1 person found this review helpful
Review from CharityNavigator Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA)
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December 16, 2012
1 person found this review helpful
My wife and I have been sponsoring children for sometime, I think it was 2008 we were able to go to Honduras for a mission and sponsorship visit. Rita and I were both overwhelmed at the way we were recieved, never have I recieved so many hugs and kisses of love out poured just for being a sponsor. I pray that some one will se this reveiw and be apart of this great mission. We had met our child that we had sponsored for 6 yrs' and when we got back a year or so later the mission informed us that they could no longer sponsor in this area because of crime, we" lost" this child but we know that our sponsor ship had greatly impacted this childs life this is not the first one we had "lost" but we had visited this one in her home and met her family and knew she was a part of us. we are currently sponsoring 2 children and we will continue to sponsor as long as we have some form of income. My wife and I got to see how this mission operates, it maintains the dignity of its recipients and succeeds in restoring hope to an under privileged society, I give CFCA an A+ on accountibility
More feedback...
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?
2008
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!
More feedback...
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.
June 3, 2011
1 person found this review helpful
My husband and I have sponsored six different people (four children and two aged) over the past 20 years with CFCA (currently sponsoring three). My sister and I have personally visited their programs in Cuernavaca and in Guatemala. It is impossible to overstate my admiration for this organization. They train, enable, employ local people to build communities based on the solidest humanitarian principles. They are THE BEST! Sheila C. Cullen
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
communicating with sponsored children and in visiting programs in Mexico and in Guatemala.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
find it difficult to make improvements, unless we could make Robert and Cristina Hentzen immortal!
May 19, 2011
My husband and I have sponsored the sisters in one family for many years. We greatly enjoy receiving their letters and stories about their lives. We send them birthday and Christmas greetings and small presents. The work of CFCA has been impressive and is making a real difference in the lives of these individuals.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Letters that I read from the children that describe the benefits they receive from CFCA monies and our sponsorship.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I think they are doing a wonderful job.
May 12, 2011
1 person found this review helpful
We sponsor a girl in Guatemala and one in Honduras and also sponsor two boys in Guetamala on behalf or our two daughters (they each have a sponsored friend to write to). The relationship developed through our letters has been great, but it was magnified many times over when our whole family went to Guatemala on a mission awareness trip and met our three Guatemalan children. I can't desrcirbe the feelings encountered when meeting our sponsored children and their families. Suffice it to say that they are memories and emoitions that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. The sense of connection between different cultures and different families reinforces our belief how we are all God's children and we can all help each other. Our sponsored children and their families gave us great gifts - the gift of their spirit of family, their smiles and hugs, and of the lovethey showed for strangers they had never met. Our lives are better because of the relationships we have developeed through CFCA. Plus, we were able to be with Bob Hentzen when he started his amazing 8,000 mile walk from Guatemala to Chile to visit hs CFCA projects and sponsored children and aging. Since then we have been volunteering at churches in hopes of encouraging others to join the CFCA family.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
The bonds we have formed with our sponsored children and by meeting them and touring various CFCA projects and families homes in Guatemala.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
I can't think of any now that they offer internet sponsorship capablity. This is an amazing organization!!!
April 11, 2011
1 person found this review helpful
I had an incredible experience on a mission trip in El Salvador through the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging. It was difficult to see some of the extreme situations of poverty that these people lived in, but serving them and building new houses for them brought a lot of joy as well. In all of the communities we visited during our trip, we were constantly surrounded by so much joy and love! I loved playing with the children because they are very cute and so open to strangers. It is not like it is in the US, where kids are afraid to go up to people they don't know. the children and adults alike are just so ready to love others even though they may not know them at all. Also, I was impressed by how simply the people in El Salvador live their lives. They are not as attached to material things as many people are in the US. They are not caught up in technology all the time and many do not even know all these little gadgets and gizmos exist! Even the simplest device like a digital camera, is fascinating to them. Once they figured out that their face showed up on the screen they wanted a million pictures taken of each one of them. Those children are precious and I miss their happiness, joy, love, and laughter! I learned so much more than I expected to while on this trip and I am so glad I took the steps to be able to attend! It was an absolutely life changing adventure and I would recommended it to anyone who truly wants to serve those in need.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
How joyful the communities were when they knew that people from CFCA were visiting. The joy and generosity from the members of those communities showed us how much this organization is respected by the people. The communities continuously showered us with generosity and love like we had never before experienced, which allowed us to see how grateful the people are for the support they receive from CFCA.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
The trip was exceptional! Only small additions could make it even better. My suggestion would be to have an additional day in which the team is performing service for the people of the country, in a different form than building houses, such as; visiting a school, an opportunity to evangelize or maybe teach children religion classes, or care for the sick in some way.
More feedback...
Would you volunteer for this group again?
Likely
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?
Quite well
Would you recommend this group to a friend?
Definitely
What one change could this group make that would improve your volunteer experience?
More than one type or opportunity of service based work.
Did your volunteer experience have an effect on you? (teaching you a new skill, or introducing new friends, etc.)
Yes! I met a lot of people of a new culture, experienced a new culture, was moved by the positive attitudes of the people I met, learned a few words and phrases in a new language, and learned a few skills about how to build a simple 3-room house.
How did this volunteer experience make you feel?
This experience made me feel amazing! I feel like and know that I can make a difference for someone or many in this world.
When was your last experience with this nonprofit?
2011
April 7, 2011
1 person found this review helpful
For years I dragged my feet when considering sponsoring a child. A lot of the charities doing that seemed manipulative to me. Then, a priest came to my church to describe CFCA and his experience with it. I was sold. My family and I sponsored a child immediately.
Although my first sponsored child had to leave the programs for reasons of his own, we took on another child with no hesitation.
My family and I look forward to the letters from our sponsored child. I also enjoy the email updates I get. They come fairly often, but don't overwhelm me like some email lists I belong to.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
the way I view poverty and the injustice that comes along with that. Not only do I sponsor a child now, but now I am a vocal proponent of programs that seek to reduce the wealth disparity seen around the world.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
offer an option to communicate electronically. I know this is probably not feasible, but I think I would write more often if this was a possibility. I know handwritten letters are more personal, and I'd hate to lose the ones from my sponsored child, however.
April 4, 2011
1 person found this review helpful
I have travelled to Nicaragua to share the special blessing that only CFCA provides, meeting your sponsored child, observe how the organization works in other countries and then come back to the United States to volunteer, recruit sponsors and share what I have seen. The organization builds brotherhood around the world by building bonds between those who can afford to sponsor and those who need a sponsor in 25 countries. I have been blessed with great support from the offices in Kansas City. Their call centers have always supplied me with answers if I didn't know something. I have met the founder and he lives out his words through actions and words.
The Great!
I've personally experienced the results of this organization in...
Nicaragua. I visited with sponsored families, organizational offices, schools full of sponsored children, community celebrations with sponsored ones and helped with birthday parties. I have also participated in over 30 church appeals seeking more sponsors to help children and aging.
Ways to make it better...
If I had to make changes to this organization, I would...
Try to reach out to more of the main line Christian Churches to be more of an ecumenical appeal.
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