World Vision: Sponsor Children, HopeChild And Donations

When many people see commercials on television asking for aid for starving children in the world, they change the channel. Although poverty and injustice are prevalent in the United States, in other parts of the world the standards of living are much lower. Seeing such suffering is undoubtedly difficult to watch. To help combat poverty and injustice, a Christian Humanitarian Foundation, World Vision, works to help children, families, and community members in their time of dire need.

In 1950, World Vision was started by Dr. Bob Pierce in order to help youths whose parents died in the Korean War. In 1953, Pierce set up the first child sponsorship program, which allowed philanthropists to give children long-term care. Soon, the program gained success thanks to many donations. The outreach program extended to other countries across five continents. In addition to providing people with clean water and nutrition, the donations fund health care, education and economic opportunities as well.

As time goes on, World Vision continues to fund communities reeling from disasters such as famine, illness and war. More recently, to combat the worldwide spread of HIV and AIDS, World Vision created the Hope Initiative. The program is three-tiered; it provides care for orphans and other young people, it educates people with virtues from the Bible to prevent the spread of HIV, and it promotes programs that save lives and fix community mindsets. World Vision has also helped people in America, specifically New Yorkers affected by the tragedy of 9/11. At that time, World Vision also helped over 1 million Afghanis by providing them with emergency food programs. Now a major focus of World Vision is in Africa, where the organization is aims stop sex tourists, ameliorate the fighting caused by diamond disputes, and halt the enlistment of child soldiers in Uganda.

One of the integral parts of World Vision today are the sponsorship programs. For $30 a month, sponsors can establish a connection with one child that will write to them and know their names. More importantly, the money provides the child with food, clean water, education, health care, and spiritual guidance. For $35 a month, benefactors engage in fighting the AIDS pandemic by helping a HopeChild. A HopeChild receives access to clean water and food, health care including AIDS prevention, aid for sick or dying parents, education, HIV/AIDS counseling and spiritual guidance. For an additional $5, patrons can help an entire family. By giving $40 monthly, philanthropists give the family access to clean water and food, better housing, health care, education, spiritual guidance, and loans and tools for starting a family business.

According to Charitynavigator.org, a source that allows philanthropists to understand how helpful the charity really is through ratings, World Vision is a four-star (out of four stars) service that ranks higher than both the Christian Children's Fund and Compassion International. With so much suffering across the globe, World Vision aims to help and to heal.


Sources:
"World Vision." Charitynavigator.org. 2006. 27 June 2007.
http://www.charitynavigator.org/index.cfm/bay/se arch.summary/orgid/4768.htm
"World Vision's History and Mission." Worldvision.org. 2007. 27 June 2007
http://www.worldvision.org/about_us.nsf/child/hi story?Open&lid=topnav_whoweare_history&lpo />Your Frequently Asked Questions. World Vision. 2007. 27 June 2007.
http://meero.worldvision.org/faq_categorie.php?c ategorieID=6
Sponsor a Child or Family Today: Your Sponsorship Donation Saves Lives. WorldVision.org. 2007. 10 July 2007. http://www.worldvision.org/worldvision/master.nsf/ sponsor?Open&lid=topnav_sponsor&lpos=topna