October 30, 1997 | Read Time: 2 minutes
Save the Children Federation, which raises $81-million a year for antipoverty programs overseas, has announced a new $26-million effort to help poor kids in America.
By 2001, the charity hopes to help 550,000 children across the country through its “Save the Children’s Web of Support for U.S. Children” program. Save the Children plans to provide money and resources to small, community-based charities that will provide educational enrichment in after-school and weekend programs.
The charity has already raised $7-million from corporations and foundations for the United States effort, which will begin operations next year. The David and Lucile Packard Foundation has committed $3-million, and Denny’s Family Restaurants will give another $3-million over the next three years.
In addition, the charity will commit $10-million from direct-mail appeals and other efforts to persuade donors to make contributions to “sponsor” American kids in need of help.
Save the Children decided to start the domestic effort after members of the organization’s board visited areas of rural Appalachia and “came away distressed,” said Catherine Milton, executive director of Save the Children US, which was created last year. “Kids had no shoes to go to school, no clothes, and no books.”
Based on the need it saw, Ms. Milton said, the board decided to make a major effort to help youngsters in the United States.
Save the Children joins the ranks of about a dozen other American-based international-aid groups that have started or increased their programs in the United States.
The underlying reason is much the same: to stop America from becoming more and more like a third-world nation.
Save the Children’s new campaign emerged after a year-long planning effort and a pilot project that included after-school programs in eight rural sites.
Save the Children officials said many of the youngsters who participated showed marked educational improvement.
For more information, contact Catherine Milton, Executive Director, Save the Children US, 54 Wilson Road, Westport, Conn. 06881; (203) 221-4006.
