Empower a child with hope, ignite their future with education
To provide support and to remove barriers to education for children in vulnerable situations around the world.
You matter to us! We are a small charity with a staff of four people. We work hard to pick up the phone if you call. On any given day you can walk into our office and find a staff member in a long conversation with a supporter about their sponsored child, home or even about their own life!
Board President: Trista Slowik
Fanny Ruelas
Matt Parzybok
Loretta Worthington
Laasya Yenduri
Whether you are interested in becoming a monthly supporter or giving a one time gift, we are so deeply thankful for you! We are working closely with our programs around the world to create ways for you to be connected to the cause that you care about. We are also trying hard to make sure that we are not creating an undue burden on the programs directors by asking for something that seems easy in America but might be incredibly complicated within the setting in which they operate. More than anything, we want you to be a part of the incredible story that is unfolding. This means that we will share everything that we can as often as we can: daily life photos, child updates, what’s happening updates, project updates and more. Direct supporter to child communication can be challenging as we are a very small staff and many times the in country leaders are running homes with hundreds of children. Please join our email list as well as our Facebook, Instagram, YouTube and TikTok channels! You can find the links at the bottom of the website.
It all starts with relationships. At World’s Children we work hard to build deep, trusting relationships with our partners around the world. We lean in to learning from our partners so that we can see through a lens of understanding into their cultures. We want to truly understand to the best of our ability how to care for children in vulnerable situations.
We believe true change comes through partnering with local leaders who know their communities. These leaders are pouring their lives out to help kids in vulnerable situations. We work with them to develop their vision and concrete goals. Your donations help them monthly through child and home sponsorship. Yearly projects help to accomplish their dreams for their communities.
World’s Children was founded by the late Rev. Edwin and Mable Purviance in 1965. They wanted to create a living memorial for an infant they lost at childbirth. Realizing the grief they felt might be akin to the grief felt by children who lose their parents, the Purviances started World’s Children to support orphaned children in developing countries.
Using their own savings, they traveled to Central America and Asia seeking orphanages that provided loving care but struggled to meet expenses. The story has continued since then as World’s Children has grown to include Ethiopia, Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Mexico and Ukraine.
We have the honor of being entrusted with donors who have been giving since 1965. We have seen children in our programs grow up, graduate and go to college (all sponsored by World’s Children supporters).
We have two options for monthly sponsorship:
Sponsor a Home:
We work closely with our children’s homes and educational programs. We partner with local leaders to help remove the barriers so that kids can learn and thrive: safe living spaces, caring adults, nutrition, school fees, uniforms, school supplies and transportation. The programs we partner with help to provide all of these things.
The adults running these programs are serving in their home cultures. Sponsoring a home helps the entire program and all of the children in them!
Child Sponsorship:
Child sponsorship connects you with a specific child, While you are connected with one child, the money you contribute doesn’t just go to that child. Instead, it is pooled with contributions from other sponsors and used to support the entire children’s home where the child lives.
Education transforms lives.
In the countries where we serve there are many barriers to going to school. Those challenges get even larger as children get older. Many young adults are unable to pursue a secondary education.
Our scholarship programs help young adults to access a college or trade school education.
This program covers tuition, books and uniforms. Many of our scholarship students live in very rural areas. The scholarship fund also helps with transportation and housing fees when needed.
We also provide scholarships to young adults who have grown up in our programs so that they can achieve a college degree.
We work with incredible in country innovators.
Each year we identify projects that impact the children’s well-being and bring joy into their lives. These directly correspond with the goals and vision of the local leaders. Many times these are projects to help with the infrastructure of the buildings and to improve the overall stability of the lives of the children in our programs.
This fund has built children’s homes, wells, playgrounds, kitchens, beds, furniture, safety walls, provided vehicles, livestock and more!
When we all pitch in, even the challenging projects get done!
There are so many challenges in the developing countries where we serve.
One of our greatest goals is to be a grassroots, nimble charity that can help quickly as needs arise. Food insecurity, drought, political conflicts, medical needs, floods and more deeply affect the children. This fund allows us to provide support where the needs are most imperative.
Giving to the Greatest Need helps us to be able to give as quickly as possible to these needs.
World’s Children is a 501(c)3 nonprofit registered in the US under EIN 20-5276353.
All donations are tax deductible.
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Loretta met David Purviance on a chance trip in 2006, while seeking to be of service to the vulnerable children in India. Since then, Loretta has been a longtime supporter of World’s Children as a donor, sponsor, and previous Board member. She had the wonderful opportunity to return to India twice to visit several World’s Children orphanages, and even identified the Happy Home orphanage and petitioned to bring it into the WC family. Loretta raised funds to build a well at Happy Home, where it now has clean water for all the children and staff.
Loretta currently works with the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services as the Program Manager for the six Medical Hubs – the child abuse evaluation clinics for the County. She also serves as the Program Manager for the County’s Gender Health Program, serving patients seeking gender-affirming care in a safe environment. Before her work with Los Angeles County, Loretta spent many years serving non-profit organizations in CA and in MN, her last as the Executive Director of a statewide non-profit in MN. She has a long history of volunteer work including Board Member and Board Chair service, grant writing and fundraising experience, program development, and creative leadership, all serving our most vulnerable and disenfranchised populations.
Loretta holds a Bachelor of Science in Human Services, a Master’s degree in Spiritual Psychology, and a Master’s degree in Organizational Leadership. She lives in Los Angeles County with her partner, Myck, and their rescue kitties, Scooter and Thunder.
