Trish graciously took some time out of her packed schedule to share about one of the things that is packing her schedule. It’s the time of year when Trish and other staff work on updating the information on the kids in the sponsorship program. But this looks a little bit different than it has in years past. This post is all about those differences because as Trish said, “It’s nice if people understand what we’re trying to do and how we do it.”
It’s important to keep the sponsorship information up-to-date–and not just because a child’s favorite color or favorite subject in school may have changed. Sometimes everything has changed! The communities around Gracias are far less stable than they used to be. These days many people are leaving Gracias for the big city, or even leaving Honduras. Sometimes just the father leaves and mom and the kids move to a different location. Sometimes both parents leave and the children are relocated to live with other relatives, such as the grandparents. And occasionally, the entire family leaves.
Secia (in the blue baseball cap) hard at work
administrating the collection of the profile information.
Sowers4Pastors wants to make sure that no sponsor is donating money each month to sponsor a child that is has left the program, but this is easier said than done. As Trish said, “This is just a point of being responsible and honest. However, the children and their families are not just data in the computer. They do make changes in their lives and they don’t have us on speed dial.” Teachers and families do not update S4P on events as quickly as those of us living in the hyperconnected age of the internet would have expected. Sometimes S4P doesn't find out about a significant life change for many weeks, sometimes months.
It would be fabulous if S4P automatically received word whenever there is a change in a child’s living or school situation. But notifying S4P is not a top priority for families making major life changes! Even if it were, most of the families wouldn’t just be able to shoot off an email to Trish. Even the teachers and pastors, who are connected to Secia and frequently communicate with her, do not regularly make a point to tell her about changes unless she specifically asks - they are volunteering their limited time to the sponsorship program, after all. Secia finds out kids have left when S4P has the kids do letters - but that only happens a few times a year, and doesn't update information about the kids, such as their living situation. That’s why this annual update to the profiles is so vital.
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| Trish plugging away on her office duties from FL, while also taking care of Allen and his medical appointments and working on her book |
Some kids who were removed from the program during registration last year actually ended up coming back and enrolling in school. When that happened, Trish reached out to those kids’ original sponsors to see if they would be interested in sponsoring again.
Sometimes a child who has recently been sponsored moves away. And sometimes Trish has to notify sponsors that they simply don’t know what has happened to their kids. Naturally, that can be very disappointing to sponsors. But it is the reality of life.
Besides helping upload all the mounds of data,
Denise also mans the office phone and works with sponsors.
If all of this sounds a little messy and confusing, it’s because sometimes people’s lives are messy and confusing. This is the current reality of life in these communities. At the same time, the need for the sponsorship program is just as great or greater than it has ever been. Sponsorships are both needed and appreciated. But boy howdy are they difficult to administrate!
Please keep that in mind if you should ever receive a notice from Trish telling you that a child has left the program or has moved to another school in the area. And know that your sponsorships are making an impact–whether you end up sponsoring the same child for many, many years or for just a brief while. Thank you for loving these kids enough to make a commitment to their lives even when no one knows what the future holds.
Mary Faith is currently working on the profile updates in Arizona, but will eventually move to Honduras. Please be praying for her transition and funding!
Shout out to Denise, Mary Faith and Trish for all their work updating the 2024 profiles! It's a very time-consuming, mind-numbing job, but it's got to happen. And a big thank you to Secia for collecting and maintaining the information as best as one can given how messy it is! S4P is very grateful to have dedicated staff members who can make the paperwork-side of things run smoothly. Thank you, ladies!!
- posted by Christi
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