Category: Programs

When sites are faced with an extreme or critical situation that is urgent, they may apply for Critical Needs funding. Critical Needs are categorized into three main groups and are used to provide immediate support to individuals or families facing the following types of crises:
1) Grave conditions for which urgent action is required and which, if not urgently addressed, will endanger the life of the individual(s) concerned (e.g. hospitalization and treatment for serious injuries sustained in an accident).
2) Chronic, serious, and/or congenital medical conditions that negatively impact an individual's health and/or quality of life (e.g. corrective surgery required for a child born with cleft palate).
3) Extreme emergency situations that threaten the well-being of a family (e.g. rebuilding a family home that was destroyed in a fire).

In our fiscal year 2021-2022 (Jul 1-Jun 30) Chalice supported 124 critical need emergencies with total funding of $201,397.49.
In the fiscal year 2020-2021, Chalice supported 74 critical need emergencies with total funding of $193,327. In 2019-2020 we supported 51 critical needs with total funding of $199,254 provided. In the 2018-2019 fiscal year Chalice sent $185,964 in funding to our sites.

Category: Programs

Our Chalice Nutrition Program supports activities that promote and improve nutritional health for children (both sponsored and non-sponsored) in sponsor site communities in Central and South America, Haiti, Africa, and Philippines. Programs include both feeding and educational components and most are supported by a nutritionist, either at the site or the regional office level. To ensure each program addresses the unique needs of the community, the program is flexible and allows for many different designs.

Many sites are participating in the Chalice Nutrition Programs. Examples of programs include support to soup kitchens, school feeding programs, distribution of food baskets, community and school gardens, provision of nutritional supplements, deworming, and training of children, parents, and elders on topics related to nutritional health. This year our sponsor sites have encouraged us to expand this successful program & we are hoping to raise a total of $500,000 to continue rolling this out to more schools.

Read the 2021 Nutrition Impact Report.

Category: Programs

A general grant can be gifted to a sponsor site, sponsored child, or sponsored child's family to be used as deemed best by the recipient in order to supplement their income, operating or programming expenses. An example of a general grant could be a grant directed to a sponsor site who uses it to enhance an after-school program or offset transportation costs incurred when transporting special needs children to appointments or off-site events.

A purpose driven grant can be gifted to a sponsor site, sponsor child or sponsored child's family to be used for a previously agreed upon purpose. In most cases a purpose driven grant is a direct result of a previously prepared budget.

An example of this is a grant directed to the sponsor site for the sole purpose of purchasing a braille printer to be used by blind children at the site. A purpose driven grant directed to a specific child may be to fulfill an opportunity for post-secondary education and a purpose driven grant to a sponsor child's family may be directed in response to a budget prepared to replace the dilapidated roof of their family home.

Grant donations provide relief for vulnerable children in Mombasa

The Sisters of St Joseph run Chalice's Mombasa sponsor site, working in the low-income neighborhoods of the coastal city in Kenya. They run two children's homes, called Grandsons of Abraham Rescue Centre and the Shanzu Orphanage. The three homes provide shelter for vulnerable children who may have been homeless, or are unable to live with their families, or do not have a family who can care for them. The two care homes serve as a home to over 150 vulnerable children (boys and girls) from disadvantaged families. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the Kenyan government to place visiting restrictions on care homes like these two. Donations from local supporters and well-wishers came to an abrupt halt. 

Through the support of grant donations, the Mombasa site was able to provide water storage, bedding, blankets and mattresses to the Shanzu orphanage. The children were also happy to receive plates and cups, because now they don't have to share during meals, or take meals in shifts because there aren't enough dishes and utensils. The Sisters were especially excited that they could enroll the children for health insurance, and received a first aid kit to take care of minor emergencies and accidents. 

At the Grandsons of Abraham centre, the boys were delighted with a gift of groceries items such as corn, beans, rice and cooking oil. The staff had been struggling to give the boys the robust diet they needed to be healthy and active. The site also bought the boys mattresses, blankets and bedding, especially appreciated during Mombasa's cool coastal month.

Sr Janefrances extends their gratitude on behalf of the Mombasa site and the children. 'God bless Chalice, our donors and all those who made this a reality."