Support for Vulnerable Children & Humanitarian Initiatives
Our Granny Program connects local caregivers from the community with children living in institutionalized care. This allows children to receive dedicated one-on-one attention each day, improving their developmental growth and their ability to develop strong attachments later in life.
In 2019, Spence-Chapin launched Project Play to address the critical role of play in children’s lives. Project Play builds outdoor playgrounds with state-of-the-art equipment and play stations at orphanages, as well as supplies birthday and holiday gifts for the children in institutionalized care.
Due to a lack of vital resources, many institutions around the world are not able to provide an area for children to engage in structured and unstructured play which is crucial in helping children reach developmental milestones. Project Play was created as a way to improve the vital play structures needed at the institutions where our Granny Program functions. The initiative has since expanded and now also supplies the presents and celebrations for birthdays and holidays for children who so often never receive recognition on these special days.
Through Step Up, children in institutionalized care get the opportunity to choose their own pair of back-to-school shoes and book bag. This strengthens their sense of individuality and allows them to start the new school year with confidence.
Back-to-school shopping is something most people take for granted. Because children living in institutionalized care typically rely on donations and hand-me-downs, they do not often get the opportunity to choose the clothing they wear or the supplies they receive. This can lead to a lack of confidence and even teasing from other school children. By getting the chance to shop for themselves, the children enter the new year feeling excited to go to school and learn.
In 2022, Spence-Chapin partnered with two South African institutions to support over 75 youth ages 14-21. Through the THRIVE program, local mentors provided technology, academic support, and access to internships and job opportunities to better ease their transition out of care.
Spence-Chapin seeks to respond to individual crises where children and families are at risk. By contributing to the Special Humanitarian Effort fund, you are making a commitment to children and families in crisis, ensuring that they are taken care of and provided for during the most challenging of times.
Through these special humanitarian efforts, Spence-Chapin has been able to provide health and safety supplies to orphanages during the COVID-19 pandemic, assist children and families fleeing the crisis in Ukraine through food parcels and safe shelter, provide food for children in some of the poorest communities in South Africa during their most challenging times, and so much more.
Imagine is a donor-supported baby clothing and supplies boutique open to the public and located in Spence-Chapin’s main office. Imagine provides new, beautiful items for free to the mothers and babies we serve through our Birth & Expectant Parent Services. All proceeds go toward these essential services.
Through our Holiday Angels Program, we can offer support to families who received services from us in the past who may be struggling to provide gifts for their children during the holidays. The Holiday Angels who volunteer to participate in this special program purchase gifts for the children of a family in need to provide extra joy during the holiday season.
Since 1995, our Special Needs Adoption Program has placed over 550 children with severe medical challenges into permanent, loving homes. By offering these children lifelong support and birth parents agency in the process, the program creates bright futures for both children and families.
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