|
01-12-2004, 06:08 PM | #1 |
High King at Annuminas Administrator
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Wyoming - USA
Posts: 10,752
|
Child Sponsorship
Do any of you sponsor children through agencies which make those things available?
We do. What's amazing is how far just a little money to us (in relatively wealthy 'western' nations) goes in third world areas. If you choose to do so, check out the organization you sponsor through. Some eat up the bulk of the money that comes in (maybe even 80% or more) in overhead costs - before any of it even gets overseas. Others pay exhorbitant fees to celebrity spokespersons - ironically, money not sent to help children, but it actually boosts total receipts for these organizations and that's why they use them. We first sponsored a child through a very good group called 'World Vision'. Later, we found out that our own church had a similar sponsorship program at the denominational level, so we got into that instead (but kept sponsoring our World Vision child until that 'project' dovetailed). So - just wanted to see if anyone else around here does so... I thought of this now because we just got a card from a little boy we sponsor in Lebanon. (Uh - we're addicts... we have multiple sponsorships!) |
01-12-2004, 06:46 PM | #2 |
Fair Dinkum
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Houston, TX
Posts: 2,319
|
I've always wanted to sponsor a child, and now that I have the money to do so myself, I'll be doing that soon. I want to sponsor a child from South East Asia preferably, as well as an African or South American child in the future.
Our school sponsors an Indonesian child. We raise the funds by having pizza, chocolate croissant and noodle days. Yummo! We're hoping to be able to sponsor a second child this year. |
01-12-2004, 06:46 PM | #3 |
Half-Elven Princess of Rabbit Trails and Harp-Wielding Administrator (beware the Rubber Chicken of Doom!)
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Not where I want to be ...
Posts: 15,254
|
Hey, what a great thread, Valandil - and it's so true that a little money goes a long way in many countries.
Our family sponsors 3 kids in Uganda. What's really neat is that our church has an ongoing relationship with the church back there that runs the orphanage (several hundred kids) - my brother-in-law has been over there, and we've had the Ugandan pastor over for dinner at our house (lovely accent!), and our pastor goes over and visits there, and the Ugandan pastor comes over here. We just finished building a high school building over there, and a much improved kitchen. Another great organization is Children's Hunger Fund, which is run by Dave Phillips, who is a friend of ours (and he's the nephew of Keith Phillips, who is the head of World Vision, btw!). Also my bro-in-law works for Children's Hunger Fund, and my husband just went on the board of directors. They work mainly thru obtaining overflow products from organizations, and thru a lot of volunteer work, so their costs are only like 3% or so, which means 97% goes directly to the needy. Fabulous organization! Its website is www.childrenshungerfund.org. Be careful it's the right one, tho, because there's a ripoff organization with a similar name.
__________________
. I should be doing the laundry, but this is MUCH more fun! Ñá ë?* óú éä ïöü Öñ É Þ ð ß ® ç å ™ æ ♪ ?* "How lovely are Thy dwelling places, O Lord of hosts! ... For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand outside." (from Psalm 84) * * * God rocks! Entmoot : Veni, vidi, velcro - I came, I saw, I got hooked! Ego numquam pronunciare mendacium, sed ego sum homo indomitus! Run the earth and watch the sky ... Auta i lómë! Aurë entuluva! Last edited by Rían : 01-12-2004 at 06:48 PM. |
01-12-2004, 07:16 PM | #4 |
Orodruin's Flame
Join Date: Jan 2004
Location: Kananaskis, AB
Posts: 1,194
|
I sponcer the NSPCA... Its a charity for abandoned dogs.. not really the same, but still im giving something!
__________________
Council of Entmoot - Foreign Affairs Minister - 2004-05 Visit the Ye Olde Avatar Shop and The New One Dont tell me what I cannot do Two men are on a Island, they both see a "monster", one sees a bright light, and the other sees a dark cloud My name bares no reference to the music artist. |
01-13-2004, 12:18 AM | #5 | |
High King at Annuminas Administrator
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Wyoming - USA
Posts: 10,752
|
Quote:
However, I was especially interested in hearing from others who give to a program where you sponsor a specific child from a third world country or other difficult circumstance (ie - one of ours is to help with education of a girl on an Indian Reservation). Generally you'll get a photo and other information about the child - and sometimes you can write them and/or receive mail. |
|
01-13-2004, 01:42 AM | #6 |
The Dude
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: at the altar of my ego
Posts: 1,685
|
one of mums friends gifts to people this year were special cards from world vision, basically saying that you had provided injections to x amount of people, or helped feed this number of people for so long, i thought that was a really good idea for christmas and it did feel better than me just eating a box of chocolates
__________________
Ill heal your wounds, ill set you free, |
01-13-2004, 11:48 AM | #7 |
Queen of Nargothrond
Administrator Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: Akron, Ohio - USA
Posts: 7,121
|
Some time ago I had considered doing this through Christian Children's Fund, after seeing one of those commercials on tv that are so heart breaking. I sent for the information, but then I saw a commercial for Project Learn and that was what I went with. I worked for them for sometime and found it to be very rewarding.
__________________
"Whither go you?" she said. "North away." he said: "to the swords, and the siege, and the walls of defence - that yet for a while in Beleriand rivers may run clean, leaves spring, and birds build their nests, ere Night comes." AboutNewJersey.com - New Jersey Travel and Tourism Guide |
01-13-2004, 02:43 PM | #8 |
Slacker
Warrior Admin Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: Alabama
Posts: 2,759
|
Even if you can't sponsor a child, here's something you can do to donate 1.1 cups of food (absolutely free) every day, just by clicking your mouse.
www.thehungersite.com
__________________
"If the giving of information is to be the cure of your inquisitiveness, I shall spend all the rest of my days in answering you." Gandalf to Pippin Psalm 107:31 |
01-15-2004, 05:56 PM | #9 |
Elven Warrior
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Scunthorpe, UK
Posts: 166
|
I have a little lad in Malawi called Owen who is 8 in J, and I sponsor him through World Vision. Before that I had another little lad in Kenya for several years, but his family recently moved away from the areas where the charity operates, so they gave me a new kid. I first heard about it from a radio advert, and there was no reason not to as it doesn't cost that much. I don't feel like it's much, but everything counts and it can go a long way.
__________________
Frodo Lives! |
07-22-2004, 04:09 PM | #10 |
High King at Annuminas Administrator
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Wyoming - USA
Posts: 10,752
|
Interesting idea for any smokers out there who are trying to quit:
A radio station in my area is having a child sponsorship drive - encouraging people to take up $26 monthly World Vision sponsorships. One person called in and said they were going to give up smoking and would use part of THAT money (which would be about three times that for a pack-a-day smoker, right?) to sponsor a child! Any smokers around here inclined to give it a try?
__________________
My Fanfic: Letters of Firiel Tales of Nolduryon Visitors Come to Court Ñ á ë ?* ó ú é ä ï ö Ö ñ É Þ ð ß ® ™ [Xurl=Xhttp://entmoot.tolkientrail.com/showthread.php?s=&postid=ABCXYZ#postABCXYZ]text[/Xurl] Splitting Threads is SUCH Hard Work!! Last edited by Valandil : 07-22-2004 at 04:23 PM. |
07-22-2004, 04:17 PM | #11 |
Advocatus Diaboli
Join Date: Dec 2001
Location: Reality
Posts: 3,767
|
i give money to just about anyone who asks... i'm a pushover like that
i haven't done many of the 'official' ones though... it's hard to tell where the money goes i also do work with children's theatre, which is free for the kids involved and also donates part of the proceeds to various charities, though i believe they are the more local kind
__________________
Your reality, sir, is lies and balderdash and I'm delighted to say that I have no grasp of it whatsoever. |
07-23-2004, 02:33 AM | #12 |
the Shrike
Join Date: Mar 2002
Location: San Francisco, CA <3
Posts: 10,647
|
Will you give me money, bj? *hugs*
I've wanted to for the longest time, but I barely make enough to pay the mortgage at the moment.
__________________
"Binary solo! 0000001! 00000011! 0000001! 00000011!" ~ The Humans are Dead, Flight of the Conchords |
07-25-2004, 10:10 AM | #13 |
Woolly Jumper
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: In my field of paper flowers and candy clouds of lullaby
Posts: 1,200
|
my class used to sponser a child in kenya. we paid for him to go to school and gave him i think £3 a week. which gave hima nough to feed him and his family. it was passed down to us from the last year 11 class. now we havemoved up t year 12 we have passed him on again. we wrote letters to him and gave him presents at xmas too.
also in my school we do something called "good cause" every friday your class collects money. so like your spare cahnge fromt he week and it is sent to the charity you have chosen.its a really good way for the whole school to get involved and support somethign u want to. aswel as this our school is now in corresondence with two school one in kenya and one in india. we have had kids come from the kenyan one. some pupils have penpals there and write to each other. we raise money for each other to improve facilities and such like. its really good
__________________
:: there's nothing comforting in change:: Why dont sheep shrink in the rain?? |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Theological Opinions , PART II | jerseydevil | General Messages | 993 | 03-22-2007 05:19 AM |
Give Me My Child...A Short Story related to Dracula | Gwaimir Windgem | Writer's Workshop | 3 | 10-15-2006 09:11 PM |
The Unusual Child | TwirlingString | RPG Forum | 46 | 06-03-2003 10:29 AM |
Iluvatar made Melkor evil? | Artanis | The Silmarillion | 292 | 11-24-2002 10:20 PM |
Paying child support when the kids not yours | afro-elf | General Messages | 6 | 09-01-2002 04:03 PM |