Tag Archives: sponsorship

Shelley Callahan | February 18, 2025En Español

After four wonderful visits to our affiliated sites in New Orleans, I couldn’t believe our trip was coming to an end as we arrived at our fifth and final school, Samuel J. Green Charter School. As we had done with all of our other visits, Maria met Shayne, Renée, Kristen, and me in front of Samuel Green before we entered.

As we made our way down the walkway, Renée noticed that the name Samuel J. Green Junior High School was carved into the building above the entrance, and commented to Shayne that it was so cool that the name of the original school was the same, even after the charter school system had been put in place so many years ago.

Our final school visit

Shayne agreed, telling us that it was unusual in New Orleans for schools to maintain their original names. It was also common for many charter schools to change their names multiple times, so this was indeed a special circumstance of Samuel Green remaining its namesake. Unlike some of the other schools we had visited as well, Samuel J. Green was not a newer school, and had some of the classic charm of an older, more established school building.

We all entered the school and checked in at the front desk, and then were greeted by our volunteer coordinator, Theressa, who escorted us to her office and resource center, where we chatted for a bit about the school and our sponsorship program.

Samuel Green is located in the Freret Corridor of New Orleans and serves students from all over the city from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade. Theressa told us she loves the Children Incorporated program and the sponsors, and it is a delight to help the kids at her school. As with our other schools, she said that affording uniforms is the biggest issue for families with kids at Samuel Green. The uniforms cost roughly $60 each for pants or a skirt and a top, and some kids only have one uniform for all 180 school days in a calendar year. With sponsorship funds, Theressa is able to help ensure students have multiple uniforms, other clothing items such as jackets and long pants for colder months, and hygiene items and school supplies.

Theressa mentioned that the school also has a weekend feeding program for students so they don’t go hungry. Renée encouraged her to apply for our Hope In Action grant program to receive additional support for the feeding program or other needs that sponsored children might have, such as bedding or mattresses for their homes.

With sponsorship funds, Theressa is able to help ensure students have multiple uniforms, other clothing items such as jackets and long pants for colder months, and hygiene items and school supplies.

An edible garden to remember

Once we finished our meeting, Theressa brought in two of our sponsored children for us to meet, and then we took a tour of the school. We visited a few classrooms, the gym and cafeteria, and the cooking classroom where a group of students had just finished making guacamole with ingredients they had grown at the school.

Then Theressa led us outside, where I was stunned to see a vast garden filled with produce that the children helped maintain, and then used the vegetables and herbs to make food in their cooking class! This edible garden project, as Theressa described, was a huge success at the school, and something they were very proud to have as it not only taught children valuable skills like gardening and cooking, but allowed them to be outside and use their hands while learning, which can offer a good break from classroom learning.

As Theressa took us back to the front of the school, it was bittersweet to say goodbye to her and then to Shayne and Maria, who had been such wonderful hosts during our few days in New Orleans. Although our trip was coming to a conclusion, I couldn’t wait to get back to the Children Incorporated office to share stories, photos, and videos with our staff and our sponsors about all the fantastic work we are doing in the Big Easy, all thanks to the generosity of amazing donors.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

You can sponsor a child in one of three ways: call our office at 1-800-538-5381 and speak with one of our staff members; email us at sponsorship@children-inc.org; or go online to our sponsorship portal, create an account, and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD

Shelley Callahan | February 3, 2025

It had already been a fantastic day visiting two of our affiliated sites in New Orleans, and we still had one more to do before returning to our hotel for the evening. Shayne, Kris, Renée, and I made our way from Foundation Preparatory Academy to Langston Hughes Academy in the Fairgrounds neighborhood of the city. When we arrived, we met Maria outside of the school, and we all went inside together, where we were greeted by our volunteer coordinator, Nicole, a soft-spoken yet very enthusiastic young woman who excitedly offered to take us on a tour of the school before we had our meeting and met with some of our sponsored children.

Because of their sponsors, they feel confident coming to school, enjoy learning, and, therefore, have ambitions and dreams for their futures.

Visiting our last school of the day

Langston Hughes Academy serves roughly 800 children from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade in an extremely large facility. The building itself spans over an entire city block and has everything from a cafeteria to a soccer field to a farm with goats and chickens. As Nicole showed us the gymnasium and a few of the classrooms, she explained that the students at her school, not unlike the other schools we work with in New Orleans, were most in need of basic resources such as hygiene items to get through the day.

More specifically, she said that there are students who come to school that have such poor hygiene that they distract the other students from learning and are removed from class and offered a shower at the school. Still, they don’t have a clean uniform to change into, so the problem persists for many of them.

The issue with poor hygiene isn’t only disruptive to children’s education, but it’s embarrassing for them and adds to the emotional stress they already feel. As Nicole explained to us, many of her students witness gun violence and have family members who have died — even other students have died, and the children are traumatized, living in fear and being scared something bad will happen to them, too.

Thankfully, because of Nicole and her background in counseling, her students can come to her to receive grief support and get hygiene items, some clothing items, and school supplies. Nicole also mentioned that our sponsorship program is a huge help to her students, and she wouldn’t be able to provide for many of them without their sponsors. She uses sponsor funds to buy soap, shampoo, and uniforms for the kids so they can stay clean, as well as rain jackets and long pants for rain and cold weather so they don’t skip school because they don’t have appropriate clothes to wear.

More needs to be met

Nicole mentioned that she would love funds to buy bedding for children and books for the scholastic book fair, and Renée happily mentioned that those would be perfect items for her to request through our Hope In Action grants program.

We ended our tour by visiting the school’s library, where we sat and chatted with Nicole. A few of our sponsored children then arrived to meet with us. We met Trisha*, who does really well in school and loves math. We also met Elenore, who loves going to English class and wants to be a hairstylist when she grows up.

Getting to meet these special girls was very rewarding. There is nothing like actually getting to know the students our sponsors help and understanding that because of their sponsors, they feel confident coming to school, enjoy learning, and, therefore, have ambitions and dreams for their futures.

*Children’s names changed to protect their privacy.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | January 29, 2025

Our volunteer coordinator, Heather, at Viper Elementary School in Kentucky, wrote to us to thank our sponsors, who were, and always are, especially a big help during the holiday season:

“Children Incorporated has been such a blessing for all sponsored students. Specifically, at Christmas, there was an abundance of students needing assistance this past year. I never have to worry about my Children Incorporated sponsored children getting help. I am blessed to have the funds to care for all of their desires and immediate needs. Parents know the funds are here when they need support, so they don’t hesitate to reach out if their child has outgrown a pair of shoes or if it is a change of season and the children need new clothes.”

“Not only me but the parents of these students will forever be grateful for the blessings Children Incorporated brings us.”

“One particular parent couldn’t thank me and Children Incorporated enough for not only the sponsor providing funding but for allowing her daughter to pick out her own clothes and what she liked and would actually wear. Another parent remarked on how her child’s day was made after receiving the new clothes and shoes she picked out and the positive impact this program had on the whole family. Not only me but the parents of these students will forever be grateful for the blessings Children Incorporated brings us.”

your impact through hope in action

Sponsorship is one of many ways you help impoverished children every month. Additionally, thanks to contributions to our Hope In Action Fund in the last month, we have been able to:

– Provide funds to replenish the food pantry for children and their families at Westover Hills Elementary School in Virginia
– Provide funds to purchase hygiene ties and household supplies for a family in an emergency at Foundation Preparatory Academy in Louisiana
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 30 students at the Dandora Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase daily meals for 100 students at the St. John’s Community Center in Kenya for one month
– Provide funds to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students at Kids’ Hope in Ethiopia for one month
– Provide funding to purchase nutritious meals for 25 students for one month at the Fortune Children’s Center in the Philippines
– Provide funds to replenish the food pantry at River City Middle School in Virginia
– Provide funds to purchase meals for 30 students at Santa Isabel Ana Seton in Guatemala for a month
– Provide funds to purchase a basic washer and dryer for a family in need with a student who attends May Valley Elementary School in Kentucky
– Provide funding to purchase bedding, bed frames, and mattresses for two students at Wrigley Elementary School in Kentucky

…and so much more! 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

Shelley Callahan | January 20, 2025En Español

After our wonderful visit to Arthur Ashe Charter School in New Orleans, it was time to move on to our second affiliated site — Foundation Preparatory Academy, which serves kindergarten through 8^th-grade students from all over the city.

Renée, Kris, Shayne, and I all got into Shayne’s car to make the short drive from the Gentilly neighborhood of New Orleans to the Fairgrounds neighborhood, where Foundation Preparatory Academy was located.

Those issues at home had a lot to do with living in impoverished households, where food was scarce, and overcrowded housing was common.

On the way, Renée explained to me that the site coordinator at the school had left the position and that our partner, Communities In Schools Gulf South (CISGS), was currently in the process of hiring a replacement. In the meantime, the Director of Student Services with CISGS, Amy, who was very familiar with working at Foundation Preparatory Academy, was going to meet us to talk more about how our sponsorship program was helping children at this school.

Meeting with Amy

When we arrived, we met with Maria in the parking lot, then we all checked in at the front office, and Amy greeted us with a student in our sponsorship program, Luke.* We started our visit by following Luke and Amy to the school’s resource center, where during her time working at the school, Amy would pull students out of class who needed to take some time away from other students and either talk with Amy or play games and relax.

When we walked in, the first thing I noticed was the shelves of books, puzzles, and other toys — inviting games that would make any child happy to have the freedom to play with for 45 minutes or an hour at a time. As we all grabbed seats at the round table in the middle of the room, Luke helped himself to a few puzzles he wanted to work on while we all chatted together.

Renée asked Luke what he thought of Foundation Preparatory Academy, and he said it was a wonderful school. He had been there for a year and loved it a lot. As Luke worked on his puzzles with intense concentration, Amy explained that a lot of her work with the students at the school supported them with problem solving, whether with things like puzzles or games or helping them talk through issues with other students or issues they have at home.

Those issues at home, as Amy told us, had a lot to do with living in impoverished households, where food was scarce and overcrowded housing was common. The kids often didn’t sleep well and would nap on the bus on the way to school, but then they would still be exhausted at the beginning of the school day.

It was great to hear that thanks to our donors, we were able to help Luke have some quiet and peaceful time at home, just like he can get at school with the help of amazing people like Amy.

They also were often anxious or traumatized, having witnessed a lot of violence in their young lives. Amy mentioned that this often resulted in kids not having the skills to be patient with themselves and others, and so bringing them into the resource center to relax, cool off, or have some time alone with Amy was the foundation of a loving environment — and one that Luke obviously felt very comfortable in.

Luke as our tour guide

Once Luke successfully finished his puzzles, Amy asked him if he would like to take us on a tour of the school before he returned to class, and he excitedly said he would. He showed us the lunchroom, library, hallways, and classrooms through the school building; Amy explained to us as we walked that 100% of the students at Foundation Prep received free lunches, which helps a lot with providing basic resources for the kids. Additionally, she said that without help from our sponsors, many of the children in the school would only have one school uniform for a whole year and no jacket or long pants to wear during the winter.

As our tour ended, we said goodbye to Luke, and he headed back to his classroom. Amy escorted us back to the front office. As we thanked Amy for the wonderful visit, she paused and said that she wanted us to know that Luke and his brothers and sisters had had no beds or linens in their home at all, and Children Incorporated provided funds to help them get those items so they could all hopefully get a better night’s sleep. It was great to hear that thanks to our donors, we were able to help Luke have some quiet and peaceful time at home, just like he can get at school with the help of amazing people like Amy.

*Name changed to protect the child.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | January 13, 2025

Beyond sponsoring a child, several other ways to support our work exist. Two of the most important ways we need your support is by either becoming an ambassador for our organization or hosting a fundraising event. Both of these important volunteer opportunities offer you, as a supporter, a way to get involved in our work with no or limited financial commitment and greatly help children in need around the world.

Become an aMbassador

One way Children Incorporated has grown as an organization over the last 60 years is through our current sponsors and donors, who share information about our sponsorship programs with their families and friends as ambassadors of our work.

If you have any other questions about how you can get involved in our work, please contact us today!

We have an abundance of informational materials that we are happy to share with you as well if you are interested in becoming an ambassador for our organization. As an ambassador, we ask that you be engaged with our activities and campaigns and show a strong commitment to our cause and a willingness to advocate for our work with a broad and active social network.

Please contact us today to request an informational packet or visit our Accountability Page for more information about our organization that you can share with others.

Host a Fundraiser

Additionally, if you would like to host a fundraiser for our organization, that would be much appreciated. If you would like to host a fundraiser for Children Incorporated, please get in touch with us today for information and support. Here are a few fundraising event ideas that can either be in person or online:

Host an auction
Peer-to-peer fundraising through an online platform such as GiveButter
Ask a local restaurant to donate a portion of sales to Children Incorporated
Host a Trivia Night
Host a Golf Tournament
Host a 5K Run
Host a bike ride
Host a film screening
Host a concert
Host a bakesale- And so much more!

If you have any other questions about how you can get involved in our work, please contact us today! We would be happy to discuss the many ways in which you can support our work beyond sponsorship.

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How do I sponsor a child with Children Incorporated?

SPONSOR A CHILD

Children Incorporated | January 13, 2025

Child sponsorship: It’s been around for a long while, and there are dozens of organizations, but why is it important? And why should you consider it?

At its core, c works to break the cycle of poverty, creating lasting change for individuals and their communities. At Children Incorporated, we believe that is done through education. Having a degree, even just high school diploma, increases your likelihood of financial success by 70%, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. For the children at our Affiliated Sites, the barriers to achieve even this simple task are astronomical. Lack of hygiene access at home, poor nutrition, instability in regions, and even lack of technology access provide true and tangible reasons children drop out of school before graduation. We work to change this, but it cannot happen without sponsors.

Sponsorship shows children that they are valued and not alone, no matter their circumstances. This sense of belonging helps them build confidence and hope, encouraging them to dream and believe in their own potential.

you provide Stability and belonging

Sponsorship isn’t just a gift — it provides reliable support that children and families can count on month after month. That stability can mean regular meals, steady access to education, or even just the peace of mind that someone cares enough to stand by them. When a child is sponsored, they can count on consistent support for their most pressing needs. This stability ensures that meals, clothing, and school supplies are not just occasional, but ongoing resources they can rely on. With that security, children are able to focus on their education and personal growth, opening doors to a brighter future.

Knowing that someone cares makes an enormous difference in a child’s life.

sponsorship empowers communities by creating sustainable change

Sponsorship donations go directly to helping the individual child, the resources are not directly shared with their family. But when you help an individual child succeed, they are then able to grow to empower their own families and their own communities. Sponsors help children develop confidence and resilience, which can help them overcome challenges and break the cycle of poverty. This in turn, can help them as they grow into adults who are contributing members of their own communities, therefore creating sustainable change.

When you choose to sponsor a child, you transform not only their life, but the lives of everyone in their community. That’s because the most effective way to make sure positive changes have a lasting impact is to empower them to make a lasting impact for their families and their communities.

A story from our volunteer coorDinator

Children Incorporated has helped so many students at Swansboro Elementary School gain access to the basic needs that help them focus on what is important: school. One of my students this year has struggled with consistently having food in the home. The parents are doing their best but they are unable to work due to intellectual and physical disabilities. Sometimes there are gaps in when they receive their benefits, so they don’t always have a fully stocked refrigerator or pantry. Children Incorporated funds help feed this family when their benefit funds are low. It doesn’t happen often, but every few months we go grocery shopping to get them by until their benefits kick in.

The family is so appreciative, and the student understands that these funds are coming from individuals who are caring enough to donate their own money. Just recently, the sponsored child told me, “Ms. Greenshields, thank you so much for getting food for my family.” I wish that this student didn’t have to be so aware of the reality he is facing, but children are smart and they pick up on more than we think. I’m glad that at least he knows there are people out there that are willing to help. With funds from Children Incorporated, I can help the family in a way that is not judgmental and is actually very easy and seamless. These generous donations from his Children Incorporated sponsor help this student have dinner and breakfast so that he can come to school prepared to learn, and that is truly a gift.

Children Incorporated also helps in ways that people may not think of. Food is vital for everyone, but funds from Children’ Incorporated also help provide items or experiences that are important in different ways.

Several of my sponsored students have been given the chance to go to camp this summer for free. While the tuition is paid for, the students don’t always have the clothing necessary to go away for a whole week. They would probably get by, but they wouldn’t have as many options as the other students at camp. Some of our students don’t have bathing suits, bath towels, swim shoes or extra pillow cases for example. These things aren’t 100% necessary, but being able to help buy these items will make their camp experience so much better. They won’t have to worry about swimming in their shorts and tee shirts or not having the right bedding for the bunk beds.

Sometimes it isn’t always about necessities, but ways we can make students feel comfortable enough so they can focus on having fun like all the other children. Children Incorporated funds allow us to buy them the items that will help them have a fun time at things like summer camp, so they can come back to school in the fall feeling refreshed and feeling like a kid who is ready to learn. I am so appreciative to partner with Children Incorporated, as it truly makes a difference in the lives of my students. The funds that individuals so generously send really help our students in the biggest way.

Thank you,
Kimberly

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Sponsorship isn’t complicated, but it has a lifelong effect. For just $35 a month, you can change a child’s life.

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
go online to our sponsorship portal and search for a child that is available for sponsorship.

SPONSOR A CHILD