Comments on: What happens when my friend leaves the sponsorship program? http://blog.cfcausa.org/2011/08/25/what-happens-when-my-friend-leaves-the-sponsorship-program/ Fri, 24 May 2013 14:08:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.5.1 By: Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) http://blog.cfcausa.org/2011/08/25/what-happens-when-my-friend-leaves-the-sponsorship-program/#comment-3001 Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) Fri, 17 Feb 2012 18:51:34 +0000 http://blog.cfcausa.org/?p=7796#comment-3001 Thanks for your question, Merton.

CFCA is not able to facilitate communication between sponsored friends and sponsors after the sponsorship has ended. Our focus is on providing a safe way for sponsored friends and sponsors to communicate with each other while they are participating in the CFCA program. As you know, we do this through letters that are sent through our project offices to ensure they are appropriate and follow our child protection and privacy guidelines.

While some former sponsored friends and sponsors find each other on Facebook after the sponsorship ends, CFCA does not facilitate or encourage their contact. We cherish the friendships that form between sponsored friends and sponsors through our program. Unfortunately, our ability to safely facilitate these friendships is only through the sponsorship program.

Thank you, again, for your excellent question.

~Shanxi, CFCA online content manager

]]> By: Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) http://blog.cfcausa.org/2011/08/25/what-happens-when-my-friend-leaves-the-sponsorship-program/#comment-3000 Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) Thu, 16 Feb 2012 21:26:27 +0000 http://blog.cfcausa.org/?p=7796#comment-3000 Hi Catherine,

The final letter is the last letter that sponsors receive from their friend, since their friend is no longer in the sponsorship program. So yes, after that letter CFCA does not facilitate communication between former sponsored friends and their former sponsors.

I hope this helps clarify the situation. Please let us know if you have other questions.

~Shanxi, CFCA online content manager

]]> By: Catherine Green http://blog.cfcausa.org/2011/08/25/what-happens-when-my-friend-leaves-the-sponsorship-program/#comment-2999 Catherine Green Thu, 16 Feb 2012 19:17:25 +0000 http://blog.cfcausa.org/?p=7796#comment-2999 Clarification requested – “final” letter means no more communication ?
I hope I’m misunderstanding what you mean by “final letter.”

]]> By: Merton Garrison http://blog.cfcausa.org/2011/08/25/what-happens-when-my-friend-leaves-the-sponsorship-program/#comment-2998 Merton Garrison Thu, 16 Feb 2012 14:51:20 +0000 http://blog.cfcausa.org/?p=7796#comment-2998 I was recently on the MAT to the Philippines. This subject came up during one of our Q & A/reflection sessions. Bob Hentzen told us that after the sponsorship ends you can still keep in contact with your friend through social media. Well, I had understood that, when you were notified that your friend had left the program, you could write a farewell letter to them and that was it. I had no idea we could keep in contact. I have no idea where my friend is now or how I could contact him. There had been so much talk about using social media that I thought it was taboo. I know that was referring to active sponsorship and not sponsorships that had ended. What is the policy about sponsored friends that have left the program?

]]> By: Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) http://blog.cfcausa.org/2011/08/25/what-happens-when-my-friend-leaves-the-sponsorship-program/#comment-2997 Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:06:01 +0000 http://blog.cfcausa.org/?p=7796#comment-2997 Hi Margaret,

Yes, sponsors are able to send a final letter to their friend when they are retired from the program. You may send the letter the same way you send a normal letter.

CFCA does not have an age cut-off for our program, so if your sponsored friend plans on seeking higher education, they will likely still be eligible for sponsorship while they remain in school. We encourage sponsors to ask their friends what their education plans are through letters to gain a better sense of how long your friend will stay in the program.

We thank you for the commitment you have made to help a friend in need.

Sincerely,
Sponsor Services

]]> By: Margaret Dick http://blog.cfcausa.org/2011/08/25/what-happens-when-my-friend-leaves-the-sponsorship-program/#comment-2996 Margaret Dick Thu, 25 Aug 2011 13:58:59 +0000 http://blog.cfcausa.org/?p=7796#comment-2996 After receiving your sponsored friend’s final letter, does CFCA still allow the sponsor to send a final letter to her/his friend? I was devastated when my first sponsored child left the program. I had sponsored her for 11 years and being able to say good-bye to her really helped. That was 8 years ago, and I immediately began sponsoring another girl. She will soon turn 17 so I am trying to psychologically prepare myself for her departure.

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