When I was a little girl and I had a nightmare, I knew I could always climb into bed with my parents. I remember my mom would hold me close and reassure me I was safe. She’d tell me everything was OK.
And it always was.
But for unsponsored children around the world, this year has been a nightmare they can’t wake up from.
The coronavirus pandemic along with a continuing refugee crisis and more natural disasters are causing children around the world to struggle to survive. The needs have never been greater, which is why right now — in 2020 — a child is waiting for your help.
Your one-time gift of $105 with provide an unsponsored child with three months of lifesaving immediate needs like food, medical care, clothing, and educational opportunities. And if you provide your phone number, we’ll even text you a photo of the child you are helping!
Here are five reasons why children living in poverty need your help now more than ever:
1. The pandemic has caused food shortages
Food. It’s the number one essential that people are begging for during this pandemic.
With so many parents out of work because of lockdowns and social distancing, children are starving to death. In fact, according to one recent study, more people are estimated to die from starvation than the coronavirus itself.
Impoverished families could barely afford food to begin with, and now there are global food shortages which means what little food remains costs almost double in some cases.
Some families are being forced to choose which child in their family most needs the little food they have at mealtimes … or adults are choosing to starve themselves in order to keep a child alive.
But your gift today will make sure a boy or girl still receives food, even during a lockdown.
2. Many kids are still out of school
Not only can some parents not feed their children, but they also can’t fill the void of education. Schools in some countries are still closed down because of the pandemic. And even if schools are opened, many families can’t afford the school fees and supplies required. Homeschooling isn’t an option either since many kids’ parent didn’t go to school themselves.
Without an education, kids have little hope of reaching their dreams or getting a good job someday. They will likely continue to be trapped in poverty for the rest of their lives.
But your gift will give a child plenty of opportunities to learn and grow. How? Because sponsorship programs around the world are already working to provide remote learning opportunities for kids, drop off homework and lessons, and deliver books and school supplies so kids can continue learning at home. They’ll make sure that the child you help with your one-time gift receives these same benefits, too!
3. Families can’t afford hygiene items to stay safe
During a pandemic, you want to make sure your hands are clean, your face is covered, and that you have cleaning supplies to keep your home germ-free.
But that’s almost impossible for people living in places like refugee camps or slums.
They don’t have clean water or soap to wash their hands and clothes. And since hygiene items like hand sanitizer and masks are in high demand, people living in poverty may not be able to afford them. That’s why your gift is needed so urgently — to give a child access to basic essentials like hygiene items.
4. Natural disasters have brought extra challenges
The coronavirus isn’t the only disaster of 2020. Cyclones, landslides, and crises like the Beirut explosion have made life even more challenging for people living in some of the poorest areas of the world.
And out of everyone affected, children are the ones who suffer the most.
But your gift will make sure a child doesn’t have to walk alone if he or she has recently been through a disaster. You can help meet a boy or girl’s immediate needs no matter what happens by providing emergency aid like food, clean water, medical care, and other essentials.
5. It’s been a scary year, especially for kids
To say that 2020 has been a scary year is an understatement. People around the world — including children — don’t know how they’ll survive and make it to 2021. Not only are these children hungry, but they’re afraid every day.
Your support will be an incredible encouragement to the child that you help.
Your gift of just $105 will give a boy or girl three months of never having to worry about his or her physical needs being met.
And if you provide your phone number when you donate, you’ll be texted the name and a photo of the child you are helping so you can specifically pray for him or her, too!
Kids need food, shelter, access to educational opportunities, and medicine — now more than ever. And they need to know they are loved, too.
Sponsorship provides all of these things for a child. And if you are a child sponsor, we want to say a huge thank you!
But there are many children around the world who don’t have sponsors. In fact, the number of kids who need sponsors has gone up because of the reasons mentioned above. At the same time, the number of new sponsorships has dropped 94 percent due to the pandemic.
You can help. Your one-time gift of $105 will cover three months of basic essentials for a child without a sponsor. That’s enough to get a boy or girl through the final months of this incredibly difficult year … plus, show him or her the love of God.
And don’t forget that when you decide to give, we’ll text you a picture of the child you’re helping. So, for the next three months, you’ll not only be meeting needs, but you can also pray that this child will grow and learn through this challenging season.
You have the power to help a child survive the rest of 2020. Will you?
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