Tag Archives: sponsor

Shelley Callahan | April 4, 2018En Español

Located in the idyllic mountainous Eastern Kentucky Coalfield, Magoffin County, where our affiliated project Salyersville Elementary School is located, holds the unfortunate distinction of having one of the highest poverty rates in the state. The coal mining industry once employed the majority of the area’s workforce. However, with the recent sharp decline of the industry, many area families have turned to small-scale and low-wage farming in order to provide for themselves; and unemployment and poverty have become intrinsic to Salyersville’s people.

Thankfully, our Volunteer Coordinator at Salyersville Elementary School, Alice, has the Children Incorporated program to rely on to help sponsored and unsponsored children receive basic needs, which not only helps kids, but their families as well. To explain the impact our program has on our sponsored and unsponsored children at the school, Alice wrote a letter to our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, about how important sponsors and sponsorship are to kids living in poverty.

Our sponsorship program has helped thousands of children in Eastern Kentucky.

Bringing smiles to kids’ faces

In her letter, Alice wrote, “Children Incorporated is truly a blessing to my community. It has brought so many smiles to the children’s faces. There are so many kids that benefit from this organization. Without help from this program, so many of our kids would do without. I am truly amazed at all the things sponsors through Children Incorporated do. To see these kids get packages from a ‘stranger’ that loves them is beyond them. It is breathtaking to see what just a note or card can do.

“Putting a smile on a child’s face is a miracle in itself. Coming from a family that has had its share of hardship, I personally know the feeling of not having material things like other kids. It makes me want to succeed as a volunteer coordinator for Children Incorporated. That helping hand makes more of a difference than anyone can ever imagine. Many kids and families take for granted the opportunity they have in being able to just go out and purchase new things for school — when other children have nothing. This program means the difference between a child being able to have their basic needs met for school and a child doing without.”

A thoughtful gift

“I would like to say thank you for everything that you do for our kids. With your help, our kids can have a brighter future.”

Alice continued, “I will never forget when one of my new students got a care package from her new sponsor. This girl was very hesitant to open the box. I explained to her that it was a gift from her sponsor, and I told her they wanted her to have what was inside. This girl, with a tear in her eye, says, ‘Why would anyone buy me something?’ My heart broke. I wanted to break down and cry. As I sat there with my heart in pieces I stood up and grabbed her in my arms and hugged her, and asked her, ‘Why not?’

“As she opened the box, she looked with the biggest eyes. It was filled with clothes, art supplies, toys, and snacks. She leaned over into the box and grabbed a box of snacks and said, ‘Wow! I finally got snacks for school. I can’t wait to show my daddy. He will be so excited.’ As she went through her box of goodies, she showed me each piece and kept smiling and hopping around with excitement the entire time. She had to lay all her clothes out and look them over. She rubbed the soft footie to her face, and I truly cherished every moment she pulled something new out of her box.

“I would like to say thank you for everything that you do for our kids. With your help, our kids can have a brighter future.”

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN KENTUCKY?

You can sponsor a child in Kentucky in one of two ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | March 29, 2018En Español

The purpose of our Higher Education Fund is to assist young people enrolled in our sponsorship program with financial support so that they can attend college, university, or certification courses once they graduate from high school. The assistance they receive is one of the best ways to help break the cycle of poverty because higher education gives them the skills and training they need to make a living wage or better when they enter into the competitive workforce.

How the program works

Children Incorporated has helped sponsored children to obtain a higher education since our very beginning – but only in a small way until 2011, when we expanded the program. Volunteer coordinators in both our U.S. and International Divisions may nominate young people in their last year of secondary education. These students are considered high achievers who the coordinators believe to have the capacity and desire for higher education, and the drive to complete the certificate or degree that they aspire to obtain.

Our Higher Education Fund helps former sponsored children achieve their dreams beyond high school.

Once accepted into our Higher Education Program, these young people may pursue any course of study at an accredited institution. Their support may be renewed each term, provided they present official documentation of passing grades and continued enrollment. Today, past beneficiaries of our Higher Education Fund work in a variety of capacities – from state troopers to hairstylists, to teachers, to speech pathologists.

Funds provided by Children Incorporated, thanks to our sponsors and donors, are critically important for these young adults to be able to enter into and remain in college or university until they achieve their respective certificates or degrees. For these special Higher Education Fund recipients, the results include more favorable opportunities for them to find jobs in their communities.

Two special university students

Funds provided by Children Incorporated, thanks to our sponsors and donors, are critically important for these young adults to be able to enter into and remain in college or university until they achieve their respective certificates or degrees.

Two very special former sponsored children are currently recipients of assistance through our Higher Education Fund. Natalie* from North Carolina was nominated by her former volunteer coordinator at the high school that she attended as an “excellent, calm, and conscientious” twelfth-grader who was active in the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Her parents, who struggled financially to raise three children, are now bringing up a grandchild. The father does odd jobs, and the mother is a home health aide; so the support that Natalie receives from Children Incorporated is essential in her pursuit of higher education. Natalie now attends Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina. She is working on a degree in business administration, and has an A/B average.

Kathryn* from Kentucky was nominated by our volunteer coordinator at her high school because she was “a very bright girl who gets along well with her peers, and is active in band; choir; the Junior Homemakers; and the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA).” Kathryn currently attends Eastern Kentucky University, and she is working on dual degrees in English with a concentration in creative writing, and broadcasting with a concentration in film. She maintains an A/B average as well.

We are so proud of all of our Higher Education Fund recipients, and we look forward to supporting more young adults in the future in achieving their dreams!

*Names changed for individuals’ protection.

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How do I donate to the Higher Education Fund?

You can contribute to our Higher Education Fund 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 donation portal, create an account, and donate to our Higher Education Fund.

DONATE TODAY

Shelley Callahan | March 29, 2018En Español

Last year, Andreia Beraldo, Children Incorporated’s International Affiliated Site Specialist, and I traveled to Costa Rica to visit our affiliated site Santa Luisa in the small town of Bratsi (Bambu). A five-hour drive southeast from San Jose, Costa Rica’s capital in the Talamanca Mountains Region, the town is located along the country’s border with Panama. Bratsi is mostly inhabited by the indigenous Bribri tribe, and it is close to the Sixaola River, which separates Costa Rica from Panama by just a short boat ride.

The area produces various crops including bananas, plantains, cacao, and a variety of tropical fruits; agriculture provides little income for the families in the region, however. Among the houses and schools within the Bratsi community is the Santa Luisa home for the elderly, which not only serves the aging population, but also provides support for children in the community.

A home in the jungle

The children were very excited to receive their new mattresses!

When we arrived, our Volunteer Coordinator at the time, Sister Bertalina, showed us around the grounds of Santa Luisa, which are well-kept and full of chickens, roosters, and fruit trees – all of which provide food for the residents of the home. Santa Luisa is funded and run by the government. Ten staff members help care for upwards of 25 elderly residents at a time, and the four Sisters that live on the property help to oversee operations, as well as to provide support through our sponsorship program for the children in the surrounding communities and their families.

For the past nine years, during five of which Sister Bertalina was at Santa Luisa, the 83 children in our program there have been receiving food, clothing, shoes, and school supplies upon monthly visits to the home. After showing us the Santa Luisa grounds, Sister Bertalina took us to visit the home of two children in our program, only a few minutes’ drive away. The visit took us into the jungle, where at first glance, it didn’t seem that a path off the main road existed at all. Blanketed by large banana trees, the road was narrow and muddy, and it took us up a steep incline. When we arrived at the wooden two-bedroom house, which was built on stilts on the side of a hill, we were greeted by the father, who held his small son in his arms. His wife and their other son were out for the day.

The one mattress that the whole family shared was torn, and it really needed to be replaced because of water damage.

New mattresses for Christmas

The father explained that the roof leaks whenever it rains, so they have to bag their clothes up and tie those bags to the rafters in order to keep their belongings dry during times of precipitation. The one mattress that the whole family shared was torn, and it really needed to be replaced because of water damage. As we left, Sister Bertalina mentioned that she wanted to buy mattresses for many of these families who sleep on the floor or on foam padding — families that have the same issues with rain and humidity ruining their mattresses.

Thankfully, once Andreia and I returned home, Sister Bertalina submitted a request for support from our Hope In Action Fund to purchase mattresses for all of our sponsored and unsponsored children at Santa Luisa. This past Christmas, the mattresses arrived, and each of the families picked up one brand new mattress each. We are so grateful to our donors and supporters that we were able to help these families with an urgent need.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN COSTA RICA?

You can sponsor a child in Costa Rica 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 donation portal, create an account, and search for a child in Costa Rica that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | March 19, 2018En Español

Mary Wilson is a founding member of the most famous female singing group in history, the Supremes; and for over fifty years, she has been entertaining audiences throughout the world. Ms. Wilson is also known for her charitable work, and in 2003, she was named a U.S. Cultural Ambassador by former U.S. Secretary of State Colin Powell. This year, Ms. Wilson became a sponsor with Children Incorporated, deciding to help a special little girl in her own hometown of Detroit, Michigan.

Ms. Wilson says she looks very forward not only to assisting the child, but also to helping bring awareness to the life-changing work that we do. We welcome Ms. Wilson to the Children Incorporated family!

About Ms. Wilson’s hometown

Founded in 1701 by French settlers, the port city of Detroit has since grown to become the second-largest metropolis in the Midwestern United States. It is best known for its Motown music, like that of the Supremes, and its automobile industry, which boomed throughout the twentieth century – and the city even served as a major supplier of provisions for Allied troops during World War II. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, however, Detroit saw a 25 percent plunge in its population. Despite efforts to revitalize the city, in 2013, Detroit was forced to file the largest municipal bankruptcy case in United States history.

Today, the city struggles with rampant unemployment, poverty, and all of their associated socioeconomic issues. The community served by Wayne Elementary School, which Ms. Wilson’s sponsored child attends, is no exception to these maladies. In fact, here in Detroit’s east end, the need is even greater for such necessities as food, clothing, and shelter. For this reason, Wayne Elementary School serves as a beacon of hope. In addition to basic needs, the school provides students with a safe, nurturing learning environment – all thanks to our caring sponsors! This setting is one that emphasizes the value of respect – for self and for others – and of daily excellence. Bolstered by highly-qualified teachers, dedicated parents, and strong community involvement, the school equips this talented group of rising young academic stars with the technological and authentic literacy skills that they need in order to rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances from which they come, and to break the cycle of poverty.

Ms. Wilson with our CEO, Ronald Carter, and her sponsored child in Detroit

Welcoming Ms. Wilson

Ms. Wilson has sponsored children in the past with other organizations, and told our President and Chief Executive Officer, Ronald Carter, that she found those experiences to be quite enjoyable. We are so grateful that she is now helping a student to receive basic needs through Children Incorporated. Ms. Wilson says she looks very forward not only to assisting the child, but also to helping bring awareness to the life-changing work that we do. We welcome Ms. Wilson to the Children Incorporated family!

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN DETROIT?

You can sponsor a child in Detroit in one of two ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

Shelley Callahan | March 7, 2018En Español

The town of Bloomfield is located in New Mexico in a desert crisscrossed by gullies where only scrub oak, piñon, and mesquite are hardy enough to survive. Within the town is our affiliated project the Huerfano Dormitory, which was originally designed by the Bureau of Indian Affairs as a school. The Huerfano (pronounced “WAR-fen-oh”) Dormitory was converted into a dormitory when the families that live in the Navajo communities in the outskirts of Bloomfield decided they wanted their children to be able to stay in town during the school week, because their homes were too far away to make daily commuting viable. Once the school was converted, students in kindergarten through grade twelve began staying there five days a week, making the dorm like a second home for them.

The socioeconomic effects of poverty, including broken homes, alcoholism, unemployment, and hopelessness, pervade Navajo life.

**A hogan for a first home**

Families of children that stay at the Huerfano Dormitory typically live in traditional Navajo homes called hogans, which are made of logs and mud, in communities where there is rampant poverty. Due to widespread, debilitating unemployment, many parents struggle to afford even the most basic necessities. The socioeconomic effects of poverty, including broken homes, alcoholism, unemployment, and hopelessness, pervade Navajo life. Thankfully, all the children who stay at the Huerfano Dormitory and attend public schools in nearby Bloomfield receive three well-balanced meals a day – and those that have sponsors receive much-needed assistance.

While visiting the Huerfano Dormitory, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, first met with Elsie, our Volunteer Coordinator there. Elsie is an experienced, long-time coordinator for Children Incorporated. She is the Residential Manager for the dorm, and holds a master’s degree in clinical social work from the University of Denver.

Our Volunteer Coordinator Elsie

Elsie told Renée that the dorm only recently obtained high-speed internet access. As such, she asked Renée to consider the dorm as a possible recipient of support from our Hope In Action Fund to purchase laptops and tablets for its residents. She said that the kids also need more blankets for the cold New Mexico winter nights.

Susan’s very own sponsor

After talking with Elsie about the needs of the dorm, Renée was able to meet some of our sponsored and unsponsored children. First, she met Jonathan*, who is in the sixth grade and loves hanging out with his friends. She also met Brian, who is in the eighth grade and likes to doodle and draw. Next, Renée met Susan, who is in the third grade. At the time, Susan was unsponsored. During their visit, Susan told Renée that her favorite thing to do is play outside.

Elsie said that Jonathan and Brian’s sponsors have been an incredible help and a blessing, and that she couldn’t wait for Susan to also become sponsored and be able to have that experience as well. Just a few short weeks later, when Renée returned back to our office, she was able to match Susan with her very own sponsor.

*All names changed for children’s protection.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN NEW MEXICO?

You can sponsor a child in New Mexico in one of two ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | March 6, 2018En Español

The remote town of Crownpoint is in northwestern New Mexico, near the Arizona border and the vast Navajo Nation. Within the town is our affiliated project Lake Valley Boarding School. As one of the smaller schools within the Bureau of Indian Affairs system, with only 33 children in attendance, Lake Valley Boarding School provides a safe haven for Navajo students whose homes are far away, and whose families are desperately poor. In addition to the educational opportunities with which the children are presented at the school, the Children Incorporated sponsorship program helps each and every one of them to receive the basic needs they require on a regular basis.

Shelley with Alice and Judy

Were it not for Lake Valley Boarding School, our sponsored and unsponsored children coming from impoverished homes would have little opportunity to rise above their difficult socioeconomic circumstances. In Crownpoint, there is virtually no employment for adults. Broken homes, alcoholism, and inadequate food are a constant problem in many households, and most parents struggle to afford to properly care for their kids. Thankfully, the children are able to stay at Lake Valley Boarding School during the week —so five days a week, they are guaranteed three nutritious meals a day, and a healthy, supportive environment.

Every student supported

While visiting New Mexico, U.S. Projects Specialist, Shelley Oxenham, met with our Volunteer Coordinators Alice and Judy at Lake Valley Boarding School. Alice is a retired teacher, and Judy is currently a teacher at the school. It is rare for our affiliated projects to have every child that attends enrolled in the Children Incorporated program — especially at schools in the U.S., where attendance rates are usually high.

Also, having more than twenty children enrolled in our program is oftentimes too much work for our volunteer coordinators, because they typically already have many different jobs within the school. Thanks to the small number of students at this school, however, not only are all the children there enrolled in our program (currently thirty with sponsors, and three waiting for sponsors), but Alice and Judy are also able to give the children the individual support they need to overcome adversity in their lives.

Were it not for Lake Valley Boarding School, our sponsored and unsponsored children coming from impoverished homes would have little opportunity to rise above their difficult socioeconomic circumstances.

When Alice is preparing to purchase items for the students, thanks to funds donated by their sponsors, she asks the teachers directly what the students need most, based on their observations. The teachers, Alice tells Shelley, always have the answers ready for her. They know exactly what the children need because they see them every day, and they know what the kids are coming to class without – whether it is proper winter clothes, good shoes, or hygiene items. Alice also provides classroom resources from which everyone can benefit, like school supplies, lotion, hand sanitizer, and tissues.

Although it is unfortunate that every child at Lake Valley Boarding School is living in poverty, and therefore needs the support of the Children Incorporated program, it is wonderful to know that such caring people like Alice and Judy are able to help every child in the school – and thankfully, we are able to help the unsponsored children through our Shared Hope Fund in the meantime, until they get their very own sponsors.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN NEW MEXICO?

You can sponsor a child in New Mexico in one of two ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members, or email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org.

SPONSOR A CHILD