Tag Archives: sponsor children

Shelley Callahan | March 21, 2017En Español

Nobody’s better at wearing a brave face than a kid — whether they know it or not. If you drive around Eastern Kentucky, you’ll see children at school playing outside and laughing. At first glance, it’s not likely that you’ll truly understand the impact that increasing poverty is having on their families.

For a long time now, coal has put clothes on the backs and shoes on the feet of generations of Kentucky residents.

It’s coal country here, with mining dominating Kentucky’s industries since 1820. The Western Coal Fields, part of the Illinois basin, and the Eastern Coal Fields here in Appalachia, have been the historical centers of what was once an almost guaranteed career for able-bodied Kentuckians. For a long time now, coal has put clothes on the backs and shoes on the feet of generations of Kentucky residents.

Coal mining in Kentucky reached its peak in 1949. Since then, jobs have become more automated and mechanized; and with environmental regulations encouraging the use of cleaner fuels, the industry has been in decline. As a result, mines close. And when big coal companies pull out of a town, it’s nothing short of devastating for families.

Children Incorporated Volunteer Coordinator Terrie Simpkins, who works at Sheldon Clark High School in Martin County, Kentucky, says that the impact on the community has been shattering.

“Families lost their cars and then their homes. Our families have deep ties here, and they waited as long as they could before many gave up, and left for work in other states,” said Terrie.

As in any struggling economic system, less take-home pay means less to spend at gas stations, grocery stores, restaurants, and other local businesses. Those stores close up shop, more jobs are lost, and daily life becomes a struggle. The Appalachian population is in decline, as former miners of Kentucky coal move elsewhere to seek better lives near the cleaner, low sulfur coal mines of Wyoming, the gas fields of North Dakota, or the auto assembly plants of Louisville, Kentucky or Marysville, Ohio.

Some of those who stay do so to care for aging parents; some feel they don’t have the education or training to compete for jobs in other areas of the country; some can’t afford to move; and some simply feel a strong connection to the land they have always known.

Future Generations of Kentuckians Struggle to Stay Afloat

With one or both parents unemployed, one in four children in Kentucky lives in poverty. The last time children in the state faced such dire straits was during the Great Depression.

Many parents find creative ways to bring in a little income with in-home hair salons, doing odd jobs, collecting cans, or chopping wood. But the money that can be earned from these efforts doesn’t put much of a dent in the growing chasm between cost of living and take-home pay. As a result, deep poverty in Kentucky brings its usual sidekicks — addiction, depression, anxiety, and crime. And these ripple effects are lodging themselves deeply within the children of these families, who often lack the basic necessities they need to succeed.

Says Volunteer Coordinator Shana Smith of the children she sees at Hindman Elementary School in Knott County, “Some are being raised by grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins or even unrelated people. There has been a jump in the number of babies born with addictions, which will hurt their development. I have seen a fifth grade child who could scarcely write her first name, and her struggles can be laid at the feet of her mother’s prenatal addiction.”

With one or both parents unemployed, one in four children in Kentucky lives in poverty. The last time children in the state faced such dire straits was during the Great Depression.

“For many of the kids in our program,” says Renée Kube, Director of U.S. Programs for Children Incorporated, “going to school is as big as their world gets.”

Well over 1,000 kids are currently enrolled in Children Incorporated’s Kentucky programs. Volunteer coordinators regularly report that children with warm coats in the winter and shoes that fit are more likely to show up for school. Sponsorship does far more than give children the tangible items they need: the sense that someone, somewhere takes an interest in both their todays and their tomorrows is a confidence boost that can’t be matched.

“It may surprise people to know that sponsorship in Kentucky is not just financial, but also emotional and social,” Kube explains. “The children love hearing from their sponsors – and no matter how short their reply, their correspondence is truly from the heart.”

A Challenging Future for Eastern Kentucky Children

Unfortunately, unemployment isn’t the only fallout from coal’s decline. This year, the state of Kentucky made an announcement that shocked its residents: the amount of money counties expected to receive via tax assessments for unmined coal was dramatically slashed.

Knott County, which took the hardest hit, will have to make do with a $1.5 million shortfall, two-thirds of which had been slated for public schools. Budgets were instantly revised, with school administrators taking deep cuts in personnel, supplies, equipment, and maintenance.

The repercussions of these cuts will be felt for years to come. With more children sponsored in more schools comes the development of future adults on good footing, having had the education and support they need to succeed.

As Eastern Kentucky struggles to find new ways to build a healthy economy, sponsorship ensures these children won’t get lost in the meantime.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN KENTUCKY?

You can sponsor a child in Kentucky by calling our office and speaking with one of our sponsorship specialists at 1-800-538-5381 or by emailing us at sponsorship@childrenincorporated.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | March 8, 2017En Español

When Ann and Bob Underwood first signed on as sponsors through Children Incorporated in 2006, they were looking for an opportunity to help poor children in the U.S.

Ten years and 27 sponsored kids later, they remain steadfast in their commitment to helping give underprivileged children a chance at the American Dream.

As a sponsor, we know how our funds are being used to assist those less fortunate. We feel that by helping children in the U.S., we are helping our country’s future.

To date, eleven of the children sponsored by the Underwoods have successfully graduated from high school.

We contacted the Tennessee couple to find out more about why they wanted to sponsor U.S. children, and what they’ve learned from their experiences along the way.

CI: How did you get involved with Children Incorporated?

AU: We wanted to help those who are less fortunate and live in a depressed area. We previously sponsored children in the Dominican Republic through Compassion International, but we knew that there are also American children in great need.
We did a lot of research online and found Children Incorporated. That was in 2006 – we just received a ten-year anniversary card!

CI: When you signed up, did you specify your preferences?

AU: Yes. We wanted a child from Appalachia. My husband, Bob, was born and raised in southeastern Kentucky, so he is well aware of the poverty there. Unemployment is high. Most coal mining jobs have all but disappeared.

One of the Underwood’s sponsored children from Kentucky

Later on, inspired by articles we read in Children Incorporated’s newsletters, we also requested children in their junior and senior years of high school in Kentucky, Detroit, and New Mexico.

CI: Do you communicate with your sponsored children directly?

AU: Most of the children write. It may not be often and is usually brief. A lot of times, it’s just a thank-you note for what they received through our sponsorship. Some of the older children write about their activities, goals, boy/girlfriends, pets, sports teams. We enjoy hearing from them immensely.

CI: Do you write to your sponsored children? What do you say?

AU: We always send an introductory letter when we get a new child. We also send birthday and holiday cards. If a child writes to us, we reply. If not, we just send the cards to let them know we’re thinking about them. We usually respond to whatever they have written about, and also share some of our activities.

CI: Do you send them packages or gifts?

AU: In the beginning, we sent gifts of school supplies, clothing, and toys about three times a year. We were able to get sizes from the volunteer coordinator. Children Incorporated later changed the program so that the kids can get what they need most through the volunteer coordinator. We feel that works out better for the kids.

We also send money for back to school supplies and clothing, Christmas, birthdays, and graduation. We send some extra funds for a new child if we sign up later in the school year.

We have enjoyed watching our sponsored kids grow up through the pictures that we get. We hope that the children who have graduated from high school are realizing their goals and dreams.

CI: What advice would you have for someone considering sponsorship?

AU: As a sponsor, we know how our funds are being used to assist those less fortunate. We feel that by helping children in the U.S., we are helping our country’s future. If, by sponsoring these children, we can help in a very small way to ensure that they graduate from high school, we have done the right thing. As one of our children wrote in her progress report, sponsorship meant a lot to her because it showed that someone cared about her. What could be more important?

CI: Overall, how would you characterize your ten years with Children Incorporated?

AU: Our experience with Children Incorporated has been rewarding. We are made to feel like we are the only sponsors when we communicate with the organization. We’re also impressed by all the work the volunteer coordinators do at the participating schools.

We have enjoyed watching our sponsored kids grow up through the pictures that we get. We hope that the children who have graduated from high school are realizing their goals and dreams.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN KENTUCKY?

You can sponsor a child in Kentucky by calling our office and speaking with one of our sponsorship specialists at 1-800-538-5381 or by emailing us at sponsorship@childrenincorporated.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | March 7, 2017En Español

Aimee learned a lot of things too early in life as she watched her father nearly succumb to leukemia, his resulting painkiller addiction, and the financial and psychological quicksand her family struggled in as a result.

Growing up in a small town in Eastern Kentucky, Aimee was surprised to find herself and her family staying with neighbors while her dad suffered in a nearby hospital. It seemed so sudden, the onset of his illness, and she remembers an earlier childhood of warmth and togetherness.

Aimee’s senior photo

That wouldn’t be Aimee’s lot in life for several more years, unfortunately. She was in the sixth grade when her father was diagnosed, and her memories of his painful experience with a bone marrow transplant are still very acute. It was a troubling time for both Aimee and her younger sister, and she had a lot on her mind when the volunteer coordinator at her school told her she now had a Children Incorporated sponsor.

“I didn’t think much about it at the time,” she remembers. “Except that it was nice to get money at Christmastime, and it was nice having someone to write thank-you notes to. It wasn’t until I was in high school that I really recognized the importance of giving, and the importance of helping others in need.”

With her dad’s recovery came OxyContin, a newer drug that Aimee’s family didn’t know much about. They certainly didn’t expect it to take over their lives with addiction. Money got even tighter, and relationships were even more strained. Aimee’s gifts from her sponsor became some of the only things she looked forward to, and one of the only constants she had in her life.

“I have been through more than most people would want to go through in a lifetime,” states Aimee, matter-of-factly. “Having people who showed me that they believed in me when my family seemed to be crumbling apart… It encouraged me to do better and to strive to be more and do more for the world around me.”

“It wasn’t until I was in high school that I really recognized the importance of giving, and the importance of helping others in need.”

Buoyed by Support, With Eyes Still on the Prize

As she grew, the young woman with so much on her mind dedicated herself quietly to her studies, keeping a low profile in high school and making straight As. It wasn’t difficult for her to decide that her next step was college.

Alesha graduated from Morehead State University in 2011 with a major in Education and a growing desire to give back.

Thinking back on the calmer years before the turbulence began in her teens, she describes a certain scene. Aimee and her friend, both three years old, sit under a tree. Her friend, who is deaf, has been learning sign language, and she’s teaching Alesha words, while Aimee, in turn, helps her articulate those same words.

This scene stayed with Aimee as she tried to decide how to combine her educational know-how and her considerable service-oriented energy. The feeling of sharing in her friend’s triumphs was so powerful — she realized that to her, communication is the key to really helping children improve their lives.

Aimee with her family

The memories hit home in a different way many years later, when Alesha had begun her career in education. A little boy with autism struggled to tell Aimee what he wanted. The frustration he felt was so palpable, and his tears were so real, that Aimee had to step outside of the classroom and cry herself.

Now, she’s realigned her professional ambitions and is currently studying speech and language pathology. “I’m finding that the kids I most connect with are the ones psychologists shy away from because of their communication problems,” she explains. It’s a difficult job, but it satisfies a need in Aimee that began under that tree.

Opening Doors for Future Generations

At 28, Aimee is now the mother of two children and the partner of a man who shares her desire to lift other people up. She never met her Children Incorporated sponsor, who passed away before she graduated high school, and left her the money she needed to get through college. But she thinks about him and his family often.

“I know they are going to overcome and be strong individuals – but sometimes, in the grand scheme of things, people forget the importance of kindness to all.”

Their contributions to her life helped her put many of the important things in life into focus: I matter, and people care about me. As is often the case, life hasn’t always been easy for Aimee, but a memory of that support has helped her steer her personal life toward those who are similarly-minded, and her professional life toward helping as many children as she can.

For her own kids, Aimee wants them to know the drive she feels each day to make someone else’s life better. “Whatever life hands to them,” she says, “I know they are going to overcome and be strong individuals – but sometimes, in the grand scheme of things, people forget the importance of kindness to all.”

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN KENTUCKY?

You can sponsor a child in Kentucky by calling our office and speaking with one of our sponsorship specialists at 1-800-538-5381 or by emailing us at sponsorship@childrenincorporated.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | February 22, 2017En Español

Shonto Preparatory School isn’t like other public schools. Located in northern Arizona, the school is in the heart of the Navajo Nation, and serves children who are economically poor, but rich in culture and history.

Most Shonto families don’t have running water or electricity, but they take daily classes to learn a language that was first written down only a generation ago. They have little money for clothes and school supplies, but they supplement their income by making and selling the art that represents their tribal history.

“Children Incorporated helps them be able to get clothes and school supplies and food.”

Marlita has worked as the media resource officer for Shonto Preparatory School since 1996, and she works as a volunteer coordinator for Children Incorporated, helping to connect sponsors to students who need financial support.

“Children Incorporated helps them be able to get clothes and school supplies and food,” she said. “Most of the families use [sponsorship funds] for clothes and shoes, but I have one family who uses the money totally for food – so I know they’re really hurting for food.”

An Employment Desert

Shonto is an elementary, middle, and high school with just over 600 students altogether. Virtually all of them are Native American, and more than ninety percent of them qualify for free or reduced lunches.

Marlita (right) with other volunteer coordinators in Arizona

Much of the reason for this poverty is that jobs are scarce, Marlita said. There are eight or ten jobs at each of the three trading posts in the area, along with a health clinic, and the two schools — but that’s about it. Even those few employment opportunities are hard to get; the clinic employees are mostly highly-skilled healthcare workers, and the schools require a college degree of anyone working directly with children.

There’s a Walmart, a coal mine, and a power plant about an hour away, but the coal mine and power plant are both slated to close. Most families supplement what little income they have by making and selling traditional Navajo art and crafts.

Cottage Crafts

“The Navajo are extremely talented with art – any kind of art,” Marlita said. “They do painting, beadwork, jewelry, metalworking, rug weaving – and, of course, pottery.”

A few local artists earn enough to make a living at it, and a couple of them have become internationally known; but for most, arts and crafts just help to make ends meet.

Home gardens help, too, and corn is the primary backyard crop. The local species requires very little water, which is fortunate, because most residents depend on the rain, not irrigation or hoses. The local corn isn’t eaten by itself, though – it’s too tough. Instead, it’s ground up and cooked with other ingredients.

Some residents also sell food on the streets to make money. For instance, a few people sell burritos outside the school every morning.

But most have very little money, so Children Incorporated sponsors help the children receive the needed items their parents struggle to provide.

Shopping Trips

Marlita manages the shopping for those with sponsors. When the children’s funding comes in, she meets the families at Walmart, where they’re told how much they have to spend, and what it can be used for.

Each family then makes their own decisions about what they need most – shoes or backpacks, shampoo or bread – and then they meet her at the checkout line.

“I review their purchases to be sure everything is appropriate,” she said. “Sometimes I have to tell the students, ‘No, I’m sorry, that’s not acceptable.’ But for the most part, they are buying clothes and shoes and school supplies.”

But most have very little money, so Children Incorporated sponsors help the children receive the needed items their parents struggle to provide.

Marlita takes a look at their food choices, too, counseling them on nutrition as she decides what may be purchased with Children Incorporated funds.

“I tell them that pop is not okay, but juice or even Kool-Aid, I’ll accept,” she said. “Sometimes it’s hard, because sometimes the families don’t understand – it’s what they’ve been used to getting.”

Once everything has been rung up, Marlita pays for it with the family’s gift card, which was purchased with the child’s sponsorship funds.

One of the benefits to waiting in the checkout area is that she sees everyone who comes through the store, and she’s always greeted by former students.

“They’re always excited to see me,” she said. “I get to keep up with a lot of them that way.”

Of course, since Walmart is more than sixty miles from Shonto, some families can’t get there. Some send their shopping lists to Haviland, and she buys their items for them. And a few older students are allowed to do their family shopping online from the school, with Haviland’s assistance.

The children and Haviland are used to managing without direct parental involvement. Many students live with grandparents or other relatives, either because parents have had to take jobs far away, or because they’re not in the picture at all.

Cultural identity

Some families still live in the eight-sided hogans that the Navajo have traditionally built, but nowadays, most live in one-room homes made of wood or concrete blocks – though they’re little more than sheds.

An exterior picture of the Shonto school campus

“It used to be that very few kids had running water and electricity, but they’re becoming more and more common,” Haviland said. “In a survey a year ago, more of them said they have water and electricity – but not necessarily at their house; it’s often at another relative’s house they go to.”

One of the challenges faced by educators and aid workers is how to improve the children’s quality of life without erasing their cultural identity. To help maintain the children’s heritage, the school now mandates that everyone take a Navajo class every day.

Traditionally, the language is oral, and was never written down until the 1930s (which is why it was used by U.S. code talkers in World War II; since it wasn’t written, it couldn’t easily be learned by non-native speakers). When Haviland first came to Shonto, most children spoke Navajo, but not English. Over the years, however, the Navajo language has been dying out. Now, few children speak it, and few older people can read or write it.

Respecting families’ language, food, arts, and culture while also ensuring children have shoes that fit and healthy meals to eat is an ongoing challenge; but financial support from Children Incorporated makes it possible, Haviland said.

A Helping Hand

In her trips to Walmart, she watches her students learn to make good spending decisions, and get to pick out their own clothes and school supplies. And she gets to see these life lessons pay off in the form of former students who greet her as successful adults.

And she doesn’t always have to make the sixty-mile trip to Walmart to see it.

“We have former Children Incorporated students who work at the school,” she said. “One is a teacher. I didn’t know until he said, ‘Yeah, when I was a kid, I was in the Children Incorporated program.’”

“Shonto is a wonderful community,” she added. “The people are very friendly and sociable – they just need a hand.”

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN Arizona?

You can sponsor a child in Arizona by calling our office and speaking with one of our sponsorship specialists at 1-800-538-5381 or by emailing us at sponsorship@childrenincorporated.org.

Shelley Callahan | February 8, 2017En Español

We are delighted to announce a new partnership that will help even more children rise above poverty. The International Student Exchange (ISE) has chosen Children Incorporated to be one of two partners selected for its new “Giving Back” initiative, which includes a six-figure contribution to support our domestic programs.

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ISE volunteers at the airport with a special sign.

It’s a good match. After all, we both bring strangers together to build bridges between social, economic, and geographic divides. Just imagine what we could do together.

“I am so impressed with ISE,” Children Incorporated CEO, Ron Carter, said. “The organization does incredible work all around the globe, and I look forward to the projects we will undertake together in the coming year.”

Ron Carter recently visited ISE at their office in Long Island, New York. Here’s what ISE’s CEO, Wayne Brewer, had to say about the partnership:

RC: For those unfamiliar with ISE, how would you describe the program?

WB: ISE is a not-for-profit organization that has been in existence for 35 years now. Our mission is “educating tomorrow’s leaders.” ISE brings in 2,800 students from over 45 different countries each year to spend a year in a public high school living with a volunteer host family. ISE works with international partners throughout the world who find and screen the students before sending us the 25-page profile of the student.

RC: How long have you been the CEO at ISE? Why did you join the organization?

As a language teacher, I was always thinking of ways to bring people of the world together.

WB: I have been the CEO of ISE for the past twenty years. I was a teacher and public school administrator before I became highly interested and started to work in the student exchange industry. I decided to go full-time in this wonderful work in 1988. I worked for another exchange organization as Vice President and CEO before taking on the challenges of ISE as CEO in 1997. As a language teacher, I was always thinking of ways to bring people of the world together. I found the vehicle of student exchange to be the perfect way to demonstrate to foreign students the kindness and caring nature of the American people. I always tell people that ISE and its fellow organizations do more good than any government in bringing people of our world together. It is rewarding work!

RC: Why did ISE choose Children Incorporated as a partner?

A warm welcome for an international exchange student.

WB: ISE has always wanted to “give back.” ISE certainly achieves its goals, but it usually deals with children who have the means to be part of an international program. It is so obvious that there are many children out there who do not have basic needs simply to survive. Knowing that ISE can help with this is just another reason to maintain the success of its program. We chose Children Incorporated due to its mission and costs. We were very careful in choosing an organization that was extremely careful and attentive to the percentage of each dollar going to the children. Your organization had one of the highest percentages in this regard.

RC: This is a new charity initiative. Can you tell us more about why ISE started a fund for non-profits like ours?

WB: As a non-profit, we are limited as to the projects and purchases in which ISE can be involved. After we finalized our new building, the Board and I discussed what else we could do to help children in need in addition to our overseas programs. It did not take long for our Board to realize the great needs that are out there and how we could help. I believe that it adds another dimension to our organization and our mission.

RC: Can you share an example of an exchange that made a lasting impact on a person or community?

It may be a lofty goal, but it is one that can be realized if we all pitch in together.

WB: It is so evident in today’s world that we need to promote inclusion and understanding in our relations with the world population and leaders. Our program specifically tackles that objective so that our students return to their native countries with a positive and warm feeling about our country and people. To many, this should be the cornerstone of our foreign policy. I always tell people that we see this in action every year. When we take our incentive trip to a different country, our representatives are met with students and families from the past. Our representatives are invited to the communities and homes of their former students. What better way to promote world understanding? Many of our students now have high positions in governments around the world, so they are in a position to promote our goals and missions. As a personal note, two former exchange students who lived with my family are now members of our Board of Directors. They bring a great deal to our Board in terms of understanding and promoting the work that we do.

RC: What is the overall goal of this initiative?

WB: Our Board has asked me as well, “How do we measure ‘success’?” My answer is simple: We will send people out to see first-hand what our donation is doing to help your organization. I will be asking them to bring back to our Board the specifics of how we are helping. I am sure that this is going to be a long list. I see this donation as the second part of our mission to “educate tomorrow’s leaders.” Basic needs must come first before the benefits of education can be realized.

RC: Do you have a vision for what you want the world to look like?

WB: The people of the world must first understand each other, the world’s needs, and the world’s concerns. We must always keep a clear vision as to how we can help people so that their dreams and goals can be realized – a world in which all people can live together, understand each other, and care for all members of society. It may be a lofty goal, but it is one that can be realized if we all pitch in together.

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Shelley Callahan | January 26, 2017En Español

In 1997, Southwest Airlines distributed thousands of copies of Dr. Richard Carlson’s bestseller, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff, to its employees — including pilot Don Wyatt of Palm Coast, Florida.

Inspired by the sentiment of the book, Wyatt wanted to give back. And since the late author was a strong supporter of Children Incorporated, Wyatt began to research the organization.

“There are many fine agencies to choose from, but my personal favorite is Children Incorporated… The experience has brought tremendous joy and satisfaction to my entire family.”

– Dr. Richard Carlson

After thoughtful consideration, Wyatt signed on. He currently sponsors four siblings — three sisters and a brother. They live in El Progreso, Honduras, a town still recovering slowly from the destruction caused by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. Today, the population still grapples with the effects of homelessness, disease and continued poverty stemming from that natural disaster.

El Refugio Welfare Center opened soon after the hurricane to provide a place for poor and abandoned children to go to for food, clothing, and educational assistance. The center provides for the children during the day and invites parents to become involved at the center by providing support in childcare, hygiene and healthcare.

A sponsor since 1999, Wyatt has consistently gone above and beyond to help provide the siblings with the essentials they need to succeed. He is currently paying for one to attend college and plans to help the other three when the time comes.

We sat down with Wyatt to learn more about why he chose to become a sponsor, and what he’s learned along the way.

CI: How did you get involved with Children Incorporated?

DW: Like many other people, I learned about Children Incorporated though the book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff. I acquired that book through my employer, Southwest Airlines, in 1997. The company thought so much of the book that they bought thousands of them for their employees. The book says to give back to others, and I was impressed with what the author said about Children Incorporated. I have contributed to other charities, and one of the things that I liked the most was that the money goes straight to the children.

CI: What do you know about Honduras?

DW: It was the first time I had been in Honduras in about three years. I am prior military and have lived all over the world. I am very familiar with how things are in underdeveloped countries. I have been to Korea and the Middle East, and I have seen poverty.

CI: What do you know about the childrens’ living situation?

Mr. Wyatt with his family and sponsored children’s family

DW: They live with their mother. She is the primary caregiver, and she has worked several odd jobs in El Progreso. Employment is hard to come by, so she has worked as a clerk in a grocery store, and a custodian at a hospital. But recently, the mother has had health problems. I don’t know how she helped the children when they were not old enough to take care of themselves.

They live in a very rough part of town, and it is amazing that they have somewhere to live at all. They rent the home. For a while they were squatting in a home, and they got into the program because they found an empty home right next to the coordinator’s home. She enrolled the children in Children Incorporated’s program, and then they eventually moved into a home that they could legally pay for.

CI: What do you know about El Refugio?

DW: I met an assistant coordinator, Trenie, who always arranged for a translator and a driver, and has always met me, and spends the whole time with me and my wife, and going about visiting the children’s homes. I have visited all of their schools, and I have taken them out to restaurants and water parks for a day of relaxation. The children are being provided for at the center after school with supplies, clothes and large bags of groceries on a monthly basis.

CI: What can you tell us about the children you sponsor?

The book says to give back to others, and I was impressed with what the author said about Children Incorporated. I have contributed to other charities, and one of the things that I liked the most was that the money goes straight to the children.

DW: Bernardo* was my first sponsored child, but he ended up dropping out of the program. I was asked if I was willing to sponsor a child in the same program in Honduras, which is when I learned about Samuel*. Over the course of a few months, I was told about some special needs of this family, and found out that he had three sisters as well. For about six months, I was only sponsoring Samuel, and then started sponsoring all the children — and that was in 2005.

Cándida* is the eldest of the four children. She was about eleven back then, and now she is 21. She is in her second year of the higher education program in university classes in El Progreso, where she studies information technology. When she’s not studying, she spends her time listening to music and watching movies with her friends.

Right behind her is Mariluz*, who just graduated last December. She’s also a movie buff. We got her a computer to help her with her studies.

Samuel is seventeen. He took an auto mechanics course in junior high school and is continuing his studies at a technical trade school, along with some regular classes.

Natalia* is the youngest. She’s in high school. Like any other teenager, she likes movies and listening to music — but mostly, she looks for simple things to do that don’t cost that much.

CI: Do you communicate with the children directly?

DW: Yes, I try to write them at least as often as they do, if not more — six to eight times a year, and then on birthdays and holidays as well. I tell them a little bit about my life and what I do, and I take pictures of the cockpit of the airplane and send those, and ask them about their health and happiness, and try to encourage them in school. I am hopeful that it will provide some additional opportunities for them.

CI: Do they write back? What do they say to you?

DW: The letters are normally eight to ten lines long, and they give a brief sentence of how they are doing. And then say they hope my family is happy and healthy.

CI: What advice would you have for someone reading about you and your sponsored children, and considering sponsorship?

DW: Children Incorporated is extremely responsive. They welcome inquiries, pass along concerns and are willing for me to get more personally involved with the needs of the children. I am very happy being associated with Children Incorporated, and I feel that the organization has a great history, and every dollar goes to the direct needs of the child.

People contribute to charities for a lot of different reasons. If you are the type of person that wants to become more involved on a personal level, Children Incorporated lets you do that. Often with other charities, you don’t feel like you have a personal impact. With Children Incorporated, you can be more than just a contributor of money.

* Names changed for children’s protection.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN HONDURAS?

You can sponsor a child in Honduras in one of three ways – call our office and speak with one of our sponsorship specialists at 1-800-538-5381, email us at sponsorship@childrenincorporated.org, or go online to our donation portal, create an account, and search for a child in Honduras that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD