Tag Archives: sponsor children

Rachel Luginbuhl |

Our Spring 2026 Newsletter is Here!

Your compassion is doing more than meeting needs: it’s changing what’s possible. From delivering life-sustaining meals to over 7,000 children, to empowering young leaders in New Orleans and expanding access to specialized education across the globe, your support is creating real, lasting impact. Whether it’s helping a child stay nourished, confident, or prepared to learn, every act of generosity is an investment in their future.

Working to Fight Food Insecurity

This past October, your compassion took a seat at the table for thousands of children. As global food insecurity continues to rise, our CEO, Liz Collins, mobilized an emergency boost of $25 per child across all our affiliated sites. The scale of your impact is staggering – over 7,000 children received the extra nourishment they needed to grow, learn, and thrive. You didn’t just send a donation, you sent a lifeline.

What You Helped Provide:

  • A week of school meals for one child.
  • One month of weekend food packages for a family in need.
  • Supplies purchased for the sustainability of community gardens.
  • Nutrition support for multiple unsponsored children in a high-need area.

Female Empowerment​ Opportunities ​in New Orleans

At Arthur Ashe Charter School, a remarkable group of young women is proving that with the right support, the future is bright. In “The Ladies of Tomorrow,” an 8th-grade sisterhood, students cultivate empathy and strengthen their emotional health.

Because of your contributions to the Hope In Action Fund, these young leaders had everything they needed—from project supplies to professional clothing—to make their mark this year.

Your generosity empowered them to:

  • Speak Up: They wrote, directed, and filmed two anti-bullying commercials for the weekly school news broadcast.
  • Give Back: The Ladies of Tomorrow mentored the next generation by hosting reading sessions for the first grade classes.
  • Celebrate Culture: They choreographed and led a powerful performance for the school-wide Black History Program.

Seeing Impact Through Letters

Writing to your sponsored child is a fun and informative way to learn more about their life as well as see the progress brought by your generosity. Some children write more than others, and patience is essential in allowing children to express themselves. We ensure at least one letter a year is delivered to our sponsors.

Educational Therapy in Puerto Rico

Success for a few of our children at Iglesia Bautista requires more than just a standard classroom setup. Through your gifts to the Hope In Action Fund, we recently provided targeted educational and therapeutic grants to ensure every student has the tools they need to grow.

These grants are changing the daily lives of families:

  • Consistency in Therapy: One student can now practice her therapeutic exercises at home with the same equipment used by her specialists.
  • Advancing Education: A young boy was able to trade his “little kid” map for an advanced version that shows every country, matching his growing curiosity and skill level.
Your generosity transforms a child’s potential into real opportunities to learn, grow, and thrive.

COORDINATOR SPOTLIGHT

Serving as the Family Resource Center Coordinator at Salyersville Grade School for the past three years, Kelly Simpkins has embraced her calling to support children and families in a rural community with limited resources. After being encouraged by the school’s principal to apply, she stepped into a role that allows her to make a meaningful difference each day.

She shares that Children Incorporated is an invaluable partner, providing essential support where few other resources exist and helping meet the needs of the most vulnerable students. Grateful for the ongoing encouragement from the Children Incorporated team, she remains focused on her hope that the children and families she serves will overcome generational poverty, achieve self-sufficiency, and grow into happy, healthy, and thriving members of their community.

Building Futures in El Salvador

Located near the Civic Center in San Salvador, El Salvador, stands the Laboure School, one of our affiliated sites. The school currently educates over two hundred of the capital city’s boys and girls from first through ninth grade. Due to damages from earthquakes over recent years, a large section of the school was condemned. The rest of the school, though safe, is in desperate need of improvements.

With the government’s increased focus on public safety and security, fewer funds have been available for health and education purposes. That meant we had an opportunity to help. We are thrilled to announce that with Children Incorporated supporters, like you, we secured funding for the remaining amount needed to build a new school.

Luis Bourdet, our Director for International Programs, has diligently worked with Laboure School administrators to obtain building designs and estimates, submit permits, and create project timelines. We are waiting on one more civic permit approval and hope to break ground early-to-mid-May 2026.

This is the largest building project that Children Incorporated has funded, and we are excited to partner with the Laboure School administrators and the San Salvador Civic Center community. We will keep you updated with the progress!

Maximize Your Impact with a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF)

Think of a Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) as a simple and flexible way to support the mission of Children Incorporated. 

How do I contribute to Children Incorporated from my Donor Advised Fund?

  1. Login to your Donor Advised Fund account through your DAF sponsor, such as Fidelity Charitable, DAFGiving360, or Vanguard Charitable.
  2. Recommend a grant to Children Incorporated
  3. Provide Children Incorporated’s tax ID (54-0761510) to your DAF sponsor or advisor

Have questions about how to get started or how to link your existing DAF to our mission? We are here to help! Please reach out to Steve Mitchell, our Director of Donor Development, at 800-538-5381 or via email at smitchell@children-inc.org  to discuss how a DAF can be a powerful tool for your legacy of giving.

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Rachel Luginbuhl |

When a child is sponsored, they can count on consistent support for their most pressing needs. This stability ensures that meals, clothing, and school supplies are not just occasional gifts, but ongoing resources they can rely on. With that security, children are able to focus on their education and personal growth, opening doors to a brighter future.

End of the school year in the U.S

In the U.S, students are preparing for the end of the school year. That means prom for the high school students, graduation for our seniors, and for students with years to come, the anticipation of what will be needed for the summer months. Our volunteer coordinators are hard at work providing students with all the necessities for the break. We couldn’t be more grateful to their dedication to the children in our program!

“Summer” Break in the Philippines

Students at the Fortune’s Center in the Philippines are now on their “summer break”, with classes resuming in June. Their letters to their sponsors highlight the excitement each child has to express their accomplishment with their sponsor, as well as their thanks for the assistance to come this far. Sponsors are the reason our students will be prepared for their upcoming year, thank you for your assistance to them!

Exciting Updates

Because of your sponsorship and donations, this month we have been able to:

  • Send a group of seniors on their Senior Field Trip, allowing for inclusivity.
  • Replenished Eastern Kentucky school food banks for the upcoming summer months, ensuring students have nutritious food even when school is out of session.
  • Provided urgent aid for a recently enrolled student who does not yet have a sponsor. The student received shoes that fit, and appropriate seasonal clothes for the upcoming summer months.
  • Purchased educational and expressive enrichment items for a non-verbal student, to allow for increased personal freedom during the time school is out of session.

 

Unsponsored Child Highlight

Chloe* is just about to begin her new school year in June in the Philippines, and a sponsor can be the difference between staying ahead and falling behind. Her parents both rely on inconsistent daily labor to provide for their children, which can not meet all their needs. Becoming a sponsor can be the reason for a child’s success.

 

 

 

 

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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 a real person in our sponsorship department
  • email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org
  • go online to our sponsorship portal and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Rachel Luginbuhl |

At its heart, literacy is about possibility. It’s about giving a child the tools to learn, to dream, and to choose their own path forward. When we invest in literacy early, especially in underserved communities, we aren’t just teaching children how to read: we are helping them write a different future.

current literacy issues

79% of adults in the U.S. are functionally literate. That means roughly one in five adults struggle with basic reading and writing skills past a sixth grade level. That number is staggering. Literacy affects so much more than the person, it affects whole families, communities, and entire countries.

  • 20% of Americans read below the level needed to earn a living wage.
  • Almost half the adults in the U.S. earn well below the poverty level because of their inability to read.
  • Illiteracy costs U.S. taxpayers an estimated $20 billion each year.
  • Across Latin America and the Caribbean, an estimated 28 million young people cannot read or write, and rural communities bear the brunt of this inequality.

 

Book Fairs and their impact

For many children, a book fair is a moment of excitement. Colorful displays, new stories, and the joy of choosing a book that feels like it was meant just for them. But for children growing up in underserved communities, book fairs are much more than a special event. They are a meaningful literacy intervention and, in many cases, a child’s first opportunity to truly own a book.

In communities facing persistent poverty, from rural areas of Kentucky and inner-city neighborhoods, to the Navajo Nation, New Orleans, and remote regions abroad, access to books is not guaranteed. Homes may have few, if any, age-appropriate reading materials. Libraries can be far away or under-resourced. Schools often stretch limited budgets just to meet basic needs. As a result, many children fall behind in reading not because they lack ability or motivation, but because they lack access.

This is where book fairs matter.

Research consistently shows that children who have books at home read more, develop stronger vocabulary, and build confidence as learners. Book fairs help bridge the gap between school and home by putting books directly into children’s hands, books they choose themselves, books they are excited to read, and books they can return to again and again. That sense of ownership is powerful. It transforms reading from an assignment into a personal experience.

Book fairs also play a critical role during the early years of education, when literacy development has the greatest long-term impact. Children who are not reading proficiently by third grade are significantly more likely to struggle academically in later years. In underserved communities, where educational setbacks are often compounded by economic stress, early literacy support can change the course of a child’s entire educational journey.

Beyond early childhood, book fairs reinforce the idea that reading has value: that stories matter, learning matters, and the child matters. For students who may feel overlooked or underestimated, choosing a book can be an affirming experience. It tells them that their curiosity is worth nurturing and that their education is something to invest in.

Internationally, the impact is just as meaningful. In remote areas of South America and other underserved regions, access to books can be especially limited by geography and infrastructure. Book fairs and book distribution initiatives help reach children who might otherwise have little exposure to reading materials beyond a classroom setting. Even in countries where national literacy rates appear strong, rural and indigenous communities often face hidden barriers that make access to books inconsistent or unreliable. In these settings, a single book can spark a lifelong love of reading.

What makes book fairs especially effective is how they work in partnership with broader educational support. When paired with school supplies, meals, encouragement from teachers and coordinators, and the stability that sponsorship provides, book fairs become part of a larger system that helps children stay engaged in school and continue learning despite the challenges they face.

At their core, book fairs represent something simple but profound: opportunity. They meet children where they are and give them tools to move forward. They remind students that learning can be joyful, personal, and empowering.

When we invest in book fairs, we invest in literacy, and when we invest in literacy, we invest in a child’s future. Every book placed in a child’s hands is a step toward confidence, independence, and possibility. For children in underserved communities, that step can make all the difference.

books at the dorm

Many Native American students live in such remote areas that they spend most of the academic year in dormitories. Although not all students board, these residential programs make it possible for many young people to receive the education they need and deserve. Children Incorporated, through our sponsorship program and generous donations from caring individuals, helps ensure they have the supplies they need to grow and thrive in these settings.

Over the summer, staff at Dzilth Community School in New Mexico shared a simple but powerful request: more books. Not just “educational” titles, but fun, engaging stories that spark curiosity and make kids want to read.

Our Hope in Action Fund exists for exactly this reason. With donations to this fund, we provided small bookcase libraries for the residential buildings, giving students easy access to books. These new libraries have already inspired more reading and kindled the students’ interest in learning.

vending machines

At many schools a quiet and exciting addition to resource classrooms is being delivered. Through grant funding and community sponsorship, we have several schools within our program that have been gifted book vending machines. These do not operate on money, but rather coins that are distributed to students as a reward for a myriad of positive reasons. Keeping a good grade in a subject, helping others, positive attitudes, all are joyous reasons to be rewarded with a chance to choose a book from the machine.

Besides being a fun tool, there are drastically important cognitive lessons at play with book vending machines. Besides being a healthy reward, it gives a child positive reinforcement, they allow them the control of picking their own item, as well as a chance to express themselves with the choice they make. To them, it isn’t about literacy, it is about the freedom of getting to make your own decision and being acknowledged for their hard work, which carries a tremendous weight in the positive growth of the child, especially one living in poverty.

Children Incorporated has been able to participate as well by providing funding for more books as they are needed through our Hope In Action Fund. As more and more of these book cases are installed in schools around the country we will continue to provide resources for as long as possible.

 

Thank you sponsors and donors!

Sponsorship provides more than just financial assistance—it offers hope, stability, and opportunity. Whether through education, healthcare, or the simple encouragement of knowing someone cares, children are growing into capable, hopeful young adults. To our sponsors: your support is the reason these opportunities exist. Thank you for walking alongside these children on their journey to a brighter future.

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Join Us in Making a Difference

These stories reveal just a glimpse of your support’s impact. Will you help us write the next story?

You can sponsor a child in one of three ways:

SPONSOR A CHILD

 

Sources: https://www.thenationalliteracyinstitute.com/2024-2025-literacy-statistics?

Rachel Luginbuhl |

When a child is sponsored, they can count on consistent support for their most pressing needs. This stability ensures that meals, clothing, and school supplies are not just occasional gifts, but ongoing resources they can rely on. With that security, children are able to focus on their education and personal growth, opening doors to a brighter future.

Spring has Sprung around the world

In the U.S., springtime means spring break, SOLs, final exams, and eager anticipation for summer break.  In India, it means the end of the school year, with students leaving their boarding schools to return home until classes resume in June. In Kenya, springtime means hotter weather and the need for new, seasonal clothing. Regardless of the region, circumstances, or stage of life our enrolled children may find themselves in, we are there to meet their needs!

Through grants from our Hope In Action Fund, students at Dornakal School in India received suitcases to transport their belongings home for school break as well as mosquito nets to help keep them safe there.

 

March marks the beginning of the school year in Brazil, and, thanks to our sponsors’ and donors’ unwavering support, we were able to provide students at Recanto School with new shoes and backpacks to start the year off strong.

 

In Kenya, boys at the Junior School in Dandora received new, weather-appropriate clothing thanks to a sponsor’s generous Community Needs Gift.

Book fair Fever

CI students at John’s Creek Elementary were able to participate in the Book Fair thanks to their CI sponsors! Our coordinator, Anita, snapped photos of the students proudly holding their new books.

Unsponsored Child Highlight

One of our volunteer coordinators sent us a heartfelt appeal for a student who currently needs the benefit of sponsorship:

“Jonathan” is one of our currently unsponsored students but we didn’t want to leave him out of the free book from the book fair this week! He is one of our flood survivors from 2021 & is being raised by a single grandfather along with his older brother who will be graduating high school this year. Jonathan is in 7th grade this year & has recently found his place among the AG students, he is willing to help out anytime that I ever need him as well. He is already part of a weekend food bag program but with sponsorship funds we will be able to help fund some education field trips over the next few years, get some more clothing off his wishlist & hopefully so much more!

Should you be the one to help Jonathan succeed, give us a call at 1-800-538-5381 or send us an email at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

*child’s name is changed for security purposes

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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 a real person in our sponsorship department
  • email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org
  • go online to our sponsorship portal and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Rachel Luginbuhl |

Around the world, millions of children spend years preparing for a single moment: a government-mandated exam that can determine whether they move forward in school, gain access to higher education, or step into a future filled with opportunity. In countries like Ethiopia, Kenya, India, and across parts of South America, these exams are more than academic milestones. They are turning points.

For some children, they open doors. For others, they quietly close them. The difference is often not intelligence or potential.

It’s access.

When One Test Shapes a Future

The United States often offers students multiple chances to grow, recover from setbacks, and keep moving forward. In many education systems across Africa, Asia, and South America, however, a single score can determine whether a child is allowed to continue in school at all. 

When we understand how much rests on one exam, we begin to see just how powerful it can be to stand beside a child with tutoring, teacher training, and school support—turning a single test from a dead end into a doorway of possibility.

Understanding the Systems Behind the Test

In Ethiopia, students encounter two major national exams that shape their future. At the end of Grade 10, one exam determines whether they can continue on an academic path. At Grade 12, another determines whether university is even available to them. These exams, administered by the National Educational Assessment and Examination Agency, carry enormous weight. One score can determine whether their education continues or ends.

In Kenya, the system is evolving. For years, students relied on exams like the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education and the Kenya Certificate of Secondary Education to determine their path forward. Today, the country is transitioning to a new model with assessments like the Kenya Primary School Education Assessment and the Kenya Junior School Education Assessment, designed to evaluate progress over time. Even so, performance still plays a major role in shaping opportunity.

In India, students move through a series of high-stakes exams, including national board exams and competitive entrance tests like the Joint Entrance Examination and the National Eligibility Entrance Test. With millions of students competing for limited university placements, these exams are among the most competitive in the world, directly impacting the ability to even apply.

In Brazil and Chile, national exams such as the Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio and the Prueba de Acceso a la Educación Superior serve as the primary gateway to higher education.

While each system is different, the reality is the same: at key moments, a child’s future is determined by how well they perform on an exam.

Reality Behind the Scores

These exams are designed to measure what a child has learned, but they often reflect much more than that. For children growing up in poverty, preparing for these exams means navigating obstacles far beyond the classroom. Some study without electricity, and others attend overcrowded schools with limited materials. Many go to school hungry, making it difficult to focus or retain information. After school, responsibilities at home often take priority over time to study. By the time exam day arrives, students are not just being tested on what they have learned, they are being tested on everything they have had to overcome.

Meet Daniel*

Daniel is 14 years old and working toward one of the most important exam of his life, one that determines his ability to attend university and eventually make a living wage.

A strong student who loves mathematics, his teachers see real potential in him. But like many children, his path has not been easy. There have been days he’s gone to school without the supplies he needed. Evenings when studying had to wait because his family needed him to work. Moments where hunger made it difficult to concentrate.

Daniel’s future was never limited by his ability, it was limited by his circumstances.

Where Sponsorship Changes the Story

Thankfully, in Daniel’s case, sponsorship shifted  his chances. When Daniel was connected with a sponsor through Children Incorporated, he gained access to the support he needed to prepare. He received school supplies that allowed him to participate fully in class. With consistent meals, he enjoyed  focus and the energy to learn. He gained stability and encouragement—two things that quietly, but powerfully, build confidence over time. These changes made the difference between walking into an exam unprepared and walking in confident and ready.

More Than a Test

For students like Daniel, passing an exam is not just about a score, it’s about the opportunity to continue.When one exam can unlock that kind of opportunity, it has the power to change the direction not only of a child’s life, but of their family’s future for generations to come.

Why Your Support Matters

When you sponsor a child, you help remove the barriers that stand between a child and their potential. You are helping to ensure that when they sit down to take that exam, they are not carrying the weight of hunger, lack of resources, or instability with them.

Through sponsorship, you can create a moment where a student’s hard work has a real chance to shine. Because in a world where one test determines a future, preparation changes everything. Preparation is exactly what your support makes possible. Some look at these exams and see a final result. For a child who is given the chance to succeed, that moment is not an ending.

It’s a beginning

**name changed for privacy

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These stories reveal just a glimpse of your support’s impact. Will you help us write the next story?

You can sponsor a child in one of three ways:

  • Click Here to go online to visit our sponsorship portal and search for a child that is available for sponsorship
  • call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with a real person in our sponsorship department
  • email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org

SPONSOR A CHILD

Liz Collins |

Dear Friends,

Hunger isn’t just an inconvenience — it remains one of the most persistent barriers that dims a child’s chance to succeed. Around the world, millions of children struggle with food insecurity, and too many families don’t know where their next meal will come from.

Across the United States and around the world, children in poverty face a challenge no child should have to navigate: hunger. For too many families across the United States and abroad, the cost of food competes with rent, utilities, school supplies, and basic health needs. Children feel those sacrifices most. When kids don’t know when they will eat again, their ability to focus, grow, and thrive begins to slip away.

For over six decades, we have joined forces with local schools and community organizations to make sure children receive the nourishment they need, not only during the school day, but also on weekends, during school breaks, and in seasons of crisis, so hunger does not get the final say in a child’s future.

How the Feeding Program Works

IN THE UNITED STATES
Children take home bags of nutritious, non-perishable food from school on Fridays. This ensures they have meals throughout the weekend when free and reduced‑price school meals pause.
For families already stretched thin, these bags offer reassurance that their children will not face long gaps between meals. A $50 donation can can provide a filled backpack for a month. Could you find it in your heart to donate this amount for a child needing food?

AROUND THE WORLD
The Feeding Program provides daily meals or essential food supplies at partner schools in countries such as Guatemala, the Philippines, Kenya, and Ethiopia. Your $100 donation can fund a partner school’s nutrition program for an entire week.
In many of these communities, these meals are the most reliable nutrition a child receives, giving them the physical energy and mental focus they need to learn and grow.

Why this work matters now

Hunger remains one of the most persistent barriers to a child’s well-being and education. In America alone, millions of children face food insecurity​, going without adequate nutrition because their families simply cannot afford it. Globally, lack of food and proper nutrition contributes to stunted growth, weakened immune systems, and limited opportunities for children desperately trying to rise above poverty.

Without consistent access to food, children aren’t just hungry​, they’re at risk of falling behind in school, struggling with health issues, and losing confidence in their ability to succeed.

Here’s what your generosity can do

$25 – A week of school meals for one child.
$50 – One month of weekend food packages for a family in need.
$100 – Supplies can be purchased for the sustainment of community gardens.
$350 – Nutrition support for multiple unsponsored children in a high-need area.
$1000 – Long term nutrition support for an entire international school and their families.

What your gift means in Action

  • Food packages sent home on weekends or holidays give families peace of mind, so kids don’t go hungry when school isn’t in session.
  • Through our global network of local partners and volunteer coordinators, every dollar goes directly to putting nutritious food into the hands of children who need it — in the U.S. and abroad.

Today we ask that you stand with these children

When you give to the Feeding Program Fund, you join a compassionate community that refuses to let hunger dim a child’s potential. Consider making a gift to the Feeding Program Fund today. With every contribution, you help provide nourishment, stability, and opportunity to a child who is waiting for someone to care, someone like you.

Sincerely,

Liz Collins, President of Children Incorporated

Want to PARTICIPATE in our feeding program fund?