Tag Archives: sponsor children

Children Incorporated | October 28, 2024

One of the best ways to express the importance of our work — all thanks to our sponsors and donors — is by sharing letters from our volunteer coordinators worldwide. Linda, at Highland-Turner Elementary School in Kentucky, recently wrote to us to express her sincere gratitude for you, our amazing sponsors:

“These children who are now adults will never forget the kindness of strangers who decided to become sponsors and then friends.”

Linda’s Letter

“Your support for the students enrolled in the Children Incorporated sponsorship program means their basic needs, such as clothing, shoes, undergarments, and hygiene essentials, are met. The Children Incorporated program is not just financial aid; it’s a personal connection. The children eagerly anticipate your letters and gifts, cherishing the thoughtfulness behind each one. Your role as sponsors is so significant that students often stop me in the hallway to ask if they have received any mail from you.”

“Not long ago, while on a shopping trip for sponsored students, an employee at a major retail chain asked me, after I informed him that I was shopping for a program at our school, if this was for Children Incorporated. He then explained to me that he, too, had been a recipient of the Children Incorporated program and what a difference it made in his life.”

These children who are now adults will never forget the kindness of strangers who decided to become sponsors and then friends. This is what Children Incorporated is all about — making a difference and changing lives. Your generosity and kindness are the backbone of the sponsorship program, and we could not do this without you. Thank you to all the sponsors for going above and beyond to ensure our students are cared for!”

Sincerely,

Linda

your impact through hope in action

Sponsorship is one of many ways 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 over $25,000 in donations to support families in North Carolina who are recovering after Hurricane Helene
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 30 students at Santa Isabel Ana Seton in Guatemala for one month
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 30 students at the Dandora Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase daily meals for 100 students at the St. John’s Community Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students at Kids’ Hope in Ethiopia for one month
– Provide funding to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students at the Fortune Children’s Center in the Philippines
– Provide funds to pilot a Bike Program for students who struggle with attendance due to transportation issues at the Kayenta Community School in Arizona
– Provide funds to purchase pajamas for students who live in the dorm at the Shonto Preparatory School in Arizona
– Provide funds to purchase water bottles for students to use at water filling stations at Page High School in Arizona
– Providing funding to purchase new shoes and socks for students at Breathitt Elementary School in Kentucky

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

***

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 | October 22, 2024En Español

Thanks to our amazing donors, our Hurricane Helene Relief Fund raised over $25,000 to support families in North Carolina. We can’t thank you all enough for all your support during this critical time of need.

As the counties where we work start their recovery process, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, has been receiving updates from our volunteer coordinators on the ground to help us understand how we can best help children in our sponsorship program. We will continue to update you all as our coordinators let us know how your donations have helped families rebuild in the upcoming weeks and months.

“We are very grateful that three of our four affiliated counties are making substantial recoveries at this time.”

An upDATE from Renée

“At this time, we are very pleased to report that our affiliated sites in both Alleghany County and Swain County were mostly spared damage. All Alleghany and Swain County Schools are back in session. Power has been restored to all customers in the area. Our Watauga County Schools will be closed through October 18th and then reevaluated. All but 20 customers have had power restored.”

Along with information about the damage, our volunteer coordinators sent photos of cleanup efforts being made in their communities.

“The roads in Watauga County are another matter. The county administrators are working with the North Carolina Department of Transportation and will determine when it is safe to put buses on the roads. However, alternate arrangements are still being made for Valle Crucis Elementary School, whose building was badly flooded during the hurricane. A replacement building was already being constructed but is not expected to be completed until spring 2025.”

“Mitchell County Schools are still not in session; just 31.9% of customers have restored power as this county was hit harder by the hurricane than the others in which we work. Due to the more extensive damage occurring in Mitchell County, our relief efforts will be focused here. However, we fully anticipate our Watauga County coordinators submitting some funding requests, which we will also be prepared to support.”

“We are very grateful that three of our four affiliated counties are making substantial recoveries at this time. We will update our sponsors and donors as we hear more from our volunteer coordinators about how your donations are helping families during this critical time of recovery.”

***

How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | October 13, 2024

In October 1964, Mrs. Jeanne Clarke Wood started a non-profit children’s organization called Children Incorporated. What began with just 95 sponsored children in Guatemala quickly escalated to helping 1600 children in 10 countries within just two short years. Today, Children Incorporated has sponsorship programs in 20 countries worldwide and provides tens of thousands of impoverished children with clothing and school supplies, medical care, and many other types of assistance.

Thanks to our donors, schools, dormitories, clinics, and housing developments have been constructed in various locations, and our special funds help to feed hungry children, support families and communities in emergencies, and offer our volunteer coordinators the vital support they need throughout the year.

We thank every one of you, our incredible supporters, for being a part of the last 60 years of our journey helping children in need all over the world. Our Fall 2024 Newsletter is dedicated to the memory of our founder, Mrs. Jeanne Clarke Wood, and to the history of this special organization. Thank you for your support. We couldn’t do our work with you.

Our Fall 2024 Newsletter is dedicated to the memory of our founder, Mrs. Jeanne Clarke Wood, and to the history of this special organization. Thank you for your support. We couldn’t do our work with you.

A Timeline of Our Six Decades of Work

October 1964 – The first meeting of the Board of Directors for Children Incorporated is held.

November 1964 – The first appeals for funds were mailed to Mrs. Wood’s contacts; a goal of shipping 10,000 pounds of clothing to Guatemala was met.

January 1965 – Mrs. Wood and her small fledgling staff secure funds to help 95 children in Guatemala, seven
children on American Indian reservations, and six children in Lebanon. These become Children Incorporated’s first sponsorships.

December 1965 – Children Incorporated sponsorships grew from 108 in January 1965 to nearly 800 by the end of the first year. 789 children in 20 affiliated sites in 8 countries (Africa, Japan, Mexico, India, Latin America, Lebanon, Syria, U.S.) have been matched with sponsors.

October 1966 — More than 1600 children now have sponsors, and Children Incorporated has expanded its reach to 35 affiliated sites in 10 countries.

April 1967 – 2,335 children are sponsored in 45 sites in 11 countries; Children Incorporated helps its first child to attend college.

Mrs. Wood traveled with Children Incorporated and often wrote about our work for our newsletters, which were accompanied by photos of children in our program, such as this one.

November 1971 — Children Incorporated continues to grow. At this point, 7,750 sponsored children are in 113 sites in 18 countries. For the first time in its history, over 2,000 new sponsors signed on in just one year.

May 1972 — Mrs. Wood receives a commendation from President Richard Nixon for her charitable work with impoverished children and families.

September 1974 – Mrs. Wood’s name appears in the 38th edition of Who’s Who In America.

December 1983 – An article on Children Incorporated appears in Good Housekeeping magazine, drawing much positive attention to the benefits of child sponsorship.

October 1994 – Children Incorporated celebrates 30 years of service to children around the world.

January 1997 – Dr. Richard Carlson’s best-selling book, Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff, is published. In it, Dr. Carlson mentions Children Incorporated as his charity of choice. Children Incorporated gained over 3,100 new sponsorships as a result of the mention in Dr. Richard Carlson’s book.

July 2004 – Mrs. Wood steps down as President of Children Incorporated after forty years of loyal service. Her successor is Marian Cummins, a long-time employee.

October 2005 – After operating out of Mrs. Wood’s home for over 40 years, Children Incorporated relocates to its first official offices on Dover Road in Richmond, Virginia.

November 2005 – Children Incorporated begins working locally, creating partnerships and establishing sponsorship programs within several Richmond Public Schools; the organization’s Inner-City division is born, with work in Detroit, Michigan, New Orleans, Louisiana, and other U.S. cities to follow.

January 2006 – Our founder, Mrs. Wood, dies at age 89. Her legacy lives on through Children Incorporated.

January 2011 – Children Incorporated’s third President, Marianne Vermeer, begins her 14-month tenure with the organization.

April 2012 – Ronald H. Carter, who had worked with the U.S. Programs division since coming to Children Incorporated in 2003, is appointed as the fourth President and Chief Executive Officer.

October 2014 – Children Incorporated celebrates its 50th anniversary and anticipates many more years of service to children both locally and globally!

We thank every one of you, our incredible supporters, for being a part of the last 60 years of our journey helping children in need all over the world.

April 2016 – Children Incorporated launches its On the Road blog series, which follows our sponsors and donors along with our program teams as they visit our affiliated sites around the world.

January 2017 – Children Incorporated moves from its home on Dover Road in Richmond, Virginia, to North Chesterfield, Virginia.

April 2022 – Children Incorporated launches its Stories of Hope blog series, in which readers are shown their donations’ impact on education, community support, emergency relief, and health and well-being.

May 2024 — Children Incorporated introduces our Guardian Circle, a giving circle opportunity that allows our donors to support special projects around the world.

October 2024 – Children Incorporated celebrates 60 years as an organization by establishing Founder’s Day, which will be celebrated on October 19th.

Congratulations to Our Amazing Staff

2024 is a year to celebrate so many incredible milestones at Children Incorporated, including the 40th work anniversary of our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, and the 25th work anniversary of our Director of International Programs, Luis Bourdet.

Luis Bourdet is pictured with Ron Carter during Luis’ 25th work anniversary celebration at our office.

“I am very blessed to work with such a wonderful and dedicated staff at Children Incorporated. Over the years, I have been thoroughly impressed with the quality of people who have been employed here. From those who have stayed for many years to others who have had shorter tenures, I have admired and respected their desire to help children and families better and improve their lives.

The staff of Children Incorporated is a good group: dedicated, caring, honest, and real people who truly want to make a difference in the world. They are my co-workers, yes, but we are also family in many ways. I love and value each one of them.”

– Ron Carter, President and CEO

“I started working at Children Incorporated in 1984. My office equipment and supplies included an IBM electric typewriter and carbon paper; a facsimile machine was state of the art. In 2024, I will use a PC, and faxing will be quaint.

Over the past 40 years, I have done different jobs for the organization. I have chosen to stay and grow with Children Incorporated because of our organization’s important mission and our connection to our donors, staff, volunteer coordinators, and the children we serve. I love working with my head and my heart and with amazing people.”

– Renée Kube, Director of U.S. Programs

“It has been an immense privilege to dedicate years of my life to this remarkable organization! From the very beginning, I have been deeply committed to our mission of supporting children in need and empowering them through education. The belief that every child deserves the chance to envision a brighter future has been the driving force behind my work.

Witnessing the transformative impact of our affiliations, our special projects, and our support has been truly inspiring. Countless children have achieved remarkable strides, not only improving their own lives but positively influencing their communities as well. I am profoundly grateful to be a part of this mission and contribute to the positive change we are creating together with our donors and sponsors.”

– Luis Bourdet, Director of International Programs

READ THE FULL NEWSLETTER

Ron Carter | October 12, 2024En Español

Dear Friends,

As we celebrate our 60th year as an organization, Children Incorporated staff members fondly remember our founder, Jeanne Clarke Wood. Though I only worked with Mrs. Wood briefly, I recall how she treated her employees like family. She tried to do little things to make work life more like home life, including having gatherings and sharing meals with the staff. Mrs. Wood valued people; she was funny and personable. She loved writing letters and talking with sponsors and supporters.

She also loved to have fun, though she was earnest about the company’s work. She had a telephone on her bedside table, and she often answered incoming calls from sponsors late into the evening. If the work line rang, no matter how late the call, Mrs. Wood picked up the receiver. Long-time supporters of the organization recall speaking with Mrs. Wood late at night, yet she did not mind interrupting her time. Staff often came into work mornings to find little notes written in Mrs. Wood’s pen, advising them of such calls with instructions on how she wanted them to follow up, always keeping the sponsors’ needs paramount. She was a delight to work with and is missed.

For these reasons and many more, we at Children Incorporated have decided to honor Mrs. Wood by creating “Founder’s Day” to celebrate her legacy. Starting this year, Founder’s Day will be celebrated each year on October 19th — our first day of incorporation as a non-profit back in 1964 —to remind us of the history and heart of Children Incorporated, which all started with one extraordinary person. We look forward to honoring her memory with you, our loyal supporters.

From the heart,

Ronald H. Carter
President and Chief Executive Officer

***

How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | October 7, 2024En Español

The news about the devastation of Hurricane Helene has been heartbreaking, as families find themselves no longer with homes and the safety of their communities. Children Incorporated is affiliated with schools in four counties where children have been affected by this disaster. Since last week, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, has received the following updates from our coordinators after the catastrophic disaster caused by Hurricane Helene:

Hearing from our coordinators

Our volunteer coordinator, Pam, at Sparta Elementary School in North Carolina, wrote:

“Renée — thanks so much for checking on us here in North Carolina. Our area has been hit pretty hard as a whole. My husband has been retired from the power company for four years, and they called him back in to help. Our region still has many, many people out of power, and our neighboring communities of Ashe and Watauga are in even worse shape. The streets have been flooded, and homes washed away. Today, we saw a picture of a double-wide trailer sitting in the middle of a road after the water receded. We will keep in touch as time goes by. Some people here will probably be without power for a week or more. We appreciate your thoughts and prayers.”

“I am so worried about all of our Mitchell County kids. There will be so much need. It has been announced that all schools will be closed in the foreseeable future. I know that help is really needed.”

Mandy at Alleghany High School says:

“At my house, damage was minimal compared to others, just lots of flooding in the basement. I am working today on cleaning that up. I did ride down to the river, and it was absolutely devastating. There are still people in my community without electricity and water. Trees are down everywhere. A lot of our county’s roads are completely washed out and closed, even the main roads. My husband works for the North Carolina Department of Transportation, and he has only got to come home and sleep for a few hours. Thanks for checking on us and working so diligently to help our families in need at this time.”

Elisa’s message

Elisa, our former coordinator at Bowman Middle School in Mitchell County, wrote:

“Renée, I finally got out of Avery County to go to my daughter’s in Marion, McDowell County, North Carolina. There is still no water, power, cell, or landline in the majority of these areas. I am so worried about all of our Mitchell County kids. There will be so much need. It has been announced that all schools will be closed in the foreseeable future. I know that help is really needed. Loss of life is climbing hour by hour.

I can’t begin to explain the devastation. I have only seen a small portion, and it is heart-wrenching. I had severe flooding at my home, but I am alive and well. My children moved heaven and earth to get me out. I wanted to stay to help others, but for my safety, I had to get out. I am planning to make the hour and fifteen-minute trek back as soon as I can to assist. It would normally take thirty minutes, but so many roads are gone. Not closed… gone. Keep praying, please, Elisa.”

A way to help those in crisis

Families of children in our program are in need of immediate assistance as they work to rebuild their lives. Thanks to our generous donors, we can respond quickly to the needs of those we support. We are currently accepting donations to our Hurricane Helene Relief Fund to help families in their recovery efforts. Donations will provide cleaning supplies and hygiene items, as well as other resources as needed. You can read more about this important fund and make a donation by clicking the link below. Thank you for your endless support of those in need.

*If you sponsor a child in North Carolina who lives in an area that was impacted, we will reach out to you if the child has been affected once our volunteer coordinators are safely able to make contact with the families.

DONATE TODAY

Renee Kube | September 30, 2024En Español

Our affiliated school, Arlie Boggs, is a kindergarten through eighth-grade school with a small population of just 128 students. It’s located in the community of Eolia, in the southeastern part of the county. It’s in a rural area, sandwiched between Bad Branch State Nature Preserve and the Virginia state line. There is a lot of poverty in this community — 84% of the children come from low-income families. The children are also struggling academically. The test scores average 33% in reading and 17% in math.

“Thank you so much for this! It has helped lift a tremendous burden that some of our families were facing.”

This is an older school that sits on a hill right next to the road. In the foreground is the Family Resource Youth Services Center trailer. This is a new affiliation for Children Incorporated with a new volunteer coordinator, Miranda. When I arrived to visit the school, Miranda welcomed me warmly and offered to give me a tour. We walked around the building and grounds, talking all the way. Miranda showed me the STLP [Student Technology Leadership Program] station. She is the faculty/staff sponsor for this program, which teaches participating students to use technology to help their fellow students. Miranda helps the students with their broadcasts to the classrooms.

partnering to help children in need

We then entered the middle school wing of the building. Like most kindergarten through 8th grade schools, older and younger children have separate areas. The playground is behind the school, at the top of a hill, and is usually accessed by these stairs. After a recent storm caused downed branches and some damage, caution tape was put up, and the stairs cannot be used until repairs can be made.

In the meantime, the children access the playground by taking a longer walk to the far end of the grounds, climbing the hill, and going in the far gate. The greenhouse needs hand tools, soil, seedlings, and other supplies, and Miranda is interested in applying for a Hope In Action Program grant from Children Incorporated to get some additional support.

Miranda shows Renée some of the classrooms while she visited Arlie Boggs Elementary School.

Also, during the tour, Miranda took me to the office of the two workers with Partners for Rural Impact. I had not yet heard of the organization. She explained that its mission is to ensure that rural students have the opportunity to fulfill their educational aspirations.

The organization is presently working in three states: East Texas, Appalachian Kentucky, and New Hampshire. In the first two states, the organization offers a “Cradle to Career” Partnership, and in New Hampshire, the organization offers a statewide Family Engagement Center. In Kentucky, the organization is partnering with Arlie Boggs, and Miranda said that two workers were placed at the school to collaborate with her on many goals, and they are mutually supportive. I plan to learn more about this organization.

A letter from Miranda

A few months after returning from my trip, I received a letter from Miranda, thanking our organization for the support we we able to provide to students at the beginning of the school year:

Dear Children Incorporated,

This year, we didn’t have the budget to make sure every family and teacher was covered for supplies. Because of your donation, we are able to provide all students and teachers with the items they need for a great school year. I was able to purchase pencils, paper, folders, Kleenex, hand sanitizer, markers, clipboards, and other basic items. Thank you so much for this! It has helped lift a tremendous burden that some of our families were facing.

Best,
Miranda

***

How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD