Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA)
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October 21, 2012
I have been sponsoring a child from El Salvador for so many years...probably at least 12 or more...its been so long i really dont remember... my child sends me letters and pix and in the beginning she did not smile and her letters were short...now she is older and in high school and she smiles a lot and shows me the clothes i have sent her from target...limited what we can send...only 1 lb and has to be 8x10 padded envelope. my husband and i sent money for a 'stove" for her family (mom) so now the mother earns $30.00 a month making tortillas!!! They live way in the mountains of El Salvador...proprane too expensive so now they use wood. My child's letters are in spanish and CFCA translates her letters to me... i am now going to send her 2 harry potter books in spanish and that helps in her reading skills. what a grand organization!! wish i could help another child, but now moneyis tight for us...but our sponsored child always prays me me and my family, since i did tell her my mom had a stroke...she tells me all about her family...i feel we know them, even though we never met them..one day hopefully we can make the mission trip to El Salvador.....
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Was your donation impactful?
Definitely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Definitely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
3 people found this review helpful
July 17, 2012
3 people found this review helpful
I began sponsoring a child back in the early 1980's, almost at the beginning of the program. He was an Ecuadorean boy who I supported until he turned 18 and joined the army. At that time I began to sponsor an Indian boy and that became one of the joyous occasions of my life. When he left the program several years ago, he had become a nurse and works today in an Indian hospital. His letter of thanks upon leavng the program was so heartfelt that I will treasure until my last day. My wife and I now sponsor two Indian boys and recently an 82 year old Dominican Republic man. I know everyone tends to want to support the young, but I am happy to be involved in helping someone at the end of life. We have so much and they so little. How can we say "no"? This is a wonderful program which keeps up in contact with our charges. We highly recommend it.
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Was your donation impactful?
Definitely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Definitely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
2 people found this review helpful
July 13, 2012
2 people found this review helpful
For over 20 years I have sponsored children through CFCA. They are an excellent organization, manage their finances well and keep you in touch with your sponsored child. Our current young man has epilepsy and may not have to leave the program so we have been able to watch him grow from a youth to a young man. Without CFCA's help he would surely not receive the medication he needs. I would highly recommend this organization to anyone who wants to change our world one child at a time. If you are considering CFCA, my recommendation is that you proceed with complete confidence that your contribution is going directly to benefit a child and his/her family.
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Was your donation impactful?
Definitely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Definitely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
April 24, 2012
2 people found this review helpful
I can only echo what others have written. My experience has been very positive and life affirming. The accounting is clear and the effort to make every penny count evident. I sponsor 1 child alone and my bible study groups joins me in sponsoring another. We enjoy sharing the letters from our child and watching him grow and mature with our help and the help of CFCA. I would highly recommending this Charity as a great way to help make a difference in the world.
More feedback...
Was your donation impactful?
Definitely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Definitely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
April 16, 2012
I have been a sponcer of a little girl, now a young woman, in Bluefields, Nicaragua. I have been able to correspond with her on a regular basis. Through my relationship with her I have developed a need, if you will, to sponcer several more young people. I have seen how dramaitcally the life of my first "Goddaughter" has changed and have wished to be able to give more childern this chance. CFCA has given me the chance to help these childern as well as helping me to give myself a sence of accomplishment by helping some one in desperate need! I do encourage anyone with the "need'" to help to use CFCA as a vehicle to accomplish their charity!
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Would you volunteer for this group again?
Definitely
For the time you spent, how much of an impact did you feel your work or activity had?
Life-changing
Did the organization use your time wisely?
Very Well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
April 6, 2011
3 people found this review helpful
I have been a sponcer for 15 years. The past 3 years I have traveled to see the Kids I am sponcering. By visiting the kids and their homes I have seem all the good that can come of a sponcership through CFCA. After visiting my first sponcered child I realized that I need to do more. Thus began a relationship with 4 more kids. After visiting the homes of those additional kids I was able to funnel some of my donation dollars to their needs in the likes of beds, education, cooking stoves and a house that stays dry during a rain.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
traveling to Nicaragua and seeing the needs of so many people in the outlying areas of that country. Also in seeing the results of the help offered to them.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
do some advertising so that many more people would be aware that CFCA exists. I find that so many people do not know and many are eager to help once they are given the particulars of the organization.
2 people found this review helpful
March 7, 2012
2 people found this review helpful
I've just returned from my first CFCA Mission Awareness trip in Kenya, after having been a sponsor in Africa since 2008. I am even more impressed than I was before, with CFCA's efficient management, seemingly "multiplication of the loaves ability", and with the numerous checks and balances all across the system to account for everything. By everything I mean not only the funds we send but sponsorship communications and social worker visits, small mothers groups formation and micro-loan implementation, etc...Every detail is managed well. They are able to transform my $30 a month into something so much more valuable, and I in turn am learning how to live on the ground, with a grateful and generous heart, walking with my human family half way around the world. I love that they consider themselves to be ever evolving, not static, to create new and better ways to address needs. Their model of social justice is one written on our hearts-- it is revealed to us through the formation of our relationships with our beneficiaries. As others have said, now it's up to me to make CFCA better known by sharing their invitation with others, to give hope to our brothers and sisters in desperate need around the globe. And now, I'm ready to add a few more sponsorships to my own account - join me!!
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More feedback...
Was your donation impactful?
Definitely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Definitely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2012
February 2, 2012
1 person found this review helpful
My wife and I have been sponsoring children through CFCA for ten years now. We currently sponsor 11 kids in 7 countries. We've been on CFCA Mission Awareness Trips to Guatemala, Costa Rica and India, where we met a number of our sponsored children, and have also done volunteer time in Honduras. I spent a day visiting CFCA headquarters in Kansas City, KS once when I was in the Midwest on a business trip. Based on the deep experience we've had with CFCA over these years, I consider it our best choice for charitable investment. The greatest strength of this organization, in my opinion, is the quality and integrity of the in-country people CFCA finds to staff its projects. Honestly, we've never met better, more caring people. And they have guts - they have to in some of the settings they work in, as we've seen firsthand. Believe me when I say you can trust CFCA to apply the funds you donate in ways that really matter to lifting up the poor and giving them a shot at a better life. I'll confess I'm not terribly religious but I'm pretty sure God works through these people. I've seen it in the eyes of the children we sponsor.
Photos
More feedback...
Was your donation impactful?
Definitely
How likely is it that you would recommend that a friend donate to this group?
Definitely
How likely are you to donate to this group again?
Definitely
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
2 people found this review helpful
October 11, 2011
2 people found this review helpful
My wife began sponsoring a girl before we got married. That was over 10 years ago, and we have seen this shy little girl who never had enough to eat and wouldn't have had the opportunity to finish school now go on to college. We were able to continue sponsoring her through college, and this coming year our sponsored "child" will be graduating with her teaching certificate. We get the most beautiful hand-written letters from Abby, and she has been a wonderful example to our entire family of hope, happiness, gratitude and hard work. This has been such a positive experience that we have begun sponsoring another child and an older youth through CFCA.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
letters, cards and pictures received from sponsored children and youth.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
It would be nice for sponsors and the sponsored to continue the friendship past when the kids graduate from the program, but I can understand how this could potentially attract people who want to scam Americans and other first world sponsors. All organizations of this type do this because they are afraid of attracting individuals who want to scam Americans and other sponsors. Still, it would be nice to be able to write yearly letters after sponsorship ends that CFCA translates and filters.
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What specific problem, purpose, priority, or project prompted your gift?
Loving my neighbor.
What would you tell others about this organization?
There are several organizations that offer child sponsorship, but none offer such a complete program for the cost CFCA offers. They can do this because their advertising and overhead costs are amazingly low. World Vision and Compassion have overhead costs that are more than double CFCA's. Because of this, CFCA is often slower to offer cutting edge services like e-mail letters to sponsored kids, but they have been consistently improving their services over the 10+ years we have been sponsoring, all the while keeping costs much lower than similar organizations. Also, if you are thinking about meeting your sponsored child in person, CFCA's trips are a fraction of the cost of other organizations. I can go and take two of my kids for the cost of just one person with competing organizations. I have sponsored kids through other organizations (Save the Children and Compassion for 10+ years), but CFCA is the best in my opinion.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
September 26, 2011
1 person found this review helpful
I just started a sponsorship for a young girl in Kenya this past August. I love the way this organization handled everything. The process was simple, and straightforward. My sponsored child and I have already exchanged photos and letters !! This experience has just been so wonderful. And I love the fact that this organizations sponsorship is one child, one sponsor. Not multiple sponsors for one child. I feel honored to be part of this organization.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Sponsorship of a child in Kenya
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
make none
September 20, 2011
6 people found this review helpful
As a +20 year donor and a sponsor of a child in the Philipines, I was EXTREMELY upset when my sponsored child left the program and CFCA refused to forward my address to him. In fact, I was shocked to learn that all these years, CFCA had blacked out my address so my child couldn't see it. Did they ever give him my real name? Did they confiscate the pictures I sent? I was never able to visit the Philippines due to health problems and finances, but I wonder how CFCA handled visits to the missions. Did they muzzle the sponsors to keep them from telling the children where they lived?
My child has now supposedly graduated from school and gone to work for a living. He's old enough and mature enough to decide if he ever wants to contact me again, but he won't be able to, because CFCA won't give him my address. And I can't contact him, because they won't give me his address.
CFCA encourages sponsors to get involved in the lives of the children, then they cut the strings cold turkey and expect sponsors to be happy about it! I think if other sponsors knew this was going on, they wouldn't be too happy either.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
? See letter above
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Be more transparent with sponsors.
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