Tag Archives: sponsor

Ron Carter | December 12, 2022

Dear Friends,

I’m one of those people who likes grocery stores. I got this from my father, Allen, who simply couldn’t pass a supermarket without going in. My dad was a bargain shopper like no other; he scoured sales ads in the local newspapers, and then went from store to store searching out the best prices on this item or that. If a particular product was on sale at an exceptionally low price, he bought in bulk and stocked up for future use. Grocery shopping with my dad was something that I truly enjoyed.

Our support is especially important now, perhaps even more important than at any time before, simply because everything costs so much.

These days, when I go grocery shopping, sadly, rather than enjoying the experience as I once did, I find myself stunned and amazed by the high price of food, household products, and personal care items. As I look at an item that was perhaps $4 last year, and is now $6 or $7, sticker shock becomes very real to me, and it makes me more aware than ever of how this current inflation is impacting those who were struggling to make ends meet long before prices started to rise.

Together, we can help even more children and families in 2023.

Doing as much as they can with very little

For the children and families that we serve, the old saying “every penny counts” is a very real way of life. On limited budgets, moms and dads, grandparents, and guardians of all kinds must seek out food, household items, and personal care products that they can afford. They often buy the least costly food items – beans and rice among them – that they can stretch the farthest and with which they can feed the largest number of people the most number of times. As prices rise, they struggle to make every dollar stretch even further.

Their small paychecks don’t go nearly as far now as they did a year, or even a few months ago, and families sometimes go without even the most basic items. Children Incorporated has always worked to help those who live in dire circumstances to rise above them, and we do this through assistance of all kinds, including providing food and hygiene items, clothing, blankets and linens, and so, so much more.

We need your support

Our support is especially important now, perhaps even more important than at any time before, simply because everything costs so much.

Would you be willing to make a life-changing donation at this time to support our mission?

For all these reasons, your contributions to our Annual Fund will allow us to continue to help those living in poverty. As the year comes to a close, we would like to set a goal to raise $50,000 to start 2023 off helping as many children and families as possible. We know they need our help and we are ready. Would you be willing to make a life-changing donation at this time to support our mission?

Every dollar counts. Thank you for everything you do to support our work. We couldn’t do it without you.

From the heart,

Ronald H. Carter
President and Chief Executive Officer
Children Incorporated

DONATE

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Shelley Callahan | December 11, 2022En Español

Our sponsors and donors know just as well as we do how powerful sponsorship is, and how life-changing it is for children in need. Through our blog series, Stories of Hope, we share the many different ways in which we help children all around the world all thanks to you. Your donations have allowed us to continue to offer vital resources to more and more children each and every year.

Today, we would like to introduce you to five of the three hundred children in our sponsorship program who are waiting for a special sponsor just like you.

No matter how we grow as an organization and the world around us changes, the most important way in which we are able to sustain our work is through “word of mouth.” Since 1964, we have changed the lives of tens of thousands of children because our supporters have shared stories of our work with their friends and families and encouraged them to get involved. For us, this has been vital to our growth. For children in our program, it has been invaluable.

Today, we would like to introduce you to five of the three hundred children in our sponsorship program who are waiting for a special sponsor just like you, and ask that you please consider sharing their stories with loved ones who might feel compelled to become a sponsor. As always, thank you for your support. We couldn’t do our work without you.

Meet Ajay

Achini lives in Sri Lanka and would really benefit from having a sponsor.

Hi! My name is Ajay! I live in India, and I am in the fourth grade. I love to study the English language, and I also like to draw. My favorite sport is Cricket and my favorite animal is a dog. I live at home with my parents and my sister. Our house has electricity but no running water. When I am at home, I like to watch cartoons and listen to children’s music.

When I grow up, I would like to be a pilot. I dream of a world that is full of peace and love. If I had a sponsor, it would help to make sure I have fresh food to eat and make sure I can get an education.

Meet Chester*

Hi! I’m Chester. I live in Virginia, and I am in the fourth grade. I love math, coloring, and drawing. My teacher describes me as kind and respectful. In my free time, I like to play on the computer.

I live with my dad in a mobile home. I have two brothers and one sister. I would really like to have a sponsor because then I could get clothes that fit me instead of having to wear old hand-me downs.

Meet Achini

Hello! My name is Achini. I live in Sri Lanka. I am in the seventh grade, and I like to study information technology. My teacher describes me as pleasant and cheerful. During my free time, I like to draw and play with my friends. My favorite sport is volleyball.

I live in a children’s home in Sri Lanka. I have a younger brother. When I grow up, I would like to be a nurse. Having a sponsor would mean that I could have the things I need so I can stay in school and follow my dreams.

Meet Belen

Hi! I am Belen. I live in Chile, and I am in the third grade. I love drawing and running. My teacher describes me as fun and talkative. My favorite color is red, and I like to eat french fries.

I live with my mom and my brother in an apartment with brick walls that has running water but no electricity. My mom is a hairdresser. When I grow up, I would like to be a gymnastics teacher. I would love to have a sponsor because it is exciting to think of a family from another country wanting to help me even though they have never even met me!

As always, thank you for your support. We couldn’t do our work without you.

Meet Dennis*

Hi! My name is Dennis, and I live in Kentucky. I am in the fourth grade, and I love art and basketball. My favorite color is red, and my favorite food is spaghetti. My teacher describes me as a kind and happy boy.

I live with my parents, sister and brother. We live in a small house. My mother works at my school, and my father cuts trees for work. Having a sponsor would really help me have the things I need to go to school, like shoes and good clothes.

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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 that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | December 5, 2022En Español

Children Incorporated’s Hope In Action Fund supports our affiliated sites in a variety of ways, from emergency relief to construction projects and beyond. As one of our oldest and most valuable funds helping children and families living in poverty, it is amazing how this special fund touches lives in so many positive ways.

“With the Hope In Action Funds, I started a Fall garden at the school that includes kale, lettuce, beets, collard greens, cabbage, rainbow chard, arugula, peas, and pole beans. It has been so much fun!”

Today, we hear from our volunteer coordinator, Sydney, at G.H. Reid Elementary School, about how our Hope In Action Fund allowed her to create a new school garden, and how it has not only been educational for students, but a lot of fun as well!

A letter from Sydney

“With the Hope In Action Funds, I started a Fall garden at the school that includes kale, lettuce, beets, collard greens, cabbage, rainbow chard, arugula, peas, and pole beans. It has been so awesome!”

The school garden is bringing smiles to the faces of children at G.H. Reid.

“I am sharing a photo of a student in the Children Incorporated sponsorship program named Maria.* Maria was having a tough morning a few weeks ago, and her teacher asked if I could spend some time with her so she could have a break from the classroom. I was watering the garden at the time, so I asked Maria if she’d be interested in helping me.”

“While we tended the garden, I taught Maria about the different parts of the plants (leaves, roots, stems) and showed her how to water directly at the roots. We found some beets that were ready, so she pulled them up. Afterward, I called her mom to see if they would eat beets at home. Her mom was so excited, she happily accepted! Maria took the beets home with her that day.”

Meeting Giselle

“I have also shared a picture of another sponsored child named Giselle.* Giselle used to have a garden at her house in El Salvador, but she doesn’t have enough yard space at her new apartment in Richmond to have one. She loves to help me in the garden and said when she’s grown up, she wants to have plants of her own.”

“We also were able to invite fourth and fifth grade classes out to the garden last week on ‘Hamburger Day’ to add fresh picked lettuce to their hamburgers. The kids thought it was so cool! They were able to try arugula, red leaf lettuce, kale (soaked in water, salt, & olive oil), Great Lakes Head lettuce, and a salad bowl mix.”

“I truly can’t thank you enough for supporting our school garden. It has brought so much joy to staff and students alike! We couldn’t do it without your support.

Warm regards,

Sydney”

*Names changed to protect the children.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | November 28, 2022

As a part of our ongoing Stories of Hope blog series, we want to share with you our monthly Impact Report as a way to say “thank you” to all our supporters who make our work possible. Beyond what you already provide to children through our sponsorship program, your donations to our Special Funds and Special Projects help families and communities as well, often in times of crisis.

YOUR IMPACT AROUND THE WORLD

In just this past month your support has:

– Provided tutoring support for children at Crum PK-8 School in West Virginia

– Provided funds for an academic trip for students at James D. Adams Middle School in Kentucky

– Provided funds to purchase meals for one full month at the Dandora Center in Kenya

Thanks to you, we have been able to provided funds to purchase bedding and bedroom supplies for a family with children at East Valley Elementary School in Kentucky — and so much more.

– Provided funds to purchase bedding and bedroom supplies for a family with children at East Valley Elementary School in Kentucky

– Provided funds for meals for children for an entire month at Fortune’s Children at Parang in the Philippines

– Provided food for 25 children for a month at St. John’s Community Center in Kenya

– Provided funds for clothing for newly enrolled children at Morgan County Middle School in Kentucky

– Provided funds for hygiene and food items for children at Sagrada Familia in Guatemala

– Provided funds for basic needs for children at the Lourdes School in Bolivia

– Provided funds for meals for children at Kids Hope Ethiopia in Ethiopia

– Provided funds to purchase books for children to take home at Catlettsburg Elementary School in Kentucky

… all in addition to the support you already provide through sponsorship to children in our program. Thank you for everything you do for children in need!

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HOW TO I MAKE A DONATION TO CHILDREN INCORPORATED?

You can donate to Children Incorporated in one of three ways: call our office at
1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at hello@children-inc.org and a staff member can assist you as to how to make a donation, or online to our donation portal, create an account, and chose a particular fund in which you would like to donate.

DONATE

Ron Carter | November 20, 2022En Español

In the United States, the first Thanksgiving celebration dates back to 1619. Thirty-eight English settlers arrived by boat at the Berkeley Plantation in Charles City County, Virginia, and they immediately held a festival of thanks and appreciation for their safe arrival following a long and treacherous trip. They also gave thanks for the abundance of the land – vegetables and foodstuffs galore – and they feasted on the bounty before them.

Each year since that time, though the days and dates changed over the course of history, our society has set aside one day each year to give thanks for all that we, as a people, have been blessed with. Food is a huge part of these celebrations, and many of us take for granted that it will be served in great variety and large quantity. That is simply not true for thousands of families in the U.S.

I want to thank each of you who supports the work of Children Incorporated for your caring hearts.

A thanksgiving to remember

I recall meeting a family a few years back at a local elementary school. They had been chosen by a church group to be the beneficiaries of a multi-course Thanksgiving meal, and I was given the task of delivering the food to them. When I arrived at their home and started unloading turkeys and hams, stuffing and gravy, green beans and cranberry salad, as well as an assortment of pies and cakes, the children’s eyes were absolutely huge, and one of the little boys, seeing the turkey in front of him exclaimed excitedly “Is that really for us? We’ve never had a turkey before!” Another child was mesmerized by the pecan pie before him.

The children’s mother had tears rolling down her face as she explained that without this donation of food, she would have prepared a big pot of collard greens, seasoned with a ham bone, and that would have been their entire Thanksgiving meal. That was all they could afford.

Thanksgiving is a time to celebrate and express appreciation for all that we have, yet it is also a time to reflect on the fact that many people – an estimated 12.5 % of U.S. citizens – live well below the poverty line, and food insecurity plagues far more than that. Worldwide, it is said that as many as 828 million people go hungry at least part of the time. As we reflect on our many blessing this Thanksgiving season, may we also think of those who go without. May we realize that we do have the power to make a difference, and we can do so with small acts of kindness, generosity and sharing.

I want to thank each of you who supports the work of Children Incorporated for your caring hearts. I truly believe that together, we can, and we do make positive differences each and every day, however big or small. Together, we touch children, families, and communities, and we offer hope and possibility. For that, and for you, I am thankful. I am also very blessed.

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 | November 11, 2022

Known as the land of lakes and volcanoes, Nicaragua boasts fertile Pacific lowlands, north-central highlands and Atlantic/Caribbean lowlands. Nearly a fifth of the nation is set aside as protected parks or reserves — unique ecosystems teeming with a variety of wildlife. Nicaragua includes diverse ethnicities as well.

In Nicaragua, children’s very lives and futures are at risk, as they struggle with poverty and lack of
educational resources.

Indigenous peoples, Europeans, Africans, Asians and people of Middle Eastern origin all call this breathtaking land home. Nicaragua’s wealth of natural resources and rich culture, however, belie the deprivation in which most of its residents live.

This largest Central American nation is also the region’s most destitute — it is the second-poorest country in the Western Hemisphere — and is riddled with natural disasters, political instability and widespread poverty and underemployment. The vast majority of Nicaraguan workers earn less than two dollars a day.

Challenges for Children in Nicaragua

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

Half of all children and adolescents in Nicaragua live in poverty
An estimated 500,000 children from infancy to 17 years old are not in the education system
240,000 children under 17 years old are in the work force in Nicaragua
Only 72% of children enrolled in school in Nicaragua finish primary school

Our Work in Nicaragua

Thanks to caring people like you, Children Incorporated has helped thousands of children living in poverty in Nicaragua since 1964.

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

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

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

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How do I sponsor a child in Nicaragua?

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

SPONSOR A CHILD

Sources:

https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2015/may/19/poverty-nicaragua-children-school-education-child-labour