All Your Questions About Gifts Answered!
Are additional gifts required?
No additional gifts are required! Your gift of $35 per month is such a blessing to your child. His or her whole lives are changed because of your gift. Any additional gifts are completely optional. Many of our sponsors do ask about extra gifts, and we are excited to be able to facilitate extra communication and gifts for your child. Each year, in October, you will receive the Child Annual Progress Report (CAPR) that will include an updated picture of your child. The needs will be listed on this report should you want to meet any needs listed there. Here are a few ways you can give extra gifts!
Communication Gifts
You can email your child for no additional cost at littlechildrenofthephilippines@gmail.com. These emails are printed and given to your child, including any attachments like photos. Please be sure to include your child’s name in the subject line of the email to help expedite the staff identifying the recipient. Allow at least 2 weeks for a response. Our office sends packages of letters regularly to the Philippines, and you can always send a card to the Georgia office to be included. Your child would love to have a picture of you! It will be displayed in the most prominent place in their house.
Gifts to be Shipped
We ship boxes once per quarter from the Georgia office. These boxes take approximately 3 months to arrive. Your package can be included in one of our boxes. Since there is a cost involved in shipping, please consider a donation towards the shipping of your package. Once the boxes arrive at LCP, they will be distributed to the children. DO NOT SEND ITEMS DIRECTLY. There are customs fees imposed on the family when they receive the package that they cannot afford to pay – for example $25 fee for a small package.
Extra Monetary Gifts
Extra monetary gifts are welcomed. You may give as many gifts as you like, but we limit these gifts to under $100 at a time, unless they are designated for a specific purpose, such as a house repair. Our program is designed to be a Hand-Up, not a hand-out. Bigger gifts, and too many gifts, often cause more negative effects in the long run. For those sponsors who are willing and able to give larger gifts, please consider sponsoring another child instead. So many children wait every day to hear they have been sponsored. Gifts may be given throughout the year, but we recommend gifts for Birthdays, Christmas, and School Needs to correspond with the beginning of the school year.
Food Packages
The LCP canteen can create a Food Package for your child with a value of $10, $15, or $20 per month. Only one Food Package is allowed per month per family. These packages include rice, noodles, meat ($10 canned/$20 fresh), sugar, and other goodies. Food Packages can also be sent for special occasions such as Birthdays or Christmas.