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Casa de Fe—Shell, Ecuador Sponsor Guidelines 2008-2009 SPONSOR GUIDELINES
The sponsorship program is the primary means of day to day care for the children of “Casa de Fe”, it also helps us meet our ever growing needs. Through the sponsorship program you can establish a personal relationship with an individual child. Sponsors may select a child or we will assign a child. The children at Casa de Fe come from difficult circumstances. Some are orphans, some abandoned, abused or from extremely poor conditions. Once at Casa de Fe, we joyfully assume responsibility for their care -including nutritional food, comfortable and clean clothing and living quarters, as well as educational, medical, and general developmental needs. Most importantly, we strive to give the children strong spiritual guidance. The needs of all children are met without regard to whether a child is sponsored or how long they have been here at Casa de Fe. Multiple sponsors are allowed since people who visit the orphanage will bond with a child and want to become a part of that particular child’s life. We pray that you may find meaning and blessing in your sponsorship and the desire to care individually as a friend for your child as he/she grows in all ways. Sponsor fee (U.S. Sponsors) $250.00 per month is needed to care for each child here at “Casa de Fe”. The sponsorship fee is $35.00 to $250.00 per month, once $250.00 is reached for an individual child, that child will be considered fully sponsored. The sponsorship fee can be paid monthly, quarterly or yearly. All contributions are tax deductible and you will receive a letter for that purpose from our organization at the end of January of the year following your contributions.
We urge sponsors to pray daily for the child they are sponsoring. Life gets off to a rough start when you are abandoned. These children need the healing that God can bring and your prayers are essential.
Corresponding with your child Correspondence is an important part of the relationship between the children here at Casa de Fe and their sponsors. We appreciate all the effort and dedication friends and sponsors of the children put in letters, emails, gifts, and cards. Likewise, we try to give personalized and quick attention and response to all received correspondence. Casa de Fe is growing! The children are different and some of them will enjoy corresponding and some may not have the ability or interest. We ask that you be sensitive also to your child’s particular situation and that you make your correspondence age and capacity appropriate. If you have questions concerning your sponsor child and their particular situation please contact us. Below you will find more detailed guidelines we have developed out of necessity due to practical limitations here at Casa de Fe. We sincerely hope they will help us all better serve our God and His children for the betterment of His Kingdom.
Postal Correspondence We pick up the regular mail and small packages regularly (usually four times a month). We can also translate letters for children in primary school or younger. The children that are too young to write will either receive help from the volunteer or make something artistic themselves to send to their sponsors. We have a file on each child in which we register mail received and answered and also if the child received packages or birthday money from his or her sponsor. We recommend that letters not be too long or detailed unless you know your older child to be communicative and good at writing and responding to letters. Most of the children are not accustomed to writing letters and will prefer to make you a drawing or something similar. They enjoy receiving pictures, stickers, and the like in their mail as it helps them relate to their sponsor.
Gifts, birthday, Christmas etc. You are welcome to send gifts to your child for special occasions such as birthdays, graduations or Christmas. All we ask is that you please keep the gifts age appropriate and that the gift only contains articles that cannot be of harm to the children – remember sometimes they share a room with children younger than themselves. We also prefer that you only send Christian music and that if you send books, novels or movies you choose them using good judgment. We have a size chart, which is updated once a year and you can contact us in order to get more specific sizes and needs for your child.
Articles that are always good to send:
If you wish to send something for your child you can send it to:
Your child’s name
If sending a package, please make sure it is no bigger than a shoebox and does not weigh more than 4 pounds. Padded envelopes are best if you are sending a package. Make sure to mark customs forms as a gift and write $0 in the value section. Please use only the green customs form. If your child’s birthday or graduation is coming up you can designate a little spending money when you make your regular sponsor payment. (From $5-$30 would be appropriate depending on age) Please note in the payment the purpose of the money. We will go to town and buy something for the child. We ask that you use this option only for special occasions and no more than twice a year, as it requires some human resources to maintain this system.
News and website We will update you with information about your child via email. We will also do our best to keep the website up to date with photos of all of the children. Feel free to email us if you would like further information about your child. pattisue_arnold@yahoo.com
If you have any questions about sponsoring, about your child, about needs at the Casa de Fe, please email me pattisue_arnold@yahoo.com . Thanks so much for caring and God Bless you richly! “Though my Father and Mother forsake me, the Lord will receive me” Psalms 27:10
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