compassion

Click here to view my blog posts about Compassion, my travels to Haiti and Kenya with them, and the phenomenal work they are doing all around the world!


In case you didn't know. Poverty, extreme poverty, is alive and well in this world. More than a billion children live on less than $2 a day. Can you imagine....

The annual world economy breaks down like this:

• low income (37%): $935 or less annually
• lower middle income (38%): $936-$3,705 annually
• upper middle income (9%): $3,706-$11,455 annually
• high income (16%): more than $11,455 annually

Yes, if you read this, that means you are in the top 16% of the richest in the world. Tell yourself that the next time you feel like you need to upgrade...well...anything. Here's some more shocking facts on poverty, world health, and other important issues we'd rather just ignore. 

Compassion International is an organization that is very near and dear to my heart. Playing the part of the skeptic, I never (or I should say, "rarely") trust mercy organizations. You know the type: the malnourished kid on TV at Christmas with the swollen belly and the flies on his little face. Cue Sarah McLachlan and I'm a blubbering mess. Although not moved to empty my pockets. I mean, who are these people? What good are they really doing? How much of that money gets to the kid? And how do I know he's not giving it to his dad that's spending it on booze??? (You know you've all asked these questions. And rightly so.)

Now, enter Compassion.

Compassion International is distinct in four areas:

• Christ centered: absolutely no room for change in this arena. The Gospel is why they do what they do, and it is what enables them to do it.
• Child focused: other organizations are community focused. Compassion is child focused because simply put, "If you change the community, you may impact the child. But if you impact a child you will change the community." 
• Church based: the church has been an instrument of God's for help and hope from the dawn of the church. Not only does this make sense because the local church is uniquely qualified to know the challenges of the community, but it gives the child and their family a physical place to return to give God the glory for the work done. 
• Committed to integrity: Compassion commits to integrity biblically and professionally in all aspects of ministry and industry standards for allocation of funds. You can see their ratings on Charity Navigator which they have received the highest 4 star ratings so many years in a row that it's placed it in the top 1% of all charities of it's kind. Not easily beat. 

The Child Development Model is holistic in nature addressing the individual child's physical, spiritual, social, and economic needs. The main program called Child Sponsorship is a 1:1 sponsor to child ratio. Which means it is only you and your family sponsoring that specific child. Not you, Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Just you. This is also unique although some other organizations may make this claim. (Please don't hear me as judging another mercy ministry. I am simply trying to make sure you do your homework before giving to a charity.) In this 1:1 relationship, you can write and receive letters, pictures, coloring pages, etc. There is so much love and light and hope spread to the children (and to you!) that is truly life changing. I have had conversations with several ex-sponsored children and young men and women in Compassion's college program that have testified to the life giving hope received from these letters. You can also check out my pinterest page for letter writing tips and ideas.

There are also 2 other fantastic models with Compassion: The Child Survival Program which benefits pregnant mommies and their babies up through 2 years of age, and the Leadership Development Program which is college aged students. And might I add, they are the top of the top. I believe it is 0.6% of Compassion graduates qualify for to be an LDP student.

So....what can you do?? That's simple....

Sponsor a child today!