Gifts of Hope: How Sponsors Support Children in Need
Story by Babylene Bocayes, Field Communications Specialist | Photos by Hope Center staff
Sponsorship is a gift in itself. But sponsors can make an even bigger impact by sending a gift to their sponsored child to help their family, honor their birthday, bless their Hope Center — or just because! Learn how gifts have the power to change a child’s day, month, year or even life.
Imagine the sparkle in a child’s eyes while unwrapping a gift on a birthday or Christmas day. And it’s even more exciting when it’s an unexpected gift. The joy of receiving a thoughtful present can light up a child’s world, offering more than just material value. It can instill hope, build connections and transform lives.
In addition to giving to the Christmas Gift Fund to ensure every child enrolled at a Hope Center receives a gift, sponsors can send birthday and family gifts that go specifically to their sponsored children. When a child receives such a gift, their Child Champions help the family determine the best item to buy with the gift.
Let’s explore how gifts provided by generous sponsors make a lasting impact on children, shaping their futures in profound ways.
The Joy of Giving
Gifts carry happy memories. For many children, receiving a gift is not just about the item itself but the feelings it brings.
Sunny, an energetic 5-year-old in the Philippines who loves playing, singing and sharing meals with friends, joined OneChild at 4 years old. Coming from a broken family, she cherishes the gifts she receives.
“It was a beautiful experience,” she says, reflecting on how birthday and family gifts from her sponsor helped her buy toys, clothes and even groceries.
“It was a big help for the family because the items bought were snacks and food for many weeks,” says her grandmother Analyn.
For Sunny, each gift is a reminder of love and support by her sponsor.
Sunny and her mother with the groceries they were able to buy with her sponsor’s gift.
The Gift of Sponsorship
Sunny writes to her sponsor with a little help from her Child Champion.
Beyond the joy of giving, sponsorship creates deep connections. The support sponsors give to children opens opportunities for relationship building, giving children a feeling that they belong.
A sense of community is crucial in helping children thrive. In OneChild’s program, Hope Centers play a vital role in this community. They’re places where Child Champions like teachers, pastors and staff give intentional care and attention to children. They provide activities like academic tutorials, Bible studies, games, feeding programs and annual medical checkups that children enjoy.
Children also develop friendships at their Hope Centers with other children and with their sponsors through letter writing and gifts.
More than anything, children at Hope Centers develop knowledge about God, who is our ultimate source of hope. Sunny’s grandmother says her hope is for her granddaughter “to grow in love and grace of the Lord.”
The support of sponsors like Sunny’s help make these things possible.
Encouraging Children to Dream
Gifts also inspire children to dream.
For Sunny, who aspires to become a policewoman, the support she receives fuels her ambitions.
Similarly, Rovelyn, a determined 13-year-old living with her grandmother and siblings in the Philippines, dreams of becoming a soldier.
With no parents and facing the challenges of poverty, Rovelyn finds comfort with her Hope Center family, who teaches her how to pray.
Being able to survive daily is always an answered prayer for her. And when he received a family gift from her sponsor, she was so happy that they were able to buy groceries, clothes, toiletries and snacks for her family.
“It helped our family in meeting our daily needs because I am an orphan child. We live with our grandparents, and we are very happy when we receive it,” she explains.
Both Sunny and Rovelyn show how thoughtful gifts remind children of their sponsors’ care and empower them to pursue their dreams despite their circumstances.
Top: Sunny had fun dressing as her dream job, a police officer. Bottom: Thanks to her sponsor, Rovelyn and her family enjoyed the rare treat of a meal at a restaurant.
Long-Term Benefits
The effects of sponsorship gifts can be transformative and long-lasting. Gifts that encourage skill development — such as school supplies, musical instruments and toys — provide children with opportunities to explore their interests and talents. The food they receive can provide them the nutrition they need to grow.
These experiences can break the cycle of poverty, equipping children like Sunny and Rovelyn with the skills they need to succeed in life.
Because of the support of sponsors, Rovelyn and her friends each received a Bible as gift from from their Hope Center.
It doesn’t matter if a gift is big or small. What matters are the tangible and intangible ways you will impact a child. Every gift has the potential to change a life. The significance of sponsors’ gifts for children like Sunny and Rovelyn is immeasurable — from bringing joy to encouraging dreams to creating lasting relationships. This thoughtful gesture from sponsors creates ripples of hope in the communities as children thrive with the help of their Child Champions.
Be Inspired and Send Joy
Be inspired by stories of family gifts that changed lives.
And consider giving your sponsored child a gift today.
