By: Judy Shields
Los Angeles, California (The Hollywood Times) 7/13/17 – “I started with Children’s Incorporated about three years ago. I have been working in the non-profit sector for over 10 years and I came into this organization to work with the fundraising department and have now taken over the fundraising, communication and marketing aspect.” Shelley Callahan, Director of Development told The Hollywood Times in a phone interview this week.
A large part of Shelley Callahan’s job is to tell potential sponsors or donors about what Children Incorporated is doing in the United States and around the world. To encourage them to participate in sponsoring children to make an impact on their lives.
At a time when people often feel helpless in a world where they want to make a difference, Children Incorporated is now teaming up with an old friend to launch a new effort intended to bring thousands of new donors into the fold – to empower people to do something that actually changes the world for the better.
Twenty years ago, Dr. Richard Carlson’s best-selling book “Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff” forged a legacy that is carried on by Dr. Carlson’s widow, Kristine, selling 25 million copies and magnifying the global movement towards mindfulness and self-care. It was the book’s mention of Children Incorporated as the Carlsons’ preferred charity that was, in the words of current Director of Development Shelley Callahan, “one of the most meaningful things to happen to our organization.” This year, in conjunction with the book’s 20th anniversary re-publication, Kristine Carlson and Children’s Incorporated have teamed up to find 2,000 new donors, with a generous donation from the Richard Carlson Memorial Foundation supporting matching funds. Since sponsorships are the lifeblood of Children Incorporated’s work, the infusion of so many new benefactors is likely to have a profound and lasting impact.
This latest effort is just one of many in support of Children Incorporated’s global mission to confront childhood poverty through direct intervention: getting the donated money, goods, and services directly to the children and families who need them most. Reaching over 250,000 children in 23 countries over the last few decades, Children Incorporated currently supports over 300 programs and projects, from building schools in Bolivia, to clean water initiatives in India, to inner-city projects in Detroit and Washington DC, to “backpack feeding” Appalachian kids who might not otherwise have anything to eat on the weekends. With digital media efforts like the “On the Road” web series that documents Children Incorporated’s monumental efforts, the organization is continuing to lead the way in terms of global awareness of poverty and finding innovative and impactful solutions that benefit the most impoverished communities of the world, one deserving child at a time. Subscribe to “On the Road” and join 9,000+ others who receive weekly dispatches from the field. Check out the “On the Road” click here:
https://childrenincorporated.org/category/on-the-road/
For over 50 years, Children Incorporated has been a pioneer in the field of international charity, connecting individual donors to specific children in need both in the United States and around the world. The story of Children Incorporated, from humble beginnings of a determined American traveler connecting her wealthy friends with Guatemalan orphans, to one of the most respected and productive charities around, is one that is worthy of attention and discussion, and a way of bringing power and possibility to life in a too-often uncertain and disheartening world.
The main way to help out is through Children Incorporated’s sponsorship, it is $28 a month and you can sponsor a child by calling the organization at (8888) or go online and create an account on their website at https://childrenincorporated.org/
Online you can choose a child most in need or focus on the country like Mexico, Brazil, Kenya and particular areas, including Washington, D.C., Richmond, Virginia, Detroit, Michigan and New Orleans, Louisiana. The organization also works with Indian Reservations in New Mexico and Arizona. Also the Appalachian area of West Virginia, Kentucky and North Carolina.
There are pictures of children in the countries outside the U.S., but due to privacy laws, no pictures are available for the children in the U.S. When you sign up as a sponsor through Children Incorporated, you will receive a welcome package and you will get a picture of the child and information about them, like their home life, their interest are, where to send them letters and packages and a profile of the area they live in to get an understanding of their background, like why the area they live in is difficult for them. It helps the sponsor to feel connected to the sponsored child.
Children Incorporated’s status as an international non-profit organization allows them to affiliate with already-established schools, orphanages, and childcare centers to address the specific needs of the children they serve. Each of their roughly 300 projects has its own local staff members who administer our programs on a volunteer basis. By working together, they are able to reduce their administrative costs while staying true to their vision – they serve thousands of needy children each year in 23 countries, including the United States.
There are many organization out there for helping needy children, but give this non-profit organization a look over and sponsor a child here in the US or aboard who need our support.
PARTNER WITH US
Children Incorporated offers many ways in which you can help make a huge impact on the lives of children – here in the United States and abroad. All donations are used to meet the needs of the children that we serve so that they may grow, learn, and have the opportunities in life that they deserve.
Five areas in which sponsored children need assistance:
Clothing, Shoes, and Bedding: Essential items for comfort and health
Education: Tools to help children succeed in school
Health: Medicine, eyeglasses, and hygiene items for children
Feeding Programs: Weekend feeding programs for children in the United States, and mid-day meals for children abroad
Income-generating programs: Funding for programs that help children develop life skills that they will be able to use in the job market later in life
You can help out by sharing and “like” their social media and word of mouth is a huge way to help out.
Social Media:
Website: https://childrenincorporated.org/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/childreninc
Twitter: https://twitter.com/childreninc
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/childrenincorporated/
Testimonials
“The personal attention to the children and programs is exceptional and rare, but what is really unique about Children Incorporated is that they know who they are. They have a vision for their best, most productive self; one that retains their uniqueness and effectiveness, and they are acting on realizing that vision. You can trust them. You will know you are truly helping real children, in real time, and you will know how every penny you give is spent. I know this from 30 years of experience with Children Incorporated.”
ROSANNE CASH – GRAMMY AWARD-WINNING ARTIST
“There are many fine agencies to choose from, but my personal favorite is Children Incorporated…the experience has brought tremendous joy and satisfaction to my entire family.”
- RICHARD CARLSON – LATE AUTHOR, EXCERPT FROM DON’T SWEAT THE SMALL STUFF
About Children Incorporated
Founded in 1964, Children Incorporated is an international nonprofit organization that assists impoverished children in the United States and abroad. Partnering with already-established schools, orphanages, and childcare centers, we facilitate child sponsorships, manage special programs, and maintain special funds for emergency needs that arise for the children we serve.
After personally witnessing the deprivation of children in Guatemala, our founder, Jeanne Clarke Wood, established Children Incorporated out of her home in Richmond, Virginia. Mrs. Wood began writing letters and seeking assistance for the 95 children she met on her travels. This became the first Children Incorporated project.
Thanks to past and current supporters around the globe, we now have over 300 projects in 23 countries which serve over 20,000 children annually. To date, over 250,000 children have been provided opportunities for growth and education, and have experienced the support and encouragement our programs provide.
