Still have Sponsorship questions? We have answers.

We know Sponsorship can be confusing – but it doesn’t have to be! If you’re wondering things like “How does sponsorship really help this child/senior?” or “What kind of community is my child living in?” you’ve come to the right place!

Read on below to find answers to are our most commonly asked questions regarding Sponsorship, and if you still don’t find an answer to  your question, please reach out to us by phone or email.

Sponsorship hugs

Sponsorship is the opportunity to make a change in the life of a child, their family, and a community in need. It’s the ability to make them a special person in your life, as well as you in theirs. You’ll have the opportunity to take the journey alongside your sponsored child to see them grow, thrive, and excel in life with the help of God.

A Hope of Life Sponsor is hope. Hope for a special person to have the opportunities to achieve a better life. A chance to receive the guidance to openly see His love and faith. A provider of clothes, food, medical care, and opportunity for education. A Hope of Life Sponsor is a demonstration of God and his love for the world, the least of these.

With your monthly donation, your special person will be given school supplies, have access to healthcare, clean water, nutritious food, moral and spiritual support, and the hope of a more stable community.

Hope of Life requests that all monetary gifts be sent to Hope of Life directly and not to your special person. We do our best to protect you as the sponsor, and the well-being of your sponsored child. It can be dangerous for them, and dangerous for you.

Choosing to become a sponsor is a lifetime commitment; however the sponsorship depends on many different factors. Their health, their needs, and their presence in the community.

At Hope of Life, we believe in a Practical Gospel: that by first meeting physical needs, a door is opened to meet spiritual needs. By supporting Sponsorship, you and your family become partners in that Practical Gospel, by which we minister to hundreds of families each month: through prayer, evangelism, pastoral outreach, and physical care. HOL has a deeply connected network of local pastors in Guatemala, through whom we are connected to 308 communities – including 52 communities in which we have Sponsorship. This network creates a natural pathway from Sponsorship to the local church, an avenue for evangelism, discipleship, and fellowship. 

Hope of Life creates opportunities to help our sponsored children and families become self-sufficient. The solution to their situation of poverty is change, not money. By providing them with help through agricultural projects, homemade craft classes, schooling, and water resources, it is giving them the stepping stones they need to provide a better future for themselves.

When a child enters our sponsorship program, they are given the tools they need for a successful education experience. In Guatemala free public school is only provided up until grade 6. Once a child moves into High School, the family must pay fees. Some families can afford it, and our school supplies help foster this ability. However, some families cannot afford it and thus children often start helping at home instead of going to school. Your sponsorship does not cover the fees necessary for school. If you are interested in providing an educational sponsorship for your child each year, please contact our Sponsorship Coordinators for more information at 401-421-9078!

Yes. We use a multi-step validation process to track every donation through the Sponsorship Program – including your letters and packages for your child. It is important to us to pass on the generosity that you as a sponsor are sending to your Sponsored child or senior. The contents of every package are recorded – both in the US and in Guatemala (before and after shipment). When children and seniors receive correspondence or gifts, our Field Staff snaps a photo, which we send over to you and your family so you can enjoy the smile that’s being given to you!

The process of selecting children for the program starts with communication between Village Leaders and our Sponsorship Field Staff. The Village Leader provides us with information on community families and their level of need. We pair that with scholastic information from the local schools. Students who exhibit the greatest need in combination with scholastic achievement, are highlighted for entry into the Sponsorship Program. All potential families are invited to an informational meeting, during which we explain our program – how we support families and what participation is expected in return. After answering all community questions, each family electively enrolls their child, and we’re off! Support beings the next calendar month – for ALL enrolled children (regardless of Sponsor-match).

It’s then up to people like you and your own family to visit our website to browse for a child or senior to support through Sponsorship!

Most children in our village Program have only one Sponsor – though in some rare instances, one child may more than one Sponsor. There are also instances where one child will a special scholarship Sponsor (one that supports only educational scholarship). With 4,700 children in our program at any given time, we are always in need of Sponsors. For perspective: it is much more common to have a village child with no sponsor than to have a child with two Sponsors.

In our Campus programs – Kelly’s House, Oasis de Eden, and St. Luke’s – these children and seniors with significant needs have up to three Sponsors: this allows us to spread more joy to our resident patients and raise support for a greater portion of their ongoing needs.

Of course! Who doesn’t love snail mail!? Sponsorship Participants love receiving letters (and photos!) from their Sponsors; we believe correspondence is a huge part of the Sponsor relationship – one that will light up the smile of your Guatemalan child or senior.

For the safety and well-being of both Sponsors and Participants in our program, Hope of Life does monitor package and letter contents. All correspondence and packages must be sent to our US Offices for processing and shipment via freight cargo, which may take up to 3mo for arrival. Please send letters to:

Hope of Life International
125 Sockanosset Cross Road, Suite B
Cranston, RI 02920

Please DO include your name (Sponsor Name), the Sponsored Child or Senior’s Name and HOL ID# (both) inside the letter contents or on the envelope. Once we receive your letter, we will send notification of receipt and expected shipping/ arrival dates.

Absolutely! When these children and seniors receive a letter, or a gift, the joy can’t be contained! We believe correspondence is a huge part of the Sponsor relationship – one that will light up the smile of your Guatemalan child or senior. For the safety and well-being of both Sponsors and Participants in our program, Hope of Life does monitor package and letter contents. All correspondence and packages must be sent to our US Offices for processing and shipment via freight cargo (which may take up to 3mo for arrival). Please ship to:

Hope of Life International
125 Sockanosset Cross Road, Suite B
Cranston, RI 02920

Please DO include your name (Sponsor Name), the Sponsored Child or Senior’s Name and HOL ID# (both) either on the package or clearly visible inside. Once we receive a letter or gift, we will notify the sender as to expected shipping and arrival dates.

Please DO NOT include the following in packages: candies that melt, perishables, fragile/breakable items, medicine, cough drops, nut products, or electronics of any kind.

Why YES you can! In-person hugs are what Hope of Life Sponsorship is all about. To us, the opportunity to actually meet your sponsored child or senior – to see where the live and to spend time with them (and their families) is what set us apart from every other sponsorship program out there. One that doesn’t have to be a once-in-a-lifetime experience. When Sponsors come to Hope of Life, we make sure to coordinate a visit – either on our campus or in an individual’s village –  so that you have the opportunity to spend as much time together as possible.

Each year, Sponsors receive two mail updates, usually in June and December. Typically, the Summer update includes a recent photo, an info card filled by your child or senior, a handwritten message, a picture drawn especially for you, and a message from HOL Leadership. The Holiday Update includes a special holiday message from Children and Seniors, along with an updated photo to go up on that fridge!

Ready to Sponsor?
Click below to find a child or senior who is waiting!