementary School in North Carolina to attend and participate in the Junior Beta Club State Convention in Greensboro.

We couldn’t help with such simple but powerful things without our sponsors’ and donors’ contributions to our Hope In Action Fund.

Our Hope In Action Fund also provided a complete professional outfit for a high-achieving student at Greyhills Academy High School in Arizona so that she could advance and compete in the Navajo Nation Science Fair in Window Rock. Donations gave us the ability to help a little boy at Johns Creek Elementary School in Kentucky to be transported to and from the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center in Ohio, by providing funds for gas and food, so that he could undergo additional procedures following his open-heart surgery.

Donations enabled 25 children at Johnson County Middle School in Paintsville, Kentucky, including children enrolled in our program, to attend and learn at the Summer Scrubs Camp at the Highlands Regional Medical Center in Prestonsburg. Additionally, we were able to purchase playground equipment for the kids at G.H. Reid Elementary School in Richmond, Virginia.

Supporting kids internationally

Outside of the United States, last year, our Hope In Action Fund provided over a thousand pairs of new shoes to children in need in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. We also made a contribution to the Materi Girls’ School in Meru, Kenya for the purchase of food for the families of the children who attend, who were suffering due to a terrible drought. We provided support to Guarderia El Angel in Santa Cruz, Bolivia to pay a few teachers’ salaries when the center lost funding from its local municipality. We also completed eight housing units near our affiliated project Villa Emilia in Bolivia to help the mothers of children enrolled in our program, who were formerly living on the streets.

We couldn’t help with such simple but powerful things without our sponsors’ and donors’ contributions to our Hope In Action Fund. Every contribution impacts a specific child or family – and oftentimes, it is life-changing for them. We are incredibly grateful that we have the ability to provide for children and their families beyond sponsorship, especially in circumstances that are dire, and in which they have nowhere else to turn for help. Thanks to you, thousands of children and their families are getting the support they need every year.

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HOW DO I CONTRIBUTE TO THE HOPE IN ACTION FUND?

You can contribute to our Hope In Action Fund 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 donate to our Hope In Action Fund.