Children
Young people around the world face poverty, hunger, disease and violence every day.
Many of their parents do not have the resources to help them due to economic problems.
"Millions of children continue to endure the dreadful indignities of poverty;
hundreds of thousands suffer the effects of conflict and economic chaos;
tens of thousands are maimed in wars; many more are orphaned or killed by HIV/AIDS," said
Kofi Annan, secretary general of the United Nations, in
The State of the World's Children 2000.
Children face crises in the United States as well.
About 13.3 million American children live in poverty, according to the
National Center for Children in Poverty.
What you can do
Just as there are many problems that children face, there are also many ways you can help.
Volunteer with children's programs in your own community.
Check Volunteer Match and SERVEnet
to find agencies in your neighborhood that run programs for children.
Consider mentoring a child who needs extra guidance.
See Save the Children,
Big Brothers Big Sisters of America and
The National Mentoring Project for more information about mentoring programs.
Many children are not able to live with their parents and need foster or adoptive parents. See
Foster Parents CARE and the
National Foster Parent Association, Inc. for more information about becoming
a foster parent. To learn more about adoption, visit Adoption.com and
the Child Welfare Information Gateway.
Organizations
These advocacy groups work to protect the lives and safety of children.
--- Jelene Britten
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