Sharath — CFCA Friend of the Month for May 2012

In many ways, our partnership with Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) has left me feeling a bit like the good friend of an expectant mother. Every month, we meet a precious new child and anxiously await the moment when he or she will be "adopted" through sponsorship by a caring family who will make a small financial commitment that will drastically change one child's world. Last month, our friend was little Ada. It took longer for her to be sponsored, and she featured largely in my daily prayers for the month of April. When my CFCA point of contact wrote me to say that Ada had been sponsored, tears of joy came quickly. I know the good work of my friends at CFCA, and am convinced that while Ada will be richly blessed through sponsorship, so will the family who has made the commitment to small sacrifices that will enable them to make Ada's world a better place.

Sharath - CFCA Friend of the Month

Sharath — Friend of the Month for May 2012

This month, we’re hoping to find a sponsor for Sharath, a 10-year-old boy in India! Since his father passed away, Sharath’s mother is the sole breadwinner and works as a daily laborer. Her income is seasonal and doesn’t cover her family's basic needs.

With sponsorship, Sharath will get the opportunity to go to a good school and study as long as he is able to. He would receive needed school supplies, such as books and bags produced by mothers of sponsored children, and access to health care through regular checkups. Sponsorship would also allow him to attend summer camps as well as birthday and holiday celebrations in a manner that is culturally appropriate for his local area.

To learn more about Sharath or to sponsor him (or another child or aging friend), please visit the CFCA website.

Each month, we will be introducing you to our “Friend of the Month” and inviting you and your family to sponsor our friend. It’s my dream that we — as a CatholicMom.com family — will be able to adopt not only one friend, but perhaps even more to share our blessings and God’s love with those who need assistance.

More about CFCA

For more than 30 years, Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA)has brought hope to families living in poverty in 22 countries. Founded in 1981 by lay Catholics acting on the Gospel call to serve the poor, it has grown into a movement of more than 250,000 sponsors who are supporting more than 300,000 children, youth and aging friends worldwide.

When a sponsor commits to sponsoring a child, youth or aging friend for $30 a month through CFCA’s Hope for a Family sponsorship program, it impacts the entire family. Sponsorship provides basic necessities like food, education, clothing and access to medical care, along with the encouragement needed for families to build a path out of poverty.

• The Hope for a Family sponsorship program provides much more than charity to families in need. CFCA takes a personal approach that focuses on partnering with each family to fulfill their basic needs while empowering them to create a path out of poverty through education, skills training, livelihood programs and community-building activities.
• Grounded in the Gospel call to serve the poor, CFCA is a lay Catholic organization working with and serving persons of all faith traditions.
• CFCA is among the 200 largest nonprofits in the U.S. according to Forbes, and the only child sponsorship organization to receive an A+ rating from the American Institute of Philanthropy. More than 94 percent of CFCA’s expenses go toward program support.

To learn more about Sharath or to sponsor him (or another child or aging friend), please visit the CFCA website.