Data Loading...
FAQ Article Flipbook PDF
FAQ Article
136 Views
121 Downloads
FLIP PDF 3.52MB
11 Things to Know about WGOKids Are you considering sponsoring one of our children at Rancho Ebenezer, but still have some questions before you commit? Rachel Zavila, our Child Sponsorship Coordinator, is here to address some of your concerns. Check out this overview of the program, then read on to answer some of your pressing questions!
1. What is a WGOKids Sponsor? A sponsor can be an individual, a church, a Sunday School class or any group that desires to support a child under our care. You can select one of the children on our attached photo list or visit our web site at www.wgoreach.org/wgokids to see a current listing. You may also elect to allow us to choose the child that has the most need for a sponsor. Your support makes it possible for your sponsored child to be fully cared for on our Rancho Ebenezer children’s campus. A sponsorship is only $30 per month per child.
2. What kind of relationship can a sponsor expect with their sponsored child? Your sponsored child will know your name and write to you twice per year. If you come on one of our WGO Serve Teams, there will be time for you to visit your child during the week. Visits can be arranged at other times as well. You can write your sponsored child via email and the child’s mentor parents will pass on your correspondence to the child. After receiving your sponsorship request, we will send you a current photo of your sponsored child. We hope that will be a reminder for you to pray for him or her. You will receive an annual report sharing his or her progress in school and what is happening in their life.
3. What benefits will my sponsored child receive from my involvement? The child you sponsor will be living at our Rancho Ebenezer children’s campus from the time they first enter until they are around 18 years of age. While under our care they will: • live in a single-family style home with their own bed • receive a Pre-k through 12th grade education with a bilingual emphasis • enjoy regular nutritious meals and clothing • have the freedom to play on recreational areas and a soccer field • learn from mentor parents and in-home counselors • thrive with the help of professional counselors and social workers • receive medical and dental care • gain a sense of belonging in a family group while receiving individual nurturing • be discipled daily through teaching and devotions from the Word of God.
4. Am i able to correspond with my sponsored child? Any correspondence with your sponsored child would be an encouragement to them and you are welcome to do that 2-3 times per year. Because of the difficulties of regular mail in a Third World country, you would email your child via the address that we will provide. To protect our children, all correspondance be reviewed by the program coordinator and then be sent to the house parents. You will receive the email address and guidelines for communication in your welcome kit after you sign up.
5. Can I send my sponsored child a gift or bring one if I visit? There is a natural interest on the part of a sponsor to want to send or bring a gift to their sponsored child. Because of the fact that some sponsors will send gifts and others may not, or that some children may not have a sponsor yet, we cannot accept physical packages or material gifts for the children. However, you can make a contribution to the Children’s Gift Fund and your contributions will be used for special occasions like birthdays and Christmas to make sure all of the children in the WGOKids program get to enjoy this benefit. All of your donations to the Gift Fund will be used for special events and activities for the children and not for general operation expenses. Please remember that we cannot accept packages and/or gifts of any kind to be forwarded and received by your sponsored child.
6. Will I be the only person sponsoring my child? As you might imagine, the cost of providing 24/7/365 holistic care for each child is significant and requires that each child have multiple sponsors. As mentioned in the above video, it costs about $600 a month to fully sponsor a child, but our sponsorships start at $30 a month. We monitor the sponsorships for each child and try to level out the overall funding availability for all of the children. You, along with our full-time children’s staff and other sponsors represent the whole team of people brought together to stand in the gap for the child you are sponsoring. If you have questions about how that works or have an interest in fully sponsoring a child please contact Fred at 630-359-5175.
7. How long will my sponsorship last? It is our hope that you will be able to stay involved in your sponsored child’s life for all of the years needed to see them from early childhood to their transition into life as a young, independent adult. The sponsorship ends when they graduate from Rancho Ebenezer around age 18 and either enter into our transition program called The Bridge House or into adult society. We understand that your circumstances can change over time and that you may not be able to be involved over that full span of time. We encourage you to get involved for whatever span of time you can. When a sponsor needs to discontinue their financial support of a child, we immediately seek another sponsor to support the child.
8. How much of my donation will go toward the cost of caring for my sponsored child? Every dollar you give to the WGOKids program goes to providing the benefits mentioned. The administration costs, program literature and promotion are covered out of the general fund and not from the sponsorship funds donated for the direct care of the children.
8. Are my donations tax deductible? Yes, all of your contributions to WGO are deductible. WGO maintains a 501.c.3 non-profit status with the IRS. Also, WGO is a member of the ECFA (Evangelical Counsel for Financial Accountability) which requires that we have oversight by an independent governing board and that we undergo a rigorous annual financial audit. This kind of integrity and accountability insures you, the donor, that your contributions are being utilized with principles of good stewardship.
10. How did the WGOKids and the Rancho Ebenezer project begin? WGO was founded in 1984. We are an independent, evangelical, non-profit, interdenominational Christian organization located in Honduras. We started our first children’s ministry program in 1995 and the Rancho Ebenezer campus received its first families in 2000. Our vision has always been to reach Honduras for Christ by reaching its future generations, the children. We have always felt a call from the Lord to focus our efforts on the multitudes of abandoned children in Honduras. Just as Psalm 27:10 states “Though my father and my mother abandoned me, the Lord gathers me up,” our deep conviction is that the Lord is using WGO to be His hand to “gather up” His children who have been abandoned and neglected, and make them the cornerstone of how He brings the nation of Honduras to Himself. You can learn more about our Vision and Statement of Faith here.
8. What distinguishes the WGOKids program? Our program meets all of the child’s needs, provides full-time care in a home setting, builds a spiritual foundation in our children, and endures good stewardship of your donations. See for yourself what sets us apart from other similar programs:
Click here to become a sponsor today! Questions? Contact [email protected] or call 630-359-5175