During these times when most of us are ‘social distancing’ and ‘sheltering in place’, we probably have much more time on our hands and yet are unable to be in touch with many of those on our minds. This is especially true of our sponsored children. We know they and their families are experiencing the same difficulties we are, and possibly more, depending on where they live in the world.
All our sponsorship programs have been affected due to the Coronavirus pandemic. As schools are closed and churches are not meeting, our normal weekly program activities have been greatly altered. Thankfully, our staff is creatively finding ways to still serve the children and their families with food and supply pick-up and deliveries. The major area that has been affected is that of personal contact.
While we wait for things to return to normal, here are a few things we can do to help us be more connected:
Fortunately, right now, this is something we’re probably finding very easy to do and it is the most important. Most of the countries our children live in have limited resources and infrastructure and are particularly vulnerable in times of crisis. Our prayers for health, protection, wisdom for their governments, good information, communication, and availability of health care resources, food, water, etc. are essential. Praying for our sponsored child, their family, their community, and their country unites us together in spirit and helps us feel closer.
Although quarantining has required that correspondence be temporarily suspended, you can still write to your sponsored child. Many times, writing down our thoughts and feelings helps us to process them, and it draws our hearts closer to our friends or loved ones. Notes of encouragement, prayers, scripture verses, and just your usual expressions of love are great, as well as talking about what you and your family are doing together during this time. Letters are still being forwarded to our staff and they are saving them until they can be safely delivered. Your sponsored child will feel so special and loved to know you were thinking about them.
Like so many, Forward Edge’s ministry has been financially affected due to the nationwide shutdown, and this has carried through to the operation of our programs as costs have increased to procure and provide food and goods. We have also, unfortunately, lost sponsors and donors which has had a considerable impact. If you are in a position to help, please consider sponsoring another child, increasing your sponsorship, or giving an additional gift to support all our children’s programs through our Day by Day campaign; they need more support than ever through these challenging times and through the recovery that will likely last for some time to come.
We are so grateful for all our dedicated sponsors and donors; your partnership with Forward Edge in the caring of our children is invaluable. You mean so much to us and so much more to them. We are praying for you and your families. May God keep you in His loving care and bless you as you continue to bless others.
One of the greatest joys a child receives is a letter from his or her sponsor. Sponsored children usually save all of the letters they receive and read them over and over again, they are such a source of encouragement and love for them. Writing to your sponsored child is
Choosing to sponsor a child is a big leap of faith. Once you have taken the first step of saying “yes” to sponsorship and helping vulnerable children, the next step can be joyful…and overwhelming! It can be difficult to know where to start that’s why we’ve put together a list
When you want something so badly – when you Love it, with a capital L – you’ll do anything to get it. Most of us can remember feeling like this at some point in our lives, whether it was a toy, a pet, a first car or a first love.
What is Child Advocacy and how do I do it? “Child Advocacy”… such an official sounding term, isn’t it? Miriam Webster defines advocacy as “the act or process of supporting a cause or proposal”, and when broken down that way, it’s a pretty simple concept. Many of us are child
Bonjou (hello), my name is Lorvens
Haiti
16 yrs. old
05-21-2006
Entered the program: January 2017
Lorvens lives with his grandmother and uncle in a one-room sheet metal house with no power or water; they share a latrine with their neighbors. The family has no beds and sleeps on the floor. To help provide for the family, Lorvens’s grandmother sells foodstuffs as a street vendor.
