When children living in poverty are facing difficulties in life on a regular basis, they not only need help with basic necessities, but they also need words of encouragement, so they can realize their worth and value in the world.
Ms. Wheeler came by the school to meet with students as a local celebrity, but also to offer them words of encouragement and hope.
Recently, our volunteer coordinator, Genevieve, at Sebastian Elementary School, sent us a letter and photos after a visit from Haley Wheeler, the current Miss Kentucky. Ms. Wheeler came by the school to meet with students as a local celebrity, but also to offer them words of encouragement and hope.
A letter from Genevieve
“Ms. Wheeler came to Breathitt County, where our school is located, on one of her publicity tours just a few weeks back. She is from Powell County, but she has extensive relations here in Breathitt County, and we are all very proud of her.
Ms. Wheeler poses for a photo with sponsored child Caleb.
She is a graduate of Western Kentucky University and is currently a graduate research assistant at WKU studying communication disorders and speech pathology. She wants to become a geriatric medical speech pathologist. Miss Wheeler was crowned in June 2021 and has been very busy with pageant activities on top of her other responsibilities. She has been promoting Kentucky agriculture, alongside her personal platform, which involves battling Alzheimer’s disease. She will crown her own successor in June 2022.
We were thrilled when Miss Wheeler visited our own little school. She spoke to the students about determination and the importance of education, and they really enjoyed it. Afterwards she had time for photo ops with a handful of students before she had to leave – and two Children Incorporated sponsored children, brothers Mark and Caleb* were among them! The boys were dazzled. I have enclosed a couple of pictures that I hope you’ll enjoy.”
*Names changed to protect the children.
***
How do I sponsor a child in Kentucky?
You can sponsor a child in Kentucky 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 Kentucky that is available for sponsorship.
Child sponsorship is one of the most effective ways to help end child poverty. When you sponsor a child for $35 a month, you are not only immediately meeting the most basic needs of that child, but you are providing them with an education that will allow them to go on to higher education or obtain employment in the future.
Our current monthly sponsorship rate is $35, and it goes toward providing basic necessities such as school supplies and fees, food, clothing, and access to healthcare, among other services.
WHAT IS THE SPONSORSHIP EXPERIENCE LIKE WITH CHILDREN INCORPORATED?
The sponsorship relationship enables a sponsor to help support an impoverished child through monthly contributions, and through the exchange of correspondence with a sponsored child, if the sponsor so desires. A sponsor’s friendship and encouragement are priceless to a child in such circumstances. Indeed, many children value the relationships they establish with their sponsors as much as they appreciate the financial support they receive from them. There is an opportunity to build a relationship between a sponsor and child that can be quite profound.
Our current monthly sponsorship rate is $35, and it goes toward providing basic necessities such as school supplies and fees, food, clothing, and access to healthcare, among other services.
HOW LONG CAN I SPONSOR A CHILD?
We hope that you will assist your sponsored child until he or she leaves our program. This may occur when a child graduates from high school, moves out of our service area, or for a variety of other reasons. Due to the transient state of many families and the difficult circumstances of the regions where they reside, we cannot predict or guarantee how long a child will remain enrolled in the Children Incorporated sponsorship program. However, we make every effort to provide services to children for as long as possible.
When a child leaves our program, it is our policy to select another child in need for you to sponsor, in the hope that you will accept sponsorship of the new child and continue to partner with us in changing lives. Unfortunately, we usually lose contact with children once they leave the sponsorship program (as we do not maintain personal addresses or contact information for any of the children). Even so, the positive impact of your generosity – both upon the individual child and upon his or her community – endures!
WILL I RECEIVE UPDATED INFORMATION FROM MY SPONSORED CHILD?
Yes. We will send you updated information and an updated photo about once a year, although the frequency may vary depending on the child’s location. The typical progress report includes information about the child’s grade level in school, hobbies, and interests.
HOW DO I PAY FOR MONTHLY SPONSORSHIP?
When you sponsor a child, you are changing their life for the better.
Sponsorship contributions may be made by check, money order, credit or debit card, or ACH transfer (debit from a checking or savings account). Checks or money orders may be mailed to Children Incorporated at P.O. Box 72848, North Chesterfield, VA 23235. Contributions via credit or debit card are accepted online or over the phone, and we can mail you an application to authorize ACH transfer. The current sponsorship rate is $35 a month ($360 a year). Contributions may be made on a monthly ($35 a month), quarterly ($90 every three months), semi-annual ($180 every six months), or annual ($360 every twelve months) basis.
You may also set up automatically recurring contributions (as charges to your American Express, Visa, MasterCard, or Discover card; or as debits from your checking or savings account). Please call our office or send us an email at sponsorship@children-inc.org for more information.
MAY I SEND PACKAGES TO MY SPONSORED CHILD?
Yes. Sending a gift is a great way to help your sponsored child at certain times of the year, or to let him or her know you are thinking of them. Here are some suggested guidelines:
Monetary gifts should be sent directly to our North Chesterfield, Virginia office for processing and distribution; our site coordinators are not able to process checks or cash. However, already-purchased items should be mailed directly to your sponsored child’s school address. If possible, use a tracking service when shipping a package.
If you wish to send a package as a Christmas gift, please mail it no later than mid-November, so the coordinator can distribute the gift before school closes for winter break. Please send summer gifts no later than April 15th, as most schools close by mid-May. Due to high customs duties and the likelihood of loss, we do not recommend sending packages to sites outside of the United States. Children Incorporated cannot guarantee that the child you sponsor will receive such packages.
MAY I WRITE TO THE CHILD I SPONSOR?
Yes! Corresponding with your sponsored child can be a delightful experience, and you will find your sponsored child’s site address enclosed in the child’s informational brochure. Our affiliated site volunteers will translate your letter, if necessary, and deliver it to the child you sponsor.
WHAT SHOULD I WRITE ABOUT?
The children enjoy learning about the lives of their sponsors. Writing about your own family (children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters) is always a good place to start. The children also like to learn about your part of the world, what you do for a living, your hobbies and interests, and about any pets you may have.
WHAT IF I HAVE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS REGARDING THE CHILD I SPONSOR?
If you have questions or concerns about your sponsored child, please call or email our office. Depending on the nature of a child-specific question, we may need to contact our volunteer coordinator at the site your child attends for the requested information. Still, we will get that information to you just as soon as possible, provided it does not violate the child protection and privacy laws to which we adhere.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO VISIT MY SPONSORED CHILD?
It is possible to visit sponsored children; however, since we work with a network of volunteers and sites, we cannot guarantee that all sites are open to sponsor visits. Circumstances vary from area to area. If you are interested in visiting your sponsored child, please contact us for specifics relating to the child and site.
If your child’s site does allow visits, we ask that you contact us at least 45 days prior to your planned visit. The sponsorship manager who oversees your child’s site will assist you by making arrangements with the site, the child’s parents, and our volunteer coordinator. You will need to fill out our visit request forms, as well as familiarize yourself with our child protection policy to which we ask that you adhere; this includes a background check at your expense.
It is easy to think that children around the world have access to some of the most basic needs when attending school because we are accustomed to certain standards — but in reality, many children have to pay for necessities that we take for granted in the United States.
Because of donations to our Hope In Action Fund, we have been able support the Centre’s efforts to build brand new desks for children in our sponsorship program.
In Kenya, students at the Dandora Community Centre are expected to pay tuition, buy their uniforms, afford school supplies and books — and even purchase their own desks with locks. These expenses add up quickly and can make attending school for children living in poverty completely out of reach. Thankfully, our volunteer coordinators at Dandora recognized this need and reached out to Children Incorporated to ask for help. Because of donations to our Hope In Action Fund, we have been able support the Centre’s efforts to build brand new desks for children in our sponsorship program, and now we have received an update from Dandora thanking our sponsors and donors for all their support!
A note from Janet
“Here we are continuing very well together with our children. I am very glad to send to you the attached photos of the modern desks that you supported us with.
Donations went to local businesses who built the desks – so our support was two-fold in that helped children and individuals in the community.
We are very happy because our children will be in a very conducive learning environment. We really appreciate your continued support so much. We were able to purchase 130 desks. Some of them were delivered today and we gave them out to some of the pupils. Kindly find our pupils receiving with a lot of happiness as we wait for the rest to be delivered soonest.
Thank you so much and may the Almighty God continue blessing you —it is our prayer. Have a wonderful rest of the week.”
Janet
Volunteer Coordinator, Dandora Community Centre
About Kenya
Located in the Great Lakes region of eastern Africa, Kenya is known for its fertile highlands, grassy savannahs, wildlife, and its namesake peak, Mt. Kenya. Its economy relies heavily upon agriculture and tourism. Kenya is also a cradle of civilization, rich in cultural heritage and diversity. The nation’s wealth of natural beauty, resources, and culture, however, belie the poverty in which most of its residents live. Tragically, destitution and weak government institutions permit frequent violations of human rights. Kenya is also plagued by a severe shortage of healthcare workers, which contributes to lower life expectancies, high infant mortality rates, and widespread preventable disease. The sprawling nation’s capital is no exception to these maladies.
In this way, the Dandora Center gives these deserving children the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances that they face.
About the Dandora center
Plagued by extreme poverty, disease, and crime, Nairobi is home to thousands of children suffering from malnutrition, abuse, and neglect. For this reason, the Dandora Community Centre serves as a safe haven and a beacon of hope. Established in the Dandora public housing projects and operated by the Presbyterian Church of East Africa, the center’s mission is to serve the nearly 7,000 residents of this overcrowded slum neighborhood. The community center’s dedicated staff instills moral and spiritual values by way of a well-rounded education while providing for such basic needs as nutritious food and medical care. In this way, the center gives these deserving children the opportunity to break the cycle of poverty and rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances that they face.
***
How do I sponsor a child in Kenya?
You can sponsor a child in Kenya 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 Kenya that is available for sponsorship.
Sometimes it seems that what we provide for our sponsored children around the world is so simple that it couldn’t possibly make a huge difference in their lives — but in reality, the simple things do often make a lasting change.
In reality, the simple things do often make a lasting change.
Our volunteer coordinator at the Armenian Evangelical Secondary School in Anjar, Lebanon wrote us a letter of appreciation after we recently provided vulnerable children in our program with school supplies that he insists are allowing them to continue to pursue their dreams of getting an education:
A note from Reverend Hagop
“We appreciate your generous donation that was used to purchase stationary, paper, books, pens, pencils, and rulers for the children who are in the Children Incorporated program.
The stationary items were purchased, and the students received them with great joy and appreciation. The children were in great need of them, since their parents were unable to afford buying them due to the economic depression and degeneration of the Lebanese currency against the foreign currencies. But now, due to your generous contribution, the children are able to follow their education with greater ease and joy.
Thanks to their sponsors, children in Lebanon have brand new school supplies.
Our school administration along with the school parents and teachers appreciate the thoughtfulness and consideration of our sponsors and the great work achieved by the Children Incorporated program.
We hope and pray that your program continues its blessed work in aiding children in need around the world.”
About Lebanon
Renowned for its towering cedar trees, Lebanon boasts fertile valleys, snow-capped, ore-rich mountains, and – in a region where water is scarce – sixteen rivers that flow into the glistening Mediterranean Sea along Lebanon’s western coast. This small Middle Eastern country has an incredibly rich culture, evincing the influence of Greek, Roman, Arab, Ottoman Turk, and French culture. However, Lebanon’s wealth of diversity has also contributed to its turbulent history. Lebanon continues to suffer repercussions of a history riddled with wars – both civil and international. Poverty, unemployment, and the ever-present threat of war are tragic realities here.
About our affiliated site
Recognized as a World Heritage Site, Anjar is located near the Syrian border in the fertile Beqaa Valley, where much of the nation’s vegetables, grains, and wine grapes are produced. In the 1930’s, an influx of Armenians (a minority ethnic group in Lebanon) fleeing Turkey settled here.
“We hope and pray that your program continues its blessed work in aiding children in need around the world.”
To this day, Armenian agricultural laborers who earn very little comprise an extensive portion of Anjar’s population. For this reason, the Armenian Secondary School serves as a beacon of hope. Serving both boys and girls of this impoverished and marginalized population, the school contains an attached boarding home for students whose parents cannot afford to send them to school. In conjunction with Children Incorporated sponsorship, the Armenian Secondary School provides these deserving children with the opportunity, through a well-rounded education, to rise above the difficult socioeconomic circumstances that they face.
***
How do I sponsor a child in Lebanon?
You can sponsor a child in Lebanon 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 Lebanon that is available for sponsorship.
One of the ways we work to help children in our program is by supporting the needs of the affiliated sites where they are receiving care. This is especially important at our sites, like the J. Calvitt Clarke Home in India, where children not only attend school at the home but live during the week and require additional resources — including nutritious meals.
A loving gift
Today, we hear from our volunteer coordinator, Benarji, who wrote a letter to donors thanking them for a gift which allowed them to purchase much-needed kitchen and dining room equipment.
“These were essential items for the home and the children to not only provide daily meals, but to safely cook and avoid smoke inhalation.”
“Greetings to you! First of all, I thank you for your loving concern towards our Home. The funds were used to purchase two dining room tables and four wooden benches, as well as a water geyser with a 15-liter capacity, an inverter, a gas stove and a new gas connection. These were essential items for the home and the children to not only provide daily meals, but to safely cook and avoid smoke inhalation. The equipment also allows us to have hot water so the children can bathe comfortably in the rainy and winter seasons!
I am closing my letter with a heartfelt thanks from our children and ask for your continued thoughts during the pandemic.”
About the J. Calvitt Clarke Home
Named in honor of the father of Children Incorporated-founder Jeanne Clarke Wood, the J. Calvitt Clarke Home serves impoverished children in this region by providing for their basic, immediate needs while also investing in their futures by way of a well-rounded education – the key to breaking the cycle of poverty.
Located in the town of Dornakal, about 100 miles east of Hyderabad in the southeastern Indian state of Telangana, the J. Calvitt Clarke Home serves as a beacon of hope as poverty in the region is extensive, especially in years when droughts destroy the rice harvest and families working in agriculture are not able to support their children.
***
How do I sponsor a child in India?
You can sponsor a child in India 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 India that is available for sponsorship.
Not too long ago, we reported on how our partner, Altar’d State, was able to help our international affiliated sites during the COVID-19 pandemic, thanks to their generous contributions to our many special funds. Today, we have multiple updates to share with you about how Altar’d State also supported our U.S. sites — from Kentucky across the country to New Mexico.
A letter from Renée
In response to the donations made to our affiliated sites in the United States, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, wrote the following letter to thank Altar’d State:
Today, we have multiple updates to share with you about how Altar’d State also supported our U.S. sites — from Kentucky across the country to New Mexico.
“Dear Friends,
I want to extend my heartfelt thanks for your generous gift supporting our programs and the health and education of vulnerable children. I had the pleasure and privilege of disbursing the U.S. funds during the year based on appeals and proposals from our volunteer site coordinators from the Appalachian mountains of the rural southeast to the Navajo Nation of the rural southwest. Our volunteer site coordinators were so grateful for the extra support for our special projects, including our feeding programs, Back to School Fund, Warm Clothing Fund, COVID-19 Response Fund, and Hope In Action Fund.
I have included letters from our coordinators expressing just how much your donations have helped them and the children in our sponsorship program.”
A Note from Anita
Across the U.S., Altar’d State has helped us provide for students in our program.
Our volunteer coordinator at Betsy Layne High School in Kentucky writes:
“I absolutely cannot thank you enough for the generous gift. My center does a weekend backpack program for several of our students. Many of the students don’t have the resources for extra food and snack, so the program makes it possible to help them. Each Friday, they receive a backpack with milk, cereal, bread, sandwich meat, mac and cheese, and spaghetti to help supplement their meals during the weekend. Your donation is greatly appreciated!”
A message from Delores
At Tohaaili Community School in New Mexico, Delores, our volunteer coordinator, sent this message:
“We send greetings and thanks to you for approving our proposal and making it possible. We wished to provide a traditional Navajo weaving revitalization program to our students and community members, and with the grant funding, we were able to purchase weaving tools that were handmade by a local vendor as well as buy commercial yarn. These efforts on your part are helping us preserve the traditions of our historical home and teach our students new skills that will help them later in life.”
Thanks from Steven
At the Hanaa’Dli Community School and Dormitory in New Mexico, our volunteer coordinator, Steven, says:
“We have a high poverty rate and a lack of infrastructure in the children’s homes here, especially when it comes to access to water. Thankfully, the children are able to live in the dorms on the weekdays and transfer to regional schools — but with COVID-19, we faced some unique challenges.
“Our volunteer site coordinators were so grateful for the extra support for our special projects.”
With your generous gift, we purchased cleansers, disinfectants, and supplies including face masks. It is important for us to be able to provide and maintain well sanitized living spaces as we continue to work to keep our students and their families safe, especially since the Navajo Nation has been hit so hard by the pandemic. We are deeply appreciative.”
***
How do I sponsor a child in the United States?
You can sponsor a child in the United States 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 the United States that is available for sponsorship.
