Staff Blog

We stand with humble awe at all the people who love our children. You're amazing. At the beginning of December, we needed $530,000 to reach our 2015 income goal. When the week started it was $239,000. These numbers have been daunting to look at!

At each stage, people have stepped up to care for orphaned children. One by one, we have seen gifts come in for $25, $50, $500, even $40,000. Each gift makes a difference. What matters is people pitch in however they can...and people have! As of this blog post, with 35 hours to go, we need $73,034. It is still a big number, but with your help we can do it. Your donation, regardless of amount, will make an impact.

Thank you for considering the Children's Shelter of Cebu as a place you would give to.

You might be wondering, "what exactly does CSC do?" Many things, but it all boils down to just five words. We have a simple motto: Every child deserves a family.

We are home to children who have lost their parents. They come to us from hospitals, from government officials who have found them in need and from caregivers dropping them off at our door. They are hurting, and almost always ill--sometimes gravely. We have four homes in Cebu City, Philippines, where today 89 children are being given loving care. Our goal is to love them as much like a family would as possible. Here are some of the ways we do that:

• As nurses. We have our own infirmary and a small medical team who work with 26 doctors in Cebu (many of whom donate their services). Our kids have a lot of needs in this area and we meet them.
• As teachers. We have our own school, and it is top notch. We have low student-teacher ratios and a wonderful faculty who love the students they teach.
• As advocates. We seek adoption for our children through various government systems. CSC children have been placed for adoption in 15 countries.
• As caregivers. Our houseparents love our children like family. The childcare staff are there for them consistently. We understand the importance of relational bonds and foster them.
• As counselors. We have two full-time counselors on staff to guide the children towards healing.
• As stewards. We have received Charity Navigator's highest rating, 4 stars, for the fourth consecutive year. Just 9% of nonprofits can say the same.

CSC is a Christian, interdenominational ministry. We serve children regardless of their faith standing, but the priority of our care is to show them the love of God. The truth of God and his love for children is at the heart of who we are, and has been since we started in 1979. 

We would be honored if you would join us in this important work. If you decide to give, know we are deeply grateful. Thank you! 

Yes, I want to give now!

We just got a letter in the mail from Charity Navigator, and we are celebrating. Charity Navigator's assessment of our integrity in finances, transparency and governance has led to a 4-star rating for the fourth year in a row! Just 9% of nonprofits can say the same.

We only do this work because people support us, and we are proud to use your money in a way that both honors God, and meets with the approval of places like Charity Navigator. Here's to four stars four times!

There are many parties at CSC in December. December 5 was the CSC workers party. A fun evning of games, prizes, a short meditation, food and fun was had by everyone. 

Saturday December 11, was the CSC Outreach party. Many former CSC residents came for an afternoon  of games, a gift from Santa Claus, singing of Christmas carols, hearing the Christmas story and a meal from Jollibee. It's always fun to see some of our former CSC kids and their families. 

There are still many upcoming CSC parties! The individual department parties, the school program, progressive dinnner, Christmas Eve and Christmas day activities. 
Thank you to everyone who helps make the Christmas Season so special for all of the CSC kids and workers. 

 Webster defines a cornucopia as "a curved goat's horn overflowing with fruit and ears of grain that is used as a decorative motif emblematic of abundance." For most of our children, the concept of abundance is a foreign one. They grew up always on the deficit side of things, not having enough food, clothing, safety, medicine, shelter, love. Abundance was something that the rich people had. Their cornucopia was "overflowing." They had more than they needed while our kids struggled to stay alive.

At CSC, these same kids have experienced abundance in ways they never dreamed possible. Enough food, enough clean water, enough safety, attention and love. What a miracle! Our dear supporters are God's agents of abundance at CSC. In our 37 years of ministry in Cebu we have never missed a single meal for our kids!That is hundreds of thousands of meals without a disruption. And we have never had to deny any CSC child needed medicines or medical care. Never.  Thanks to the faithful giving and praying of our CSC family, we have had a cornucopia of blessings to share with children who need us so very much.

Thanks to all who have given to CSC out of their abundance over the years. Thanks for making a huge difference in the lives of so many kids. Happy Thanksgiving.

CSC has experienced the retirement of Sandy Swanson recently, and some of our Filipino staff have also retired. Others will be coming to retirement soon. It is very evident to our staff and board of directors that we need to find new staff to replace those who will be ending their time with CSC, so recruitment is an important task.

But it isn't just staff who are retiring. Often I hear from faithful supporters who tell me that they have retired from their jobs, are on a fixed income, and cannot continue to give at the level they could while they were still working. As our donors age, this will be a more common situation. So just as with our staff situation, donor recruitment will be a crucial activity for the ministry if we are to make it into the future. We must find new donors who can help us compensate for those whose giving is curtailed by retirement.

Pray with us that this will happen. And if you have any leads on people who might be interested in our ministry to homeless children in the Philippines, let Matt or Jill from our stateside office know.