Tag Archives: sponsors

Shelley Callahan |

In early 2017, I was contacted by international clothing company OBEY Clothing, based out of Los Angeles, California, about a potential partnership with Children Incorporated. I was already familiar with OBEY because the company’s founder, international artist and activist Shepard Fairey, has for many years created and donated artwork in order to promote awareness of social and political issues, while also contributing directly to the causes he believes in. I was thrilled for Children Incorporated to be added to the list of Fairey and OBEY’s partnering nonprofit organizations in a joint effort to bring further attention to the importance of supporting children around the world with basic necessities, so that they can receive an education and have a chance at a brighter future.

Not only did Shepard Fairey create artwork to support Children Incorporated, but he also produced that artwork based on photographs of Children Incorporated-sponsored children.

About Shepard Fairey

Shepard Fairey was born in Charleston, South Carolina. He received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence, Rhode Island. In 1989 he created the “Andre the Giant has a Posse” sticker that transformed into the OBEY GIANT art campaign, with imagery that has changed the way people see art and the urban landscape. After 29 years, his work has evolved into an acclaimed body of art, which includes the 2008 “Hope” portrait of Barack Obama, found at the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery. The artist collaborated with Amplifier in 2017 to create the We The People series recognizable during the Women’s Marches and other rallies around the world in defense of national and global social justice issues.

Fairey’s stickers, guerilla street art presence, and 85 plus public murals are recognizable worldwide. His works are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Smithsonian’s National Portrait Gallery, the Boston Institute of Contemporary Art, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, and many others.

The artist’s most recent body of work “Damaged,” was his largest-ever solo fine art exhibition, which ran in Los Angeles from November 11, 2017, through December 17, 2017. The “Damaged” opening reception set record attendance with more than 10,000 guests and the show drew an unprecedented number of visitors to experience the art firsthand during the exhibition run.

What is OBEY Awareness?

Shepard Fairey donates and calls attention to various nonprofits through the OBEY Awareness Project. The project, operated by OBEY Clothing, was founded in 2007 to complement Fairey’s humanitarian efforts around the world. The project allows the company to raise funds for causes Fairey believes in by selling specially-designed merchandise, and donating 100 percent of the profits from those sales to the organizations he supports.

Nonprofit organizations that have benefited from the OBEY Awareness Project in past years include HOPE (Helping Other People Everywhere), Feeding America, the Japanese Red Cross, and Adopt-a-Pet.com. Environmentally-related nonprofit organizations, such as the Surfrider Foundation and the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, have also received donations. Children Incorporated is proud to now be listed along with the many other admirable causes that are supported by Shepard Fairey and the OBEY Awareness Project.

Teaming up to help kids in need

Not only did Shepard Fairey create artwork to support Children Incorporated, but he also produced that artwork based on photographs of Children Incorporated-sponsored children. During a visit to our affiliated projects in Ethiopia in 2016, I took photos of our sponsored children in Shashemene at Kids Hope Ethiopia. Fairey used two photos of two young girls enrolled in our program, and paired them together to create a design that was printed on OBEY Clothing T-shirts. The shirts are available now on the OBEY website, where the following is written about the company’s partnership with Children Incorporated:

Children Incorporated is proud to now be listed along with the many other admirable causes that are supported by Shepard Fairey and the OBEY Awareness Project.

“For our latest OBEY Awareness Collection, we’ve teamed up with Children Incorporated. Children Incorporated is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides assistance to children in twenty-three countries around the world, including the U.S. For more than 50 years, their organization has helped offer sustainable solutions for children to receive food, clothing, and healthcare. They envision a world in which all children have access to education, hope, and opportunity. By meeting basic needs and providing affirmation and encouragement, they empower children to grow and ultimately break the cycle of poverty. To date, Children Incorporated has reached over 250,000 children in 300 projects around the globe.

100% of net profits from sales of our OBEY Awareness Collection, featuring art by Shepard Fairey, will be donated to Children Incorporated.”

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Shelley Callahan | En Español

The remote town of Pueblo Pintado is located in the northeastern corner of McKinley County, New Mexico. There, residents’ only access to water is through an old water tower, and the nearest Walmart and other modern conveniences are almost two hours away. It is also here that Tse’ Yi’ Gai (pronounced “Say Guy”) High School opened in September of 2004.

Our sponsors can now continue helping children in this region all the way through high school, until they graduate, and establish longer, even more meaningful relationships with them.

The school, accessible only by dirt road, is part of the Gallup-McKinley County Schools system in the Navajo Nation. The Nation comprises more than 27,000 square miles of spectacular but inhospitable countryside, extending into both Utah and Arizona. Despite its massive scale and rich cultural history, residents of the Nation face a great deal of poverty. There is virtually no employment; most families must sustain themselves through one of the region’s two primary industries: ranching or sheep-herding. Thankfully, students have the Tse’ Yi’ Gai High School to provide them with a quality education – the key to breaking the cycle of poverty so that they may rise above the difficult economic circumstances from which they come.

Sparking Lindsay’s desire to go to college

Children Incorporated used to lose children enrolled in our program in this region after middle school, because we didn’t have affiliations with high schools there. When these children graduated from middle school, they would move on to high schools that were not affiliated with us, and we were unable to continue to provide them with sponsorship support. For that reason, the partnership with Tse’ Yi’ Gai High School is so valuable – our sponsors can now continue helping children in this region all the way through high school, until they graduate, and establish longer, even more meaningful relationships with them.

The Tse’ Yi’ Gai High School is located in a very remote area of New Mexico.

While visiting Tse’ Yi’ Gai High School, our Director of U.S. Programs, Renée Kube, was unfortunately unable to meet with our sponsored and unsponsored kids, because they were in the middle of testing; but thanks to our Volunteer Coordinator Paula, Renée was able to meet with Barbara, an older sister of one of our sponsored kids, Lindsay*. Barbara is employed as a teacher’s aide at the school. In 2016, Children Incorporated sent a Hope In Action Fund gift to help Lindsay so that she could attend the National Tribal Public Health Summit in Atlanta, Georgia. She had been chosen as one of the Navajo Tribe’s youth representatives. Barbara was so glad to express the family’s appreciation to Renée face-to-face, saying what an unforgettable experience it had been for Lindsay.

Barbara continued by telling Renée that she feels that the event really sparked Lindsay’s desire to go to college once she graduates, and that she has expressed an interest in the subject of health issues that native peoples face. Even though Renée wasn’t able to meet with the children, Barbara’s comments alone made her feel that the trip was an incredible success, because Children Incorporated, with the support of Lindsay’s sponsor, was able to help a young girl dream big, and to see the value in getting a good education, which is what we strive to do every day for kids in need.

*Name changed for child’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 | En 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 | En 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

Shelley Callahan |

Christmas is a special time of year for children all over the world. Children of all ages dream of what they might get under the tree on Christmas morning, hoping for a new toy or game to play. But for many of our sponsored and unsponsored kids, getting Christmas gifts is something that sometimes doesn’t happen.

We are so thankful that we were able to give these children a special holiday, when they would’ve otherwise gone without any gifts at all.

When families are living in poverty, they are often unable to save money throughout the year for Christmas gifts for their children; instead, there are always bills to pay, food items to buy, or school fees to consider. There is not enough money to pay for everything and save at the same time. Thankfully, the children enrolled in our program have their sponsors and our volunteer coordinators to ensure that they receive new clothes, school supplies, food, educational games and toys — and sometimes even presents during the holidays — all things they would otherwise go without.

We are so grateful for our sponsors who provide Christmas gifts to our sponsored children.

This is true for the kids at our projects all over the world – in the United States and abroad, including in the Philippines. The Visayans Community Center at Bliss is at the Bliss Housing Project in Sagkahan — a community established by the Filipino government for the poor of the city of Tacloban. Just fifteen percent of the residents there actually owns the land on which they live.

Most families inhabit concrete dwellings; but many others live in shacks fashioned from nipa palm shingles, bamboo, and cast-off boards. Amid this devastating poverty and its socioeconomic effects, the Visayans Community Center at Bliss serves as a beacon of hope. Founded by the local group Volunteer for the Visayans, the center is dedicated to facilitating community development, providing healthcare, and promoting education.

Our Volunteer Coordinator there, Helena, bought clothing, as well as groceries and grains, this past Christmas, thanks to donations from the children’s sponsors, to ensure that the kids in our program had a special Christmas. We are so thankful that we were able to give these children a special holiday, when they would’ve otherwise gone without any gifts at all.

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HOW DO I SPONSOR A CHILD IN THE PHILIPPINES?

You can sponsor a child in the Philippines 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 the Philippines who is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | En Español

The remote town of Crownpoint, where our affiliated project Mariano Lake Community School is located, is in northwestern New Mexico, near the Arizona border and the vast Navajo Nation. Many of the American Indian families in this area generate income by making and selling jewelry, kachinas (traditional, carved figures that represent deified ancestral spirits), and pottery. Some families maintain small herds of livestock. Others, who can’t find work in this region of the United States, where unemployment is high, find themselves having to travel outside of the state for work.

Some parents rely on public assistance for feeding and clothing their children. For this reason, the Mariano Lake Community School is important for the kids who attend, because there, they can receive a good education and have a healthy environment in which to reside during the week – and their experiences there are enriched by compassionate teachers who work hard to build their self-esteem.

The value of dorm life

Mariano Lake Community School is a small boarding school of approximately 150 students ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade. The school consists of small portable buildings, which house the classrooms. The complex also has a cafeteria, a library, administrative offices, and a separate dorm for boys and girls.

For some parents, the relief comes from knowing that their children will eat enough at school during the week.

The dorm on the school’s campus serves many important purposes for both the students and their parents. Although school buses do travel an hour or more to the communities in which the children’s families live, the many dirt roads along the way often become impassable during and after rain and snow. If the buses can’t make it down a road, the children down that road are not picked up, so they miss school that day.

The dorm is also quite valuable for parents who work out of town during the week, because they don’t have to worry about their children’s safety. For some parents, the relief comes from knowing that their children will eat enough at school during the week, when they might otherwise go hungry at home, because there is not enough money to feed them.

Parents of our sponsored and unsponsored children at Mariano Lake Community School are often bus drivers, cooks, or security officers that make very small incomes. When they do receive their paychecks at the beginning of each month, students are sometimes absent from school, because there is food to eat at home, and money to pay for things to do — so they don’t make the trip to school. By the end of the month, however, the students are going hungry again.

Mariano Lake Community School is a small boarding school of approximately 150 students ranging from kindergarten to sixth grade.

Those who live at the dorm receive three meals a day. On the weekends, when they return home, they often go hungry, or they just eat junk food or snack food when money gets low or runs out. Once the weekend is over, these kids arrive to school on Monday mornings very hungry for breakfast. By Monday night, they are exhausted and fall asleep early, because they haven’t had a chance to get their energy back up from eating so little for days in a row.

Feeling unloved and unwanted

On a recent trip to New Mexico, U.S. Projects Specialist Shelley Oxenham met with Barbara, our Volunteer Coordinator at Mariano Lake Community School, who also manages the dorm. Barbara told Shelley that teachers and staff are seeing more and more students coming from difficult home situations. There is alcohol abuse, domestic violence, and drug use at home.

Children sometimes feel unwanted and unloved, which results in negative behavior both at home and at school. The kids sometimes talk back and swear at their parents and teachers in frustration. Unfortunately, because of these behavioral issues, another reason that some parents want their children to be in the dorm during the week is so they don’t have to deal with them — which only makes their situations at home even worse.

Barbara explained to Shelley that even though the children’s behavior can be disruptive, she does what ever she can to help them to have a better life. She says that the Children Incorporated sponsorship program is especially important because not only do the sponsored children really need the clothes, school supplies, and hygiene items they receive, but they also need encouragement and support from a caring adult, too. Barbara hopes that writing to and receiving letters from sponsors help the students know that someone really cares about them.

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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