Tag Archives: sponsor a child

Renee Kube | August 5, 2024

Stuart-Hobson Middle School is located in Ward 6. This ward is truly the heart of Washington, D.C.’s history. It is the only ward situated within the original city’s boundaries as outlined in the L’Enfant Plan. The southeastern tip of Ward 6 is also the confluence of the city’s two rivers, the Potomac and the Anacostia. The ward has an extensive collection of historic resources. Its communities range from industrial to military to residential houses – and houseboats. The ward also has public housing projects and a lot of struggling families.

Angeline emphasized that school is seen as a stable haven. The entire staff is supportive of the children.

The school is part of the Capitol Hill Cluster School, a unique D.C. public school spread across three Capitol Hill campuses spanning pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Stuart-Hobson Middle School serves sixth through eighth-grade students, combining the warmth of a neighborhood school with a full range of academics and extracurricular activities. The school is a Title I school with a student population of about 508 that is predominantly black.

The demographics are 80% black, 12% white, 5% Hispanic/Latino, and 3% other. 17% receive some kind of special education services, and 36% come from low-income families.

Stuart-Hobson offers Honors English and accelerated math classes and the chance to earn high school credits. All students create projects for History Day and the Science Fair. Wellness/fitness offerings include a variety of athletics, including baseball, basketball, cheerleading, football, soccer, track, volleyball, and wrestling. Arts and cultural offerings include art, band (orchestral, funk, and jazz), chorus, and drama. There’s an after-school extended day program that provides tutoring as well as enrichment opportunities such as camera and cooking clubs.

Angeline is seen showing Renée supplies during her visit to Stuart-Hobson Middle School.

This is a uniform school. Students are required to wear red polo shirts with the school logo and khaki pants.

Our coordinator here is Angeline. She is new and full of energy and enthusiasm. Our visit started with a presentation by Angeline on Communities In Schools (our implementing partner in Washington, D.C.) and its proven model of providing a community of support for the children. We were joined by Assistant Principal Taylor. After the presentation, Angeline called several Children Incorporated-enrolled students to her office. While we waited for them, she showed us her stock of hygiene items, backpacks, and school supply kits. After we met with the students, it was time to take a tour of the school.

Dr. Taylor’s pride in his students was apparent as we walked and talked. He explained that while many of Stuart-Hobson’s students come from Ward 6, a significant percentage are from other wards. Parents may apply for their students to attend schools outside their neighborhood boundaries so long as there is room. Stuart-Hobson is seen as a “destination middle school.”

The school has been in existence since the 1920s, although, as Dr. Taylor mentioned to me, until 1954, it was for whites only. Students have helped with archiving old records and artifacts for posterity, and the faculty has been able to help the children appreciate their school’s history and the importance of Brown versus The Board of Education, which brought about school desegregation in the United States.

The school also has an excellent sports program and robust music and drama programs, where the students are involved in every aspect, from acting to stage management to lighting and sound. The school is also known for having better-than-average standardized test scores. Many of the students get into the more desirable high schools.

We are grateful to be able to support students at this middle school, thanks to our sponsors and donors.

Dr. Taylor told us that many of the children come from difficult backgrounds and have to cope with adult-level problems. They wake their younger siblings and get them ready for school, and they are coping with transportation issues, too. Many are often tardy and are regularly absent.

Angeline emphasized that school is seen as a stable haven. The entire staff is supportive of the children. There are a lot of offerings to keep them occupied during regular school hours as well as during the after-school program, such as with clubs include art, cooking and photography. Overall, this is a great affiliated site for Children Incorporated, and we are grateful to be able to support students at this middle school, thanks to our sponsors and donors.

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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

Children Incorporated | July 28, 2024En Español

Today, as a part of our July 2024 Impact Report, we share a letter from our volunteer coordinator Paula at Herald Whitaker Middle School in Kentucky, who expresses her gratitude for our sponsorship program.

Hearing from Paula

“Being a resource coordinator, we are supposed to do and incorporate many things into our job. I educate my students on hygiene, self-care, self-love, and understanding the impact and importance of these things.”

“Children Incorporated helps eliminate some of the challenges these students and their families face.”

“The Children Incorporated sponsorship program has a wonderful impact on my students. Children Incorporated helps me to make sure students’ needs are met every day they attend school. I love how the students receive gifts on their birthday, which makes the students feel special and not forgotten about. The anticipation and excitement on the students’ faces are very rewarding. Thanks to the sponsors for making this happen.”

“Building a relationship with these students is my top priority. I love being able to earn the students’ trust. I am able to pull them into my office and ask what their specific needs are. With the combination of my Family Resource Center and Children Incorporated, everything we do can be life-changing for these students.”

Thanks to their sponsors, children at the Tecpan School in Guatemala received school supplies and clothes to take home this month!

“I truly believe that if some of these students didn’t have sponsors, they wouldn’t be able to attend school. Children Incorporated helps eliminate some of the challenges these students and their families face. Thank you for everything.”

Sincerely,
Paula

your impact through hope in action

Sponsorship is not the only way you, our loyal supporters, help impoverished children every month. Additionally, thanks to the generosity of our sponsors and donors who have made contributions to our Hope In Action Fund in the last month, we have been able to:

– Provide nutritious meals to 30 children for a month at Santa Isabel Ana Seton in Guatemala
– Provide funds to purchase nutritional meals for 25 children for an entire month at the Dandora Center in Kenya
– Provide funds to purchase 200 meals for children at the St. John’s Community Center in Kenya
– Provide funds for daily meals for 25 children for an entire month at Kids’ Hope Ethiopia
– Provide funds to offer nutritional meals to 40 children for an entire month at the Visayans Center in the Philippines
– Provide backpacks and school supplies for children at Fallsburg Elementary School in Kentucky

Thank you to our supporters for all that you do! We couldn’t do our life-changing work without you.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | July 16, 2024En Español

We are thrilled to announce our partnership with AllPeople Marketplace!

AllPeople Marketplace is a sustainable shopping platform that offers a curated selection of products from ethical and socially responsible brands. Its mission is to positively impact the world by promoting sustainable shopping practices and supporting charitable organizations.

AllPeople Marketplace is partnering with Children Incorporated because they strongly believe in our mission to provide life-changing resources to children worldwide.

AllPeople Marketplace believes that businesses have a responsibility to prioritize the well-being of people and the planet, and it is committed to providing a transparent and fair platform that promotes small and independent brands. AllPeople Marketplace is dedicated to creating a community of conscious consumers who share the goal of creating positive change.

Giving back to charities

AllPeople Marketplace recently launched a new online platform dedicated to sustainable and socially responsible shopping. The marketplace provides a one-stop shop for consumers looking to support businesses that prioritize the well-being of people and the planet while also giving back to charitable organizations. The company simultaneously announced the hiring of its new CEO, Keith Barrows.

With a growing selection of products ranging from personal care and wellness to home goods and fashion, AllPeople Marketplace is designed to meet the needs of conscious consumers who are looking for a convenient and trustworthy source for sustainable shopping. The marketplace also offers a range of resources and educational content to help shoppers make informed purchasing decisions.

“We’re thrilled to launch AllPeople Marketplace and to provide a platform for consumers to easily discover and shop from ethical and sustainable brands,” said Bill Wollrab, AllPeople Marketplace founder. “We believe that by making it easy for consumers to shop sustainably and support charitable causes, we can create a positive impact on the world.”

Our partNership with AllPeople

AllPeople Marketplace is partnering with Children Incorporated because they strongly believe in our mission to provide life-changing resources to children worldwide. Customers can choose to support Children Incorporated at checkout, and 5% of the proceeds from every purchase will be donated to our organization at no extra cost.

“We believe that businesses have a responsibility to create positive change in the world, and we’re committed to supporting our partners in that mission,” said Wollrab. “By creating a community of like-minded businesses and consumers, we can work together to build a more sustainable, equitable, and compassionate world.”

AllPeople Marketplace is now live and accessible to shoppers in the United States. To learn more about the marketplace and its mission, please visit allpeoplemarketplace.com.

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Renee Kube | July 6, 2024En Español

Cardozo Educational Campus is now Children Incorporated’s longest affiliated site in Washington, D.C. It is also our only affiliated site in Ward 1. This ward has a rich architectural and cultural heritage. It is a true melting pot, with immigrants from all over the world. It is the modern heart of the city’s Hispanic/Latino community. It is also home to many of the city’s African American and Asian American small businesses. This ward has 12 historic districts, and its landmarks include Rock Creek Park and the National Zoo.

The school has been renovated in more recent years and can house over 1000 students.

One of the architectural treasures is the Cardozo Education Campus. It began its historic renovation in 2011, which included exterior renovation, roofing, HVAC, ADA improvements, technology design and sustainable design. It can house 1100 students.

About Cardozo

Cardozo Education Campus currently serves about 625 students from sixth to 12th grade. It has a middle school, an International Academy, and a comprehensive high school. Students come from many backgrounds, from those born in Washington, D.C., to students from Central and South America. This diverse population makes Cardozo very special. The school’s demographics are 49% black, 46% Hispanic/Latino, 3% Asian, 1% white, and 1% other.

There are AP classes, Army JROTC, sports, and arts and cultural clubs and activities. One of the most interesting things about Cardozo is its TransSTEM Academy. Students receive hands-on technical training in electricity, electronics, and electromechanical technology. There is also a pre-engineering module where students can explore aeronautics, biomechanics, and other applied math science occupations and skills.

The children who are enrolled in our sponsorship program are the ones who need the most support. This includes providing them with clothing, school supplies, hygiene products and food.

Cardozo has two Communities In Schools site coordinators, Jovan and Florangel. After arriving at the school for our meeting, Kristen Walthall and I heard from both Jovan and Florangel, who explained that CIS plans ahead when it comes to running our sponsorship program. Starting every March, they conduct needs assessments with the families. Over summer break, they analyze the results and discuss any adjustments to current initiatives or the creation of new ones.

Meeting with our coordinators

At Cardozo, their two biggest goals are currently in-seat attendance and academics. The students have many stressors and competing priorities. Some must care for younger siblings. Some are essentially homeless and they couch-surf with friends and relatives. Regular school attendance isn’t always a priority. Jovan and Florangel offer incentives for the students to come to school each day. They also work on parent engagement. The children who are enrolled in our sponsorship program are the ones who need the most support. This includes providing them with clothing, school supplies, hygiene products and food.

The interior courtyard of the Cardozo Education Campus

During our meeting, Robert,* a sixth grader, was brought in to meet us as a student body representative. This was no doubt due to his outgoing personality. Robert didn’t have a shy bone in his body. He had no problem chatting with Kris and me, and it was lovely to meet him as one of our sponsored children.

After Robert returned to class, it was time to tour this beautifully restored school that offers so much for the children. We toured the International Academy hall first. It was founded in 2014 through a partnership with D.C. Public Schools and the International Network for Public Schools (INPS) in NYC. According to the school’s website, “The academic model is based on decades of proven, research-based instructional approaches designed to work with recently arrived immigrant students. Students are grouped into teams and travel as a cohort throughout the day. Through the International Academy, students experience a complete integration of language and content development, heterogeneous grouping and ongoing collaboration, strategic use of students’ native/dominant language when working with peers, as well as the intentional bridging of the student’s native language and the target language of English.” We also saw classrooms, the gymnasium, and the beautiful interior courtyard of the school.

In Florangel’s words

After our tour ended, Florangel told Kris and I more about how our program helps children at Cardozo:

“Some of the challenges that Cardozo has faced are receiving students from Venezuela. Many students live at shelters and have recently arrived in the United States. Welcoming new migrant students has been challenging, but not impossible, in connecting each student to the right services. Students can connect to the health clinic and receive clothes and shoes from our partners, like Children Incorporated.”

Florangel also shared a sweet story about two of our sponsored children:

Seth and Lewis* are both newly arrived in the United States. They both have parents who requested resources immediately so Seth and Lewis could feel comfortable attending school. One of the items they both received was a coat. The students and their families have never experienced the cold weather, so they had expressed concern about how the weather would be during the wintertime. Seth likes to play soccer, so we were able to provide soccer clothes. Lewis enjoys dancing, so we provided new shoes for him. Many more students and parents have expressed gratitude for things they cannot afford or help while working to save money.

*Names changed to protect the children.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | June 25, 2024

It is amazing to us what our volunteer coordinators can do to help children in need when given the freedom to determine what is best for children in our program, which is something we are proud to offer to them. Today we hear from Scott at Lewis County Middle and High Schools, about some of his students who benefited from our sponsorship program in a way that he feels shows an investment in their success and their futures.

“We realize the importance of setting our youth up for success and understand that it will only serve to improve our county in the future.”

Scott’s Story

“We would like to thank Children Incorporated for their continued support of the students at Lewis County High School. Because of their willingness to altruistically invest in our students, two specific siblings have now completed the first steps necessary to building a successful future. Our Youth Service Center would like to share their recent success story.”

“While the state unemployment rate for Kentucky is currently 4%, Lewis County, a rural county in northeastern Kentucky, reports an unemployment rate of 7.4%. The discrepancy between the state average and the county average is something that every family in Lewis County feels in some way.”

“Two of our sponsored children, Brian and Taylor*, have a family that is no exception to that. However, with the help of Children Incorporated, they have recently been able to obtain employment at a fast-food restaurant in a neighboring county. Without the funds from their sponsors and the Children Incorporated program, neither Brian nor Taylor could have secured employment. With the funds provided, both young men were able to acquire the mandated work attire, consisting of two pairs of black jeans and non-slip tennis shoes or boots. Brian and Taylor are doing well in their new employee roles, and we hope they continue to do so as they carry on with their lives.”

“Brian, Taylor and the Lewis County Youth Service Center are incredibly grateful and fortunate to be a part of the Children Incorporated program. We realize the importance of setting our youth up for success and understand that it will only serve to improve our county in the future.”

*Names changed to protect the children.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Ron Carter | June 15, 2024

Dear Friends,

In my 21 years with Children Incorporated, I have noticed that older children in our sponsorship program are often quite difficult to pair with sponsors, even though their needs are just as great as those of our younger children. We find that older teens, with just one or two years remaining in high school, face many trials and challenges, and their needs are equal to, if not greater than, those of their younger counterparts. They desperately need motivation to stay in school and to complete their studies, and the encouragement they receive from their sponsors — just from knowing that someone actually cares — may help to determine if they graduate.

You, my friends, have the potential to change the life of one of these youth.

Today, I am reaching out to you, our loyal supporters, to request that you consider adding one of these older teenagers to the children you already assist. We currently have approximately 50 such teens who are in their last few years of high school, and they can greatly benefit from the support of a caring sponsor like you. Your support will mean a great deal to them as they transition from childhood into their adult years and make important decisions about their future. If you could take on an additional child for even one or two years, it would make a world of difference.

One of our amazing volunteer coordinators recently shared the following words with us, and I wish to share them with you:

“You give children relief. Relief from the burden of standing out due to their stained or ripped clothing and shoes. Relief from wearing clothes that do not fit, or clothes that leave them cold in the winter. Wearing clean, well-fitting clothes gives a child dignity, and it eases the fear of standing out or being picked on. It removes a barrier to their learning, and removing this burden from their small shoulders brings a lightness back to their childhood.”

Sponsorship matters and sponsorship makes a difference, perhaps in no greater way than in the lives of impressionable youth on the verge of adulthood. You, my friends, have the potential to change the life of one of these youth. Thank you for considering my request.

From the heart,
Ronald H. Carter

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HOW DO I SPONSOR An older CHILD WITH CHILDREN INCORPORATED?

You can sponsor an older 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 with the filter “13 or older.”

SPONSOR A CHILD