• Letter Writing Suggestions and Guidelines
• Gift Giving Suggestions and Guidelines
• Visiting Guidelines

Letter Writing Suggestions and Guidelines

· Why are my Letters Important?

Letter writing is your opportunity to hear firsthand about the benefits your sponsorship provides. It allows you to form a relationship with your child and allows you to follow your child's progress through the years.

Letters are also an important part of your child's development. Letter writing improves children's basic literacy skills, their self-awareness and their ability to put thoughts and feelings into words.

· How Often Should I Write?

You may write your sponsored child as often as you like. Whether you write once or several times a year, your sponsored child benefits from knowing that you care.

For your convenience, CAUSE Kids sends Christmas and birthday cards you can fill out and return to our office. It's a simple way to send a personal greeting on these special occasions. With your first letter, we recommend you send a photograph.

· What to write

Keep your letters simple. Write about things your child will understand such as your family, church, special customs, and especially include words of encouragement. It is customary to also greet the parents of your child. Here are some ideas to include in your letters:

•  Send photographs or postcards. Children love receiving pictures and will often display them in their home.
•  Talk about the concrete things in your life: family, work, food, the weather.
•  Try describing your last family gathering. Introduce all the members of your extended family and describe what it's like when you get together.
•  Talk about your neighbourhood. Are there children playing, stores, fields, busy roads?
•  Describe the seasons. What does snow look like? Are the autumn leaves red? Is it a hot summer day?
•  Many sponsored children live in agriculture-based societies, and may be interested in hearing about your garden.
•  Simply write that you're thinking of your sponsored child, and wish them the best. This is a warm reminder that someone far away cares, and one of the most important things you could ever send a child!

If you are sponsoring as a group, it is better to appoint one person to sign the letter so that the child does not feel overwhelmed.

Some children, even though they may be in the sixth grade, cannot write well. This could be because they started school late, or because they live in remote areas. They may only write three or four lines in response. This is not uncommon in developing countries. Even though CAUSE Kids is working with the teachers, writing a letter is difficult for some children.

Please remember:

•  Acknowledge your sponsored child's family, and mention your own family members in your letters.
•  If you have children of your own, involve them in writing the letter or enclose their drawings.
•  Remember to print clearly, rather than write (this will help the child understand your letter).
•  Please do not include your home address (to maintain your privacy).

· What NOT to write

Avoid things that indicate the vast differences between your world and the world of your child. Remember that he/she is one of the poorest in a community stricken with poverty.

•  Do not mention material possessions.
•  Do not suggest that your child visit Canada.
•  Do not mention financial gifts as these are not given to him/her directly.
•  Do not ask your child what he/she would like to receive as a gift. This puts him/her in an awkward position as he/she struggles to find an appropriate answer.
•  Do not send packages. Due to excessive customs duties, regulations and risk of loss or theft, we cannot send packages to your child. In addition, it is important to keep the gift-giving fair for each of the children

· Where do I send my letters?

You may mail your letter to our head office in Canmore, Alberta, or e-mail it to info@causekids.ca.

Please, remember to include your sponsored child's name and number as well as your sponsor number on each item you send.

· How Long Does it Take for a Letter to Reach my Child?

To accommodate for delivery time, it usually takes at least two months before your sponsored child receives your letter.

Your letters go on a long journey: Every two weeks, our head office forwards the mail we receive to the appropriate country offices. When your letters arrive at their destination, your letters are delivered to your child. Often in remote or highly transient areas, letters must be hand-delivered by a CAUSE Kids personnel.

· Will my Sponsored Child Write me Back?

Your child certainly will, although he or she may need assistance to write his or her thoughts. Allow your sponsored child time to develop writing skills. Most sponsored kids start to write their own letters when they reach the fourth grade. Their words come straight from the heart, and often shine with hope and simplicity.

Children with special needs and those whose schooling has started late may continue requiring the assistance of a staff member to correspond with you all through their school years. But letter writing is still an important source of encouragement for them.

You should receive two to three letters a year from your sponsored child. If you have not heard for six to eight months, please contact our office.

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Gift Giving Suggestions and Guidelines

· Gifts You Can Send With Letters

Because of customs restrictions, CAUSE Kids can only send flat paper items with your letters. You can enclose small gifts such as postcards, bookmarks, photos, stamps, stickers or pages from colouring books.

While these gifts may not seem like much, they often thrill the children who receive them. Postcards of Canadian animals and nature are great favourites.

· Special Gifts for Your Sponsored Child - Birthdays and Christmas

CAUSE Kids encourages you to make special donations to the benefit of your sponsored child. We do not mail packages, however, because parcel delivery in developing countries is unreliable and expensive. Instead, place all special monetary gifts into the Birthday Gift Fund and Christmas Gift Fund that CAUSE Kids has set up for the benefit of all children. Further, you are able to support projects that benefit your child's family and community.

· How much should I give?

CAUSE Kids has set the following guidelines:

•  Birthday Gift Fund: Prior to your sponsored child's birthday, CAUSE Kids will send a birthday card to you to write in and, if you desire, make a contribution to the Birthday Gift Fund. While the child receives your card on his or her birthday, CAUSE Kids hosts a large birthday celebration at the school near the end of the school year at which everyone receives gifts and cake in celebration of all birthdays throughout the year. Once again, the amount of the contribution is up to you. Suggested Range: $25 - $100 per sponsored child.

•  Christmas Gift Fund: At Christmas time, we do not forward gifts to designated children. Instead, we pool all monies received into our Christmas Gift Fund, to ensure that all children in our programs worldwide receive a gift and feel valued. While the amount of the contribution is up to you, we recommend a gift of $25 - $100 per sponsored child.

•  Project Gift: A gift that goes towards assisting your sponsored child's project. The amount of this gift is up to you.

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Visiting Guidelines

CAUSE Kids welcomes the opportunity for sponsors and all Canadians to experience other parts of the world, and to learn how other areas of the world and other cultures live. Please note that we need to hear about your trip two to four months before you leave to arrange a visit with your sponsored child. In the event you cannot provide sufficient advance notice, we will do our best to organize a meeting, but cannot guarantee it will take place.

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