Tag Archives: sponsors

Renee Kube | July 21, 2024En Español

Brookland Middle School in Washington, D.C. serves children in grades sixth through eighth. It is located in Ward 5. This is one of the largest wards in the city, with more than 90,000 residents. It contains two railroad lines, and several major city streets go through this ward. Thus it has a large concentration of “industrial use” land. There are over 20 distinct neighborhoods of which its residents feel a lot of pride.

Children Incorporated is just the right organization to help me purchase bulk items like winter coats, gloves, and hats for our families in dire need.

Brookland Middle School is one of four affiliations in D.C. with our organization. In addition to its academic curriculum, the school offers programs in educational enrichment (including STEM and a Socratic Seminar); wellness and fitness (including Girls on the Run and Man Up); and Art and Culture (instrumental and choral music, dance, art and design).

The school demographics are 83% black, 17% Hispanic/Latino and 1% white. 12% of students are English language learners and 57% are identified as at-risk due to poverty. Most qualify for TANF (Temporary Assistance to Needy Families) and SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program). Some of the students are homeless or are in foster care.

The children’s test scores are low, but they are making progress. More are taking Algebra I than in past years, and those who are taking the class are passing it. This is a uniform school. Sixth graders wear orange shirts, seventh graders wear teal, and eighth graders wear purple shirts.

There are 21 children enrolled in our sponsorship program currently, with four unsponsored. Although I wasn’t able to visit Brookland Middle on my last trip to Washington, D.C. our volunteer coordinator, LaTroy, wrote to me to express her appreciation for why sponsors are so important to students at her school, who are struggling to have their basic needs met throughout the year.

In LaTroy’s Words

Interior photo courtesy of architects’ website.

Brookland Middle School is a wonderful school of about 327 students in Ward 5 of Washington, D.C. The principal, school administration and partners are the true backbone of the school. They work to ensure that all students feel loved, challenged and prepared.

This year, we have increased our focus on making sure our students feel “loved.” After conducting a Panorama Survey at the end of the school year 2021-22, the results indicated that only 44% of our students reported “feeling loved at school.” Therefore, this year we are ensuring that whenever able we are exhibiting messages of love toward our students. Whether through hugs, verbal affirmation, signage or our consistent presence, we want them to know how much we love them here at Brookland.

This pouring of love could not have been more needed. In the New Year, our student body experienced a tremendous sudden loss from the murder of one of our scholars on January 7th. This was followed by the sudden death of a former student on January 21st. Upon immediate notice, our principal assembled a team of grief counselors and community support to be present. On January 25, 2023, we hosted a Memorial Breakfast in honor of the two students. During that breakfast, we announced that there would be a garden dedicated to those students in spring 2023, on school grounds.

Currently, our primary challenge is attendance. During the winter months, we’ve been experiencing a spike in unexcused absences. Since then, the school attendance team has identified those students and families with over five unexcused absences and began to call parents and talk to students to identify any barriers. The most common finding has been basic needs. Students and parents have shared that they lack the essential winter clothing to combat the winter elements. We are also experiencing more and more students who require food over the weekend. Many immigrant families are currently enrolled here at Brookland and are food insecure.

Children Incorporated is just the right organization to help me purchase bulk items like winter coats, gloves, and hats for our families in dire need, as well as help us with the items needed for our Weekend Food Pantry. Children Incorporated sponsors also help our students with school uniforms, which are required here at Brookland Middle.

(Photo credits: https://www.hartmancox.com/)

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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 in that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | July 16, 2024En Español

We are thrilled to announce our partnership with AllPeople Marketplace!

AllPeople Marketplace is a sustainable shopping platform that offers a curated selection of products from ethical and socially responsible brands. Its mission is to positively impact the world by promoting sustainable shopping practices and supporting charitable organizations.

AllPeople Marketplace is partnering with Children Incorporated because they strongly believe in our mission to provide life-changing resources to children worldwide.

AllPeople Marketplace believes that businesses have a responsibility to prioritize the well-being of people and the planet, and it is committed to providing a transparent and fair platform that promotes small and independent brands. AllPeople Marketplace is dedicated to creating a community of conscious consumers who share the goal of creating positive change.

Giving back to charities

AllPeople Marketplace recently launched a new online platform dedicated to sustainable and socially responsible shopping. The marketplace provides a one-stop shop for consumers looking to support businesses that prioritize the well-being of people and the planet while also giving back to charitable organizations. The company simultaneously announced the hiring of its new CEO, Keith Barrows.

With a growing selection of products ranging from personal care and wellness to home goods and fashion, AllPeople Marketplace is designed to meet the needs of conscious consumers who are looking for a convenient and trustworthy source for sustainable shopping. The marketplace also offers a range of resources and educational content to help shoppers make informed purchasing decisions.

“We’re thrilled to launch AllPeople Marketplace and to provide a platform for consumers to easily discover and shop from ethical and sustainable brands,” said Bill Wollrab, AllPeople Marketplace founder. “We believe that by making it easy for consumers to shop sustainably and support charitable causes, we can create a positive impact on the world.”

Our partNership with AllPeople

AllPeople Marketplace is partnering with Children Incorporated because they strongly believe in our mission to provide life-changing resources to children worldwide. Customers can choose to support Children Incorporated at checkout, and 5% of the proceeds from every purchase will be donated to our organization at no extra cost.

“We believe that businesses have a responsibility to create positive change in the world, and we’re committed to supporting our partners in that mission,” said Wollrab. “By creating a community of like-minded businesses and consumers, we can work together to build a more sustainable, equitable, and compassionate world.”

AllPeople Marketplace is now live and accessible to shoppers in the United States. To learn more about the marketplace and its mission, please visit allpeoplemarketplace.com.

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Children Incorporated | July 15, 2024

Today, as a part of our July 2024 Impact Report, we share a letter from our volunteer coordinator Paula at Herald Whitaker Middle School in Kentucky, who expresses her gratitude for our sponsorship program.

Hearing from Paula

“Being a resource coordinator, we are supposed to do and incorporate many things into our job. I try to educate my students on hygiene, self-care, self-love, and understanding the impact and importance of this.”

“Children Incorporated helps eliminate some of the challenges these students and their families face.”

“The Children Incorporated sponsorship program has a wonderful impact on my students. Children Incorporated helps me to make sure students’ needs are met every day they attend school. I love how the students receive gifts on their birthday, which makes the students feel special and not forgotten about. The anticipation and excitement on the students’ faces are very rewarding. Thanks to the sponsors for making this happen.”

“Building a relationship with these students is my top priority. I love being able to earn the students’ trust. I am able to pull them into my office and ask what their specific needs are. With the combination of my Family Resource Center and Children Incorporated, everything we do can be life-changing for these students.”

Thanks to their sponsors, children at the Tecpan School in Guatemala received school supplies and clothes to take home this month!

“I truly believe that if some of these students didn’t have sponsors, they wouldn’t be able to attend school. Children Incorporated helps eliminate some of the challenges these students and their families face. Thank you for everything.”

Sincerely,
Paula

your impact through hope in action

Sponsorship is not the only way that 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 nutritious meals to 30 children for a month at Santa Isabel Ana Seton in Guatemala
– Provide funds to purchase nutritional meals for 25 children for an entire month at the Dandora Center in Kenya
– Provide funds to purchase 200 meals for children at the St. John’s Community Center in Kenya
– Provide funds for the daily meals for 25 children for an entire month at Kids’ Hope Ethiopia
– Provide funds to offer nutritional meals to 40 children for an entire month at the Visayans Center in the Philippines
– Provide backpacks and school supplies for children at Fallsburg Elementary School in Kentucky

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

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Renee Kube | July 6, 2024En Español

Cardozo Educational Campus is now Children Incorporated’s longest affiliated site in Washington, D.C. It is also our only affiliated site in Ward 1. This ward has a rich architectural and cultural heritage. It is a true melting pot, with immigrants from all over the world. It is the modern heart of the city’s Hispanic/Latino community. It is also home to many of the city’s African American and Asian American small businesses. This ward has 12 historic districts, and its landmarks include Rock Creek Park and the National Zoo.

The school has been renovated in more recent years and can house over 1000 students.

One of the architectural treasures is the Cardozo Education Campus. It began its historic renovation in 2011, which included exterior renovation, roofing, HVAC, ADA improvements, technology design and sustainable design. It can house 1100 students.

About Cardozo

Cardozo Education Campus currently serves about 625 students from sixth to 12th grade. It has a middle school, an International Academy, and a comprehensive high school. Students come from many backgrounds, from those born in Washington, D.C., to students from Central and South America. This diverse population makes Cardozo very special. The school’s demographics are 49% black, 46% Hispanic/Latino, 3% Asian, 1% white, and 1% other.

There are AP classes, Army JROTC, sports, and arts and cultural clubs and activities. One of the most interesting things about Cardozo is its TransSTEM Academy. Students receive hands-on technical training in electricity, electronics, and electromechanical technology. There is also a pre-engineering module where students can explore aeronautics, biomechanics, and other applied math science occupations and skills.

The children who are enrolled in our sponsorship program are the ones who need the most support. This includes providing them with clothing, school supplies, hygiene products and food.

Cardozo has two Communities In Schools site coordinators, Jovan and Florangel. After arriving at the school for our meeting, Kristen Walthall and I heard from both Jovan and Florangel, who explained that CIS plans ahead when it comes to running our sponsorship program. Starting every March, they conduct needs assessments with the families. Over summer break, they analyze the results and discuss any adjustments to current initiatives or the creation of new ones.

Meeting with our coordinators

At Cardozo, their two biggest goals are currently in-seat attendance and academics. The students have many stressors and competing priorities. Some must care for younger siblings. Some are essentially homeless and they couch-surf with friends and relatives. Regular school attendance isn’t always a priority. Jovan and Florangel offer incentives for the students to come to school each day. They also work on parent engagement. The children who are enrolled in our sponsorship program are the ones who need the most support. This includes providing them with clothing, school supplies, hygiene products and food.

The interior courtyard of the Cardozo Education Campus

During our meeting, Robert,* a sixth grader, was brought in to meet us as a student body representative. This was no doubt due to his outgoing personality. Robert didn’t have a shy bone in his body. He had no problem chatting with Kris and me, and it was lovely to meet him as one of our sponsored children.

After Robert returned to class, it was time to tour this beautifully restored school that offers so much for the children. We toured the International Academy hall first. It was founded in 2014 through a partnership with D.C. Public Schools and the International Network for Public Schools (INPS) in NYC. According to the school’s website, “The academic model is based on decades of proven, research-based instructional approaches designed to work with recently arrived immigrant students. Students are grouped into teams and travel as a cohort throughout the day. Through the International Academy, students experience a complete integration of language and content development, heterogeneous grouping and ongoing collaboration, strategic use of students’ native/dominant language when working with peers, as well as the intentional bridging of the student’s native language and the target language of English.” We also saw classrooms, the gymnasium, and the beautiful interior courtyard of the school.

In Florangel’s words

After our tour ended, Florangel told Kris and I more about how our program helps children at Cardozo:

“Some of the challenges that Cardozo has faced are receiving students from Venezuela. Many students live at shelters and have recently arrived in the United States. Welcoming new migrant students has been challenging, but not impossible, in connecting each student to the right services. Students can connect to the health clinic and receive clothes and shoes from our partners, like Children Incorporated.”

Florangel also shared a sweet story about two of our sponsored children:

Seth and Lewis* are both newly arrived in the United States. They both have parents who requested resources immediately so Seth and Lewis could feel comfortable attending school. One of the items they both received was a coat. The students and their families have never experienced the cold weather, so they had expressed concern about how the weather would be during the wintertime. Seth likes to play soccer, so we were able to provide soccer clothes. Lewis enjoys dancing, so we provided new shoes for him. Many more students and parents have expressed gratitude for things they cannot afford or help while working to save money.

*Names changed to protect the children.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | July 1, 2024En Español

As he continues visiting our affiliated sites in India, Luis Bourdet visits the Grace Aaron Childcare Center, where students are very happy to be present.

“The town of Burgampahad, in the southeastern Indian state of Telangana, is where the Grace Aaron Childcare Center is located,” explained Luis Bourdet.

“Within this rice-producing region, which is susceptible to crop-destroying flooding and droughts, thousands of field laborers earn very low wages. Due to widespread poverty, only some parents can send their children to school. For this reason, the Grace Aaron Childcare Center serves as a beacon of hope. Founded by the Church of South India, this center provides nutritional and educational support for girls from the region’s most impoverished families.”

Luis meets with our coordinator

“Grace Aaron was a hostel in the past, and children used to live here as our sponsorship program supported them. Flooding from the nearby Godavari river has affected the facilities a few times, and a new disposition of the local government, where children could not stay at private hostels unless a school is present within the compound, has turned this facility into a childcare center,” said Luis.

“The children love to be here, and they welcomed me with some interesting local dances and a display of henna markings in their hands that were very impressive.”

“Mrs. J. Jesantha, a coordinator of the Dornakal Girls Hostel before, is now the person in charge at Grace Aaron. The building where the dorms used to be is now utilized as classrooms and a dining hall, with a new area/building being the main area for classroom work, meetings and homework.”

“The pandemic had something to do with the transformation of this facility as well, as parents migrated to the town but had no way to support their children and send them to school. The schedule here is busy as usual, and the children arrive at the center every day very early in the morning and are given breakfast and sent to a nearby school,” said Luis.

“In the afternoon, after returning from school, they are given lunch and dinner, provided with homework help and some recreational activities, and sent home after 7 p.m. The children love to be at the Grace Aaron Center, and they welcomed me with some interesting local dances and a display of henna markings on their hands that were very impressive. They are very grateful for their sponsors as well, expressing much gratitude for the support they receive, which ensures that they have school supplies, food, and other necessary items throughout the year.”

“After meeting the coordinator about the Children Incorporated sponsorship program, I then had a delicious meal with plenty of dhal, which is a favorite food of mine, before finishing my visit to this wonderful affiliation,” said Luis.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Renee Kube | June 25, 2024

Arlie Boggs is a kindergarten through eighth-grade school. It has a small population of just 128 students. It’s located in the community of Eolia, which is in the southeastern part of the county. It’s in a very 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 just 33% in reading and 17% in math.

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 with a new volunteer coordinator, Miranda. When I arrived, 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.

We then entered the middle school wing of the building. Like most kindergarten through 8th grade schools, the older children and younger children have their own 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.

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. They explained its mission is to ensure 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.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD