How can I make Christmas special for my sponsored friend?
September 9, 2011 at 8:00 am Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) 12 comments
Q. How can I make Christmas special for my sponsored friend?
A. You can write a special message related to Christmas to your sponsored friend, perhaps with a family photo or card.
(A new feature this year is to send an eLetter once you’re logged in to your online sponsorship account!)
Another option is to donate to the CFCA Christmas Fund.
One hundred percent of your donation goes to provide Christmas celebrations and gifts for all children and aging friends in the CFCA program. Many of our projects also include families of sponsored members in the festivities.
Donating to the CFCA Christmas Fund is a very special present and is easy to do. Donate online, call Sponsor Services at (800) 875-6564, or use your remittance form from your sponsorship receipt.
Entry filed under: Around the World with CFCA, Ask Sponsor Services, cfca, christian foundation for children and aging. Tags: cfca, child, Christian Foundation for Children and Aging, Christmas, poverty, services, sponsor.
1. Barbara Karst | September 23, 2011 at 12:21 pm
I would like to send something personal-for Christmas and birthday– I have every year but always wonder what to send and if it will get there
also it gets harder as what can you send to a teenager that will fit in a 9×13 nvelope and weigh less than a pound?
2. Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) | September 26, 2011 at 8:47 am
Hi Barbara,
Sending items in the mail can be costly, and there is always the risk of items becoming lost or stolen in the mail. We have been notified by several projects that many of the packages sent by the sponsors were being ripped open and stolen at the postal office in their country.
Once the item reaches your friend’s country, it could accrue very high custom fees, and the project has to withdraw money from the benefit fund to retrieve the packages. Therefore, our projects are not required to pick up packages that have accrued customs fees.
If you would prefer to send something personal, we suggest a small paper bookmark, friendship bracelets, stickers or photos. These items would be small enough to fit in an envelope with a letter. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact Sponsor Services at 800.875.6564 or mail@cfcausa.org.
Thanks!
~CFCA Sponsor Services
3. Jane Lowell Israel | September 30, 2011 at 6:00 am
I sent my little girl elastic hairbands, and in the next photo, I was delighted to see her wearing one!
4. Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) | September 30, 2011 at 9:26 am
Dear Jane,
Thanks so much for a great Christmas gift idea! Appreciate the tip.
~Shanxi Omoniyi, CFCA web editor and writer
5. Sarah Pickhardt | November 8, 2011 at 7:54 am
Hello,
Does anyone have any suggestions for a 12 year old boy? I was thinking of sending a flat cross or inspirational piece that he could keep in his pocket. Thanks for the bookmark idea – he loves math and I can make one with math facts on it and have it laminated.
6. Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) | November 8, 2011 at 5:31 pm
Hi Sarah,
Thank you for your question. Your ideas of the personalized bookmark and small, inspirational pieces are wonderful!
Some other items to consider are card games, small puzzles or stickers. Another option to make the gift more personalized would be to include a photo of yourself or your family or to send a recordable card with a short message from you.
Just make sure the items will fit in a 9×12 envelope that is an inch or less thick and weighs a pound or less, and it helps to include a note asking your sponsored friend to let you know when the item(s) arrive.
~Sponsor Services
7. Sarah Pickhardt | November 8, 2011 at 6:48 pm
Thank you for your wonderful suggestions. I especially like the recordable card – what a great way to send something that can’t be visualized – your voice!! Happy Holidays to all of you and your wonderfuly organization. :)
8. Diane | November 9, 2011 at 7:05 pm
I have only been a sponsor for a year. Already I have sent her some stickers, and pictures of my family. She calls me her “Godmother” which makes me feel good. When she writes, she always send me a picture she has drawn freehand. I drew one of her from her photo I have and sent it. Haven’t heard anything back yet. My children are all grown & I am a widow living alone so I really look forward to her letters.
9. Julie | November 11, 2011 at 4:08 pm
I, too had difficulties sending gifts to my sponsored child. Every Christmas I now donate to the “Family Need Fund”. An agent visits the family of your sponsored child to determine a need the family has at that time. Your donation will be used to help your child or his family purchase something needed. In the past my sponsored child has had a year of school lunches provided, bunk beds for him and his siblings, and other things that has made life for the family easier. Just call CFCA to request this donation. No more worries about a package being lost or stolen. Saves alot on postage, too.
10. Marianne | May 19, 2012 at 8:49 am
When a sponsor donates to the gift fund I didnt know that they are then provided with a list of the actual things given to the sponsored child. Here the sponsor was informed that her sponsored child received a bunk bed etc. That makes me want to donate to the fund instead of sending gifts.
11. Lukasz | November 13, 2011 at 8:39 pm
What is going to happen if I send a t-shirt in a little bigger envelope than 9×12 ?? Is there any chance that my child will get it?
12. Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA) | November 14, 2011 at 4:08 pm
Thank you for your question.
Mail larger than the recommended size may be held at the post office on the receiving end for additional fees. These fees can be very high, and the funds to pay the fees would come from funds that are intended to provide benefits to CFCA sponsored friends.
We have explained to our project teams that they may choose to decline mail that requires a fee for delivery. We urge sponsors to refrain from sending any mail that is larger than the 9×12 recommended size (also not more than one inch thick or more than one pound in weight).
Remember, your letters are a great gift to your sponsored friend. Your friend will also receive gifts for birthday and Christmas each year on your behalf through donations to the birthday and Christmas funds, which are used to make sure that all sponsored friends have something for those special times of the year.
If you haven’t done so yet, be sure to check out the new eLetter feature on our website, where you can write a letter to your friend online.
Thanks!
Sincerely,
Claudia Stapley,
Sponsor Services