Hello, my name is Brianne and I cancelled my Compassion sponsorship.
File that tidbit right under, the thing I didn’t want any of my co-workers to know. And definitely something I didn’t want you to know.
But I am currently suspended in the air, wrapped up in a metal vessel, headed back to a country that haunts me. Peru.
Peru, the first country I visited outside of the United States. Peru, my first overseas mission trip. Peru, the first place I saw the beach.
The country I first sponsored a child with Compassion.
I don’t live in the age when jazz is on its rise, a hot scene. Or when the industry is booming. I live in the “social injustice” age.
When I was in college poverty, social injustice, and the depravity of the world was hot. It was burn-your-heart hot. Most of my friends were involved in missions work and worked to bring awareness to our campus.
When I was in college the question wasn’t,
“What company do you want to work for when you graduate?”
It was,
“What mission field are you going to move to?”
I think technology had a huge role in this. All of a sudden Africa, Asia and South America weren’t a faraway land. It had people, and we saw their pictures. It had statistics, and we could look them up.
Family in Peru posing for the camera.
It wasn’t a world away, it was one Hotwire or Cheap Tickets purchase away.
When I was in college, I wanted to get out. I wanted to go help. I wanted to be the solution. Not the ignorance. Not the problem.
Amidst this I went on a mission trip to Peru. A rip-my-heart-out trip, an “I don’t think I ever cried on that trip, never, not even after I came back home because I was afraid I’d never stop crying” kind of trip.
And then I went to a conference and heard about Compassion.
I marched myself directly to a table after I heard a Compassion Leadership Development Student speak. I looked and looked and looked at the pictures and there she was. A girl from Peru. That day I became her sponsor.
I was told that I could write her letters and she would write me too. I was told she would know she now has a sponsor. Shortly after the conference I received materials from Compassion about their program and their financial integrity.
Quickly, too quickly, I forgot about what that Compassion student said. I was sure that it was not truly her writing me letters. A girl in poverty? Writing me?
Children in the Compassion Sponsorship Program in Peru.
And Compassion somehow keeps track of that? And gets the letter to me? And then takes the time to process and translate my letter and get it to her? Um, right. But thanks for the warm fuzzies.
A few years later I decided to cancel my sponsorship.
The problem with the burn I experienced from all the social injustice hype in college was that I only let it burn me, not brand me.
After awhile I was all of a sudden graduating college. I was going to be dropped from health insurance. Oh my gosh. I needed to pay for health insurance. And then there was the real growing up.
Several of my friends did go to the mission field. But I didn’t feel that pull anymore. I needed to get a job. I needed to pay bills. I needed health insurance.
And then one day I realized I didn’t believe in what Compassion was doing. I never researched the ministry. I never read the materials they sent me. I barely even read the letters from my sponsored child.
So, I cancelled. Surely, she wouldn’t know. I mean, she didn’t even know I existed. Right?
Years later, God did call me to minister to the poor in Thailand. And then He called me to work at Compassion.
I remember when I started working here thinking, “And now I will see the underbelly of a ministry that so many people I know support.”
I’ve almost been here for five years. I now have sponsor two children. I believe in what Compassion does. I know the children I sponsor know my name. And I know they read my letters.
Now, I’m branded. I’m not branded by hype or an emerging movement. I am not even branded by Compassion. I am branded by the heart of God.
He showed me the beat of His heart. He showed me that He is close to the poor. I want to be close to Him. I want to be close to whatever it is that He is close to – even if it means being in the throes of too many, “will I ever stop crying? It’s all so much to take in” sessions.
The problem is, not everyone reads the mail they receive. Or looks up information on the ministry they support.
In fact, once in a marketing meeting I was asked,
“What can we do to really bring the reality of Compassion’s ministry to the hearts of people?”
I thought and thought about it and I could only respond with two answers. It wasn’t sending more mail. It wasn’t pushing people to get online and research us. It was either to hire everyone to work at Compassion (which is how my Compassion conversion happened) or to take every sponsor to the field. That was it.
Thankfully, in a room I wasn’t in, a few brilliant people decided that we do need to take people on trips. Trips that people who can’t go on trips could follow. And thus the birth of Compassion blog trips. You might not actually get to board the plane and walk through the villages but it is so very close.
Church partner and Child Development Center in Peru
When you follow a blog trip you see through the eyes of several different bloggers and you read what they have to say about Compassion’s ministry.
They are in the field asking the hard questions, going through filing cabinets, asking about how finances are handled. They are faithfully conveying, the best they can, about what this thing called Compassion is and where God is in all of it.
Have you cancelled your sponsorship? Do you want to? Or have you thought about it? Do you have questions about letter writing, financial integrity, and what people without a filter have to say as they put Compassion under a microscope? Then follow them.
In fact, you can follow them this week. I know they’ll be tackling some of these questions in Peru.
If you are a sponsor, do you remember why you’re a sponsor? Are you branded by God and His heart for the poor?
Your heart for the poor can only carry you so far. My heart for the poor led me to cancel a sponsorship.
226 Comments |Add a comment
Hello, unfortunately I will need to cancel my sponsorship. How can I go about doing so?
Hello Jordyn! I am sorry to hear you need to cancel your sponsorship. However, we can definitely help you with that today! Could you please send us an email at [email protected] with your sponsor number so that we can complete this for you?
Hello , I will also need to do so for one of my sponsorships please.
Hello Aizha! I am sorry to hear you need to cancel one of your sponsorships. However, we can definitely help you with that today! Could you please send us an email at soc[email protected] so that we can complete this for you?
I just wanted to share a birthday today. It’s our child Alexis 12th birthday. We have been sponsoring for several years now and watching him grow and receiving letters about how he is learning about Jesus and the things he does and his family and that he gets our gift money is exciting. We are happy God has blessed us with the chance to do this. This is the second child we have sponsored. The first was through another organization I wasn’t very satisfied with so I hope that child benefited but I’m not sure. I’m sure Alexis is and his family and I’m so happy for that. Thank you Jesus for little Alexis and his life and please protect him from evil and help him grow up in God’s wisdom all to your glory dear Lord!
Hello Margie! Happy 12th birthday to your sweet Alexis. I pray that God blesses this new year of life. <3
Hi I will be canceling my sponsorship. Can you please guide me on the next steps?
Sponsor # 09120463
We are happy to take care of your request. Please email us at [email protected] and we can take care of this.
Hi this is Keegan Harrison,
Currently, I am sponsoring four children. I felt like God was calling me to help. However, God has reminded me recently that, as a college student, I was initially a little too ambitious. I want to continue to sponsor two children, but that means that I have to break my heart to end the sponsorship of the other two children.
I do not know how to do this though. So any help would be much appreciated.
Keegan, I’m so sorry to hear that you are facing financial hardships and need to end two of your four sponsorships. I completely understand the strained financial circumstance of a college student, and I am happy to help you. I am emailing you now with additional information regarding how to end your sponsorships.
I need to cancel my sponsorship but I don’t know how. I’m about to head into college and can no longer afford that.
Hi Ashlyn, I just sent you an email with more information about canceling your sponsorship. If you have any questions, please let us know!
Hi, I need to know how can I pause the sponsorship during my studies abroad my country and then resume them. I’m planning to study an MBA and after this I would be able to continue my sponsorship and support more children. Please email me and let me know how to continue with the same 2 kids that I’m committed with.
Hi Luis! Thank you so much for contacting us regarding what to do about your sponsorship while you are studying abroad. I am emailing you today with more information.
Dear CI staff,
I am very sorry but I just found myself in a position where I am no longer able to continue my sponsorship. Please let me know how to close my account. My sponsor number is 07876654.
Thank you,
SH
Hello Simon, I am so sorry to hear you need to cancel your sponsorship. I would be happy to help you today. I am actually going to send you an email now, with more information.
I need to cancel my sponsorship. Please let me know how to do this. Sponsor #08715862
Daniel, I am so sorry to hear that you need to cancel your sponsorship. I am emailing you with more information this morning.
I need to cancel my sponsorship (Sponsor/Donor Number: 08740442), please email me. Thank you.
Mark, I am so sorry to hear you need to cancel. I am emailing you this morning.
I need to cancel my sponsorship. #08151743
Hi, Emily. I’m so sorry to hear you need to cancel your sponsorship! I am sending you an email now with more information.
Due to unforeseen circumstances, I need to cancel my account. Can you please e-mail me?
Hello, Shane! I am so sorry to hear you need to cancel, but I would be happy to help you. I am sending you an email now with more information.
What happens to all the children who are losing their sponsors? I’m in shock to see so many needing to cancel their support and sponsorships. I am a sponsor too and live on very little, but I am now so attached to my child and can’t imagine just quitting her. I know not everyone can do it but maybe there needs to be more serious consideration before commiting. Not sure which is worse, not to sponsor at all or sponsor and then back out? Just thinking of the children.
MP, I hear your heart for children in need, and we appreciate you bringing your concerns to us. We do need a $38 monthly commitment for the sponsorship of a child, and we understand that this amount may be a sacrifice for many people. If a sponsor expresses their need to cancel due to financial hardship, we do let them know that Compassion desires to walk alongside our supporters during the many seasons they face, and we will usually offer to cover a couple months of support. That being said, we understand that there are many variables, and some sponsors simply cannot continue. In that case, the child will remain in the Compassion program while we search for another sponsor for them.
Children enrolled in Compassion’s programs are in two categories: sponsored or unsponsored. Each child you see on the website is already enrolled in a Compassion center. If a child is not sponsored, the financial support for that child comes through generous contributors to our Unsponsored Child Fund until a sponsor is found for that child. Any amount contributed to the Unsponsored Child Fund will help pay for the following for children registered in Compassion’s program but not yet sponsored:
• learning or educational opportunities
• Christian training and a Bible
• social development
• if needed, health care and supplemental food
If you would like to learn more about the Unsponsored Child Fund, please visit https://www.compassion.com/unsponsored-children.htm. Thank you again for raising this question. Please let us know if we may be of further assistance. Have a blessed day!
Hello, I am so sorry to have to cancel my sponsorship at this time but I am now being forced to move and pay for school and I cannot afford it all. Could you guys please help me to cancel?
Olivia, I’m so sorry to hear that you are facing financial hardships and some big changes in your life right now. I completely understand your need to end your sponsorship, and I am sending you an email now with additional information regarding your account. Have a blessed day.
I am requesting to cancel my sponsorship, sponsor #08209044. Thank you.
Hi Megan,
I just emailed you with information regarding cancelling your account. -Shannon
I sent an email letter to my sponsored child Dec 28th and attached pictures from of my family celebrating Christmas.when I pull up that letter, I fit see any of the pictures I posted. I also sent her some stickers via snail mail and donated extra $ so she could buy something for Christmas from me for herself and her sister and the rest to be used for her family. Why don’t I see the pictures sent and gore long does it take to deliver the gift of stickers I sent?
Hi Angeli! I do see the extra photo pages you attached to your sweet letter from the 28th. Thank you so much for writing to your child. These photo pages are not available to view on your account until the letter has gone through translation. I can confirm that they are attached to your letter and will be delivered to your child though :). It can take several months for physical gifts such as stickers to arrive at your child’s center. I do see that we received the letter with the stickers just yesterday and have begun translating the letter.
Hello, I would like to cancel my membership. My Sponsor Number is: 08116324
Hello, Tyler. Thank you for reaching out to us! I’m sorry to hear you need to cancel your sponsorship, but I would be happy to help you. I’m sending you an email now with more information.
It absolutely breaks my heart to do this but I can no longer financially afford to sponsor my child. My sponsor number is 07975300
Olivia, I’m so sorry to hear that you need to end your sponsorship of Lorena. I am emailing you with additional information about cancelling.
It really breaks my heart to do this, but I am no longer able to financially support all of the children at this time. Please give me more details to move forward with this. My Sponsor Number is 02377317.
Christi, I am so sorry to hear you need to cancel. I am emailing you with more information today.
I would like to cancel my membership. My Sponsor Number: 08237425.
Denise, I am emailing you some more information about your cancellation. Please feel free to reply to my email if you have any further questions or concerns.
I’d like to cancel my membership. I’m not in a financial position to continue donating. My sponsor number is 08530843
Hi Caleb, thank you so much for reaching out to us. I am sorry to hear your need to cancel your sponsorship. 🙁 I am sending you an email now to the address we have on file for you.
Hello,
I would like to receive more information about cancelling my sponsorship.
My sponsor number is 08255400.
Thank you
Good morning Melany,
I am so sorry you are thinking of canceling your sponsorship of Elias! Please know that I just emailed you with additional information regarding canceling. -Shannon
I to have sent an email about canceling my sponsorship, but have received nothing in return and there doesn’t seem to be a link on the website to do so. Can someone please help??
Sponsor# 06881522
Hi Kelly,
I am so sorry you did not receive a reply to your email! I just emailed you regarding cancelling your account. 🙂 Blessings! -Shannon
Hello,
Please terminate my sponsorship. I love the idea and your organization but sadly my family’s medical costs have risen. 🙁 My sponsor # is 08267548.
Hi Neil,
I am so sorry to hear your family is in the midst of health issues. 🙁 Please know that I just emailed you in regards to canceling your account. -Shannon
Please terminate my sponsorship. I never received a response back after multiple attempts regarding a question I had about the organization and their view of Scripture. I cannot figure out how to cancel on the site.
Sponsor #:02325903
Thank you.
Good morning Cory,
I do see that we did reply to two of your emails regarding this issue and we have also sent your feedback to our support team. I am so sorry if you did not receive these emails. Please know that I have cancelled your account for you today. If you would like, you may write your children a final letter. Please write “Final Letter” across the top of the correspondence, along with your child’s name and child’s number. Please send your letter to Compassion’s address below:
Compassion International
Colorado Springs, CO 80997
Thank you for the many years of support that you gave your sweet children! Your love and encouragement surely made a huge difference. God bless you! -Shannon
Unfortunately, I am unable to continue my sponsorship. Please discontinue.
Sponsor Number: 06811510
Hi Joseph,
I am so sorry to hear that you are in need of canceling your sponsorship. I just emailed you with additional information on canceling. We look forward to assisting you. Blessings, Shannon
Please cancel my sponsorship.
Kenneth, I am so sorry to hear you need to cancel your sponsorship. I am emailing you with more information today.
I really enjoy sponsoring, but in April I gave birth to a daughter who was in the NICU and even though she is out, we still have monthly weight checks.I regret to say that because of medical bills I am no longer able to continue my sponsoring. My sponsor number is:
01999963.
Rebekah, I am so sorry that your daughter had to be in NICU and you are still going through weight checks and collecting medical bills! I will be praying for you and for your sweet girl! We completely understand your need to cancel. I will go ahead and place Aminata back up for sponsorship today. If you are able to sponsor again in the future, we would absolutely love to partner with you then!
Upon starting my sponsorship, I was working two jobs. November of last year one of those jobs went out of business and by the Grace of God I have been able to make ends meet. At this very moment, I’m finding myself at a crossroads where i am struggling to make ends meet. I am currently living with my elderly Grandmother and doing my best to get out of debt so that I can afford to move into a place of my own when the time comes. Due to the circumstances, it saddens me to say that it will be best for me to end my sponsorship as soon as possible. I will definitely keep compassion in mind once I am back on my feet and fully able to make monthly payments. Sponsor number 02576194
Roshaun, I am deeply sorry to hear that you are facing financial hardships, but I understand and can help you. Per your request, I have canceled your sponsorship of Mirlie from your account. You will receive a confirmation in the mail within two weeks
Thank you so much for the difference you’ve made in Mirlie’s life over the past three years! You may write Mirlie a final letter to say goodbye if you’d like. Please write “Final Letter” across the top of the correspondence, along with your child’s name and child’s number (HA027500852). Please send the letter to Compassion’s address below:
Attn Correspondence Dept
Compassion International
Colorado Springs, CO 80997-0004
If in the future you would like to sponsor another child, we would be blessed to partner with you again!
I just signed up to sponsor a little girl. I very much want to do this, but after further consideration, I honestly don’t feel I can afford to do it at this time. I am about to retire from working full-time in less than 6 weeks, and I am already helping another organization that sends baby gifts to military families. In addition, I have some ongoing debt to try to pay off in the coming year. I’m so very sorry to have to do this and will look into sponsoring again if my financial situation improves. I wanted to let you know ASAP so that the deserving child I selected can get another sponsor ASAP. Please acknowledge. Thank you!
Terese, while we are very sorry to see you go, we understand that sometimes financial situations become more tight upon retirement. Thank you for the time that you have supported precious Luciana. As you requested, I have made her available for another sponsor as of today.
On March 7th I made a special request sponsorship but then ended up sponsoring someone from the data base. Could I please have this special request sponsorship cancelled as I only want to sponsor one child at this time. If or when I chose to sponsor a second child I will chose from the data base. Thank you!
Hi Paul! As we were looking at your request, we actually noticed that you found a different child to sponsor and cancelled your special request at that time. Thank you so much for choosing to bless a child with your sponsorship!
I’m sorry I can no longer afford to keep my sponsorship to my child is there anyway you can cancel for me? Thank you.
Deanna, I am so sorry that you are in need of canceling your sponsorship :(. I answered your post on our online forum earlier, but I am copying my response here as well just in case you see this first. As requested, I have canceled your sponsorship this morning. We are so appreciative of the heart you clearly have for children living in poverty and hope that we may be able to partner with you again in the future.
I need to cancel my sponsorship, as my daughter and have been homeless for several months and I can no longer afford it.
Hi Kari,
I am so sorry to hear that you and your daughter are struggling and homeless at this time. Please know that I will be personally praying for you! I would be more than happy to help you with your account, but the email on your account is linked to account that actually does not have an active child on it. Can you please provide us either your child’s number or your sponsor number so that I may locate your account and get this taken care of for you? Thank you so much! -Shannon
One of my children now has a different name and a different sex. I am confused. And after doing more research and reading I find that these children already receive everything even if they don’t have a sponsor, it’s just communication between two people that sets it apart. And not even sure it is directly with or from the child. The more you give, your child does not get more. Only 80% goes to the child? What more do they get when they are sponsored? And why can’t you choose a gift to give directly to the family you sponsor? Why is it at your discretion on who gets what if we are the ones sponsoring? I understand not giving them too much so everyone is treated fairly and no one gets jealous or angry. I thought I was giving to children and their families and I’m feeling like I’m just putting money in someone elses pockets to decide how they want to spend it. If I’m sponsoring I want to be able to decide how my children are taken care of. Where my money is going. I have sent letters to all my children, only heard back from one. And not even sure it was really in response to my letter or if the child whose name has changed and sex has changed….if they even got my letter or card or gift. I have no way of knowing for sure if my child is receiving what I send. I do not like that I am unable to send anything through the mail except letters. I’m sorry, my donations are no longer. I can’t trust where my money is going and what its being used for.
Angie, I sincerely apologize for all of the frustration and concern in regards to your sponsorships. May I ask how would you like your children to be taken care of?
First, I want to apologize for the confusion regarding the change of information on your child. Fatuma had been registered in January 2018 and regrettably her file got crossed with another child’s file. We realized the issue in early February and had started a case to verify her information and correct it in our system. We found that the photo we originally gave you was correct but the child in the photo’s name was Fatuma and she is a girl. We normally hold child packets to prevent them from being sponsored while we are verifying and correcting information like this. Regrettably, due to an error, you were able to sponsor her when we were in the middle of this process. Again, I apologize for the error on our part and for the considerable confusion it has caused.
Children do receive assistance the moment they are registered through our Unsponsored Children’s Fund. We don’t want these children to have to wait months or even years to be able to receive the life-saving support that Compassion provides. Some children would literally die if they had to wait that long. Once the child is sponsored, their support is covered by that one sponsor and they are able to build a loving relationship with their sponsor. Numerous studies have shown that at-risk children do better in life when they have at least one caring adult in their life. That is one crucial thing (but not the only one!) that you provide as a sponsor. We have also found that children who wait long periods for a sponsor are more likely to drop out of the program prematurely. Your presence in your child’s life through letters and the support you are providing for them is vitally important!
To clarify, when you send extra monetary gifts, 90% goes to the child and family. With monthly donations, 80% benefits your child specifically. Extra monetary gifts allow the child and family to pick out something that they truly want or need. How would you feel getting a teddy bear when what you really needed was food that day? This is the reality that our families live in. In addition, customs often charges far more than the item is worth. Money often goes much farther in the countries where we work than it would here. Lastly, sending money and purchasing in the community helps to stimulate the local economy in your child’s area.
Regrettably, it does take some time to begin receiving letters regularly. It can take one to four months to receive that first letter. However, after the first letter, letters should arrive every few months or so. Nzuki has already sent you his introduction letter and your other two children are working on two letters right now – an introduction and a reply letter. It can take between a few weeks to a few months for letters to be delivered. This means that your children may have just received your first letter to them. We track all of the letters to make sure they are getting to the right place. I can see that you have sent four letters to Moreen, three letters to Nzuki, and two letters to Fatuma. All of these letters will be delivered but it might take a little bit of time to be delivered to your children.
I saw your other post about cancelling due to financial issues. Again, we are more than happy to cover a few months for you and lower your rate for a time. If you still would like to cancel, I understand and will certainly make your children available for other sponsors. Please let me know either way.
Please cancel my sponsorship for the three children I sponsor. I am unable to fund them at this time.
I have the money directly taken out of my account and can not afford it. Thank you.
Angie, I am so sorry to hear that you are struggling so much financially right now. 🙁 As you requested, I have stopped your automatic withdrawal. We do have some options that may be able to help if this is a short term financial difficulty. For example, we could cover three months for you and then lower your support amount to $19 per child ($57 total monthly) for five months. Please let me know if this would help. If not, let me know and I will make your children available for another sponsor.
Please cancel my sponsorship to 07588876 ASAP so she can be put back up for sponsorship with someone else. I’ve tried every way possible to contact anyone that could help me with canceling but have had no luck. I truly hope this reaches the appropriate people to handle this very personal matter.
Penny, I am deeply sorry to hear that you need to cancel and have had a difficult time doing so. I see that you have been helped by one of our representatives earlier today. Please rest assured that your sponsorship has indeed been cancelled, and you should receive a confirmation in the mail within 15 days. God bless you.
Hello, Please cancel our sponsorship so that Revaldi can be up for another sponsor asap. We feel our 6 year old needs to see more tangibly what giving back does to help others, we are going to be doing local charity instead at this time.
Thank you,
Deanna, Jennifer and Ryan
Deanna, I have take care of cancelling your sponsorship of Rivaldi Makangiras from your account. You should receive a confirmation letter in the mail within the next 15 days.
Thank you so much for the time you have been able to bless Rivaldi with your love and support. I understand your desire to for your son to learn and grow through local charity. Your son is welcome to send Rivaldi a final letter to say goodbye if would like. If so, please write “Final Letter” across the top of the correspondence, along with your child’s name and child’s number. Please send the letter to Compassion’s address below:
Attn Correspondence Dept
Compassion International
Colorado Springs, CO 80997-0004
If in the future you would like to sponsor another child, we would be blessed to partner with you again. Have a blessed day!
I’m sorry but I need to cancel my Sponsorship at the moment.
Claudia, I am so sorry that you are in need of canceling your sponsorship :(. I hope you are ok! Please let us know if there is anything Compassion could have done to serve you better. If this is due to financial concerns, Compassion would be able to cover your support for the months of January through April, and you can begin your donations again in May. Please let me know if this would help or if you still need to cancel.
Account: 06572012
I am sorry but I feel that I am no longer called to sponsor a child. I feel that our financial support is being called to be used in local missions with our church. I would like to make sure that our child, Sandrine, is put back out for sponsorship as soon as possible. Thanks!
Anthony, we greatly appreciate all the love and support that you have provided for Sandrine. As you requested, I have made her available for another sponsor. Please let us know if we may be of any further assistance at this time.
Hola. Estoy muy triste estoy atravesando una situación muy critica con mi hijo, y no puedo mantener el patrocinio de mi niña Charity 07823282. Aún tengo un saldo por tre meses que quiero pagar esta semana, antes de cancelar mi patrocinio, es posible hacerlo sin que me recargen el mes de febrero. Orare con todo de mi corazón y espero en el futuro apadrinar a un niño
Maria, lamento mucho que estés pasando por este momento difícil con tu hijo. Si aún desea donar los tres meses de patrocinio en los que estuvo atrasado, sin duda puede hacerlo. No se le cobrará en febrero y puedo cancelar su cuenta tan pronto como me comunique que realizó la donación y se procesó en nuestro sistema. Estamos tan tristes que no podrás continuar, pero lo entendemos por completo. ¡Muchas gracias por el corazón que claramente tiene para los niños que viven en la pobreza.
I hate to echo the sentiments of so many others in this feed, but I am sponsoring missionaries in El Salvador and cannot financially support both. Please cancel my sponsorship for….
Hannah Dede Ahulu
Sponsor Number: 07552396
S Gallegos, I am so sorry to hear that you need to cancel your sponsorship of Hannah, but I completely understand and can help you. I have taken care of cancelling your sponsorship and made Hannah available for sponsorship once again. You are welcome to send Hannah a final letter to say goodbye if you’d like. If you choose to do so, please write “Final Letter” across the top of the correspondence along with your child’s name and number. Please send your final letter to Compassion’s address below:
Attn Correspondence Dept
Compassion International
Colorado Springs, CO 80997-0004
Thank you for the time you were able to sponsor Hannah! If you would like to sponsor another child in the future, we would be blessed to partner with you again. God bless you!
Hi I please need to cancel my sponsorship at this time. Thank you.
Tamela, I am so sorry that you are in need of canceling your sponsorship :(. Please let us know if there is anything Compassion could have done to serve you better. If this is due to financial concerns, Compassion would be able to cover your support for the months of January through March while you get back on your feet. Please let me know if this would help or if you still need to cancel.
child number: KE045800317
sponsor number: 07841223
Having a hard time finding the funds. Please tell me my options. I don’t want to cancel, but can’t afford this month.
Amber, I’m sorry to hear that you are struggling financially right now. We are happy to help you to be able to keep the relationship that you have with your child. I have covered this month’s support for you. Please let us know if you need additional assistance. God bless you in this new year!
Hello, Im Francisco, i honestly i can help the little boy. Personal issues i wish to cancel the membership.
Hello Francisco, I am sorry to hear that you are experiencing personal issues. I encourage you to trust in God and seek his wisdom for your situation. He is faithful to provide answers and is by your side in your time of need. I have cancelled your sponsorship of Cristian. If you would like to sponsor a child with Compassion in the future, we would be blessed to partner with you again.
I would like to know why after so many months, the program you use to show amounts donated on the back of my invoice still is not working properly. That is wrong.
Hi Shannon,
I completely understand how aggravating it is that this part of our system is still not back to normal. We wanted to ensure that we could give all of our supporters accurate information, so for the time being, we have removed the receipt portion. Please know that Compassion is working very hard on getting this back up to date, as we know how important this is to our supporters. However, in the meantime, you are able to see a complete list of all of your donations for the year on your online account at Compassion.com. Again, I apologize for the inconvenience and irritation this has caused. We are working to get this fixed as soon as possible. We truly appreciate your patience! Blessings, Shannon
Hello, I would like to cancel my sponsorship and automatic payments, please. I would like for Josue to be available for somebody else to sponsor. I work for a school district that has a high number of families living in poverty, and feel like I’ve been called to help some of my kiddos. Unfortunately, I can’t afford to do both. Thank you!
Lindsay, I am so sorry that you need to cancel your sponsorship for your child, Josue, but I certainly understand your heart for the children living in your own community. Josue will be put back up for sponsorship today. I will be praying that you are able to love on and help them in the ways they need! God bless you!
Unfortunately we are no longer in a position to support Mekdes (07541652). If we are in a position to sponsor a child again in the future we will let you know, but please cancel our sponsorship and discontinue our automatic payment withdrawals. Thank you!
Elle, I’m so sorry to hear that you are facing some hardships and are unable to continue sponsoring Mekdes. Please know that we are very grateful for the time you have been able to bless her with your love and support. Per your request, I have cancelled your sponsorship, and you should receive a confirmation in the mail in about 2 weeks. If you would like to sponsor another child in the future, we would be blessed to partner with you. God bless you!
Hello,
I do not see a button to end my membership. I have been called to help the orphans in my area with my time and money. I financially cannot do both. How do I end my payments?
Kristen, we definitely appreciate your heart to assist orphans. As you requested, I have made Lina available for a new one-to-one sponsor. Thank you so much for all that you have done for her over the last 8 years! We are so grateful for your partnership in Lina’s life! God bless!
Hello,
Sadly, I’m not in a financial position to continue my sponsorship with Maldini any longer. Please let me know how I might go about cancelling my sponsorship and making sure she is available for others to sponsor.
Lizzette, I am very sorry you are faced with such a difficult decision. While I do not know your exact position, I do want to make sure that you are aware that we have options if this is due to a short term financial difficulty. For example, we would be happy to cover three months’ support for you and then lower your support amount to $19 for five months. Please let me know if this would help. If not, please let me know and I will make your child available for another sponsor. I have stopped your automatic withdrawal as a courtesy and to give you time to respond.
Hi there. I was very saddened recently to learn that my sponsored child, Bryan Steven Alfaro Munoz(H0030400572), was pulled from the program. I had just received a letter from him and sent one back, which I’m not sure he will receive or not. I did get a letter with a new sponsor child, but truthfully I was having a very hard time scraping by. Since Bryan has already been pulled, I would like to just cancel my sponsorship. I hope to sponsor another child soon, but at this time it’s best for my finances. The work of this program is fantastic and I am honored to have been a part of it.
Caitlin, I’m so sorry for any concern or confusion caused by sweet Bryan leaving the Compassion program so suddenly. Sadly, Bryan has moved to a new area where there are no Compassion programs, so we could no longer keep him in the program. Please know that you have positively impacted his life while you were able to sponsor him. Also, please know that our wonderful field staff will do their very best to deliver your final letter to sweet Bryan if his new address is known. My heart goes out to you experiencing financial hardships. I completely understand your need to take a break from sponsorship, and I’m happy to help you. I have taken Frank, the child we sent to you for consideration, off of hold for you and made him available for sponsorship again. If you would like to sponsor another child in the future, we would be blessed to partner with you. God bless you!
I need to cancel my sponsorship unfortunately we are not able to juggle the extra payments. I feel so horrible about doing it but we make our payments late every month because we can barely afford them and we are really struggling keeping them up. I am so shocked to see how much the CEO makes as well. Explaining that the CEO makes less than or equal to any other CEO doesn’t satisfy me. If my $38 a month can do as much as it can do than taking a pay cut to a reasonable income would be the Christian thing to do….
Jennifer, I’m so sorry for the concerns you have that have caused you to doubt the integrity of Compassion. We take financial integrity very seriously here at Compassion. As a Christian organization, everything we do needs to be worthy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we want as much as possible to get to the children we serve. That’s why more than 80% of your monthly support goes directly towards programming specifically for your Génesis. The remaining 20% or less is used for administration costs like transaction fees, customer service, and marketing to help us reach more supporters and children.
Our statement on stewardship says the following: “The ministry of Compassion belongs to the children, our Implementing Church Partners, our sponsors and donors, our Supporting Church Partners and ultimately to God. Therefore, we protect, develop, and deploy all of our resources (people, time, money, knowledge, reputation and materials) with great care and wisdom.” In order to develop quality staff at Compassion while at the same time managing our financial resources with great care and wisdom, we seek to offer competitive salaries for the various positions necessary to successfully execute Compassion’s mission statement. Also, please note that our leaders are faithful sponsors and donors as well, and personally and financially support the ministry. You can visit our website and view our tax documents that list the specific information on our Upper management and Board of Directors salaries.
I am deeply sorry to hear of the financial difficulties your family has been facing. Please know that we are very grateful for the difference you have made in Génesis’ life for the past two years, so Compassion would be happy to help you by covering your support for three months. This means we would cover the months of October through December. If this would help you continue sponsoring Génesis, please let me know, and I’d be happy to take care of this for you. However, if you would still like to cancel, please let me know, and your request will be honored. I look forward to your reply! God bless you.
Hi there. I hate to echo the sentiments of so many others in this feed, but I am on a fixed income and financial emergencies have suddenly risen. Please cancel my sponsorship for….
Neil Edemir Perez Solier
Sponsor Number: 07665153.
Praying he finds another sponsor soon. Especially around this time of year.
Thank you.
Amy, I’m so sorry you have had to end your sponsorship of Neil. I see that one of our representatives was able to help you cancel your account over the phone yesterday. I pray for God to bless you with favor and provision through the emergencies you are facing.
I have been struggling so much whether to cancel my sponsorship of Darlyn #EC057500374. We are experiencing extreme financial difficulties and facing bankruptcy. I know that the conditions these children face are far more dire than ours but it’s between feeding my children and sending money to another child, I must choose my own children. Please cancel my sponsorship ASAP. I can’t even afford for the October payment to be drafted.
Hi Sherry,
I am so sorry to hear about your circumstances. We completely understand how hard decisions like this can be! Please know that Compassion appreciates all that you do for your sweet child, and if you would like to try to continue your relationship with Darlyn, we would feel blessed to assist you. I see that your October donation already came out on the 1st, but we would be happy to refund this contribution if you would like. In addition, Compassion would be happy to cover the months of October through December for you. From there, we can place you on a $19 per month rate from January through May. This means you would not go back to paying the $38 per month until June 2018. Please let us know if you feel this would be a helpful option, and if not I will surely cancel your sponsorship as requested. -Shannon
Hello, I’m going to have to cancel my sponsorship. I just started giving and it saddens my heart to cancel, but I can’t afford to do so. I’m so sorry. I’m struggling as it is myself with my two little ones. I’m on disability and I really don’t have any money left. My heart desires to help but in reality I cant afford it. Thank you and God bless you. My child’s name is Lilian TZ084100014
Melissa, I’m so sorry to hear that you need to end your sponsorship of Lilian in Tanzania. I’m sorry you are facing financial hardships, but we do understand and can certainly help. Please rest assured that I have cancelled your sponsorship, and I have made Lilian available for sponsorship again. She is so adorable I’m sure she’ll find another sponsor soon :). Thank you for your heart to bless children. If in the future you are in a position to sponsor another child, we would be blessed to partner with you!
Please discontinue my sponsorship of Caua BR053300249, this decision comes after much prayerful consideration. I just cannot support a ministry whose CEO has a salary of over $300,000 when the average CEO for non-profit organizations is just over $100,000.
Sharon
07622387
Sharon, I’m so sorry to hear that you would like to end your sponsorship of Caua due to the amount our CEO makes. We take financial integrity very seriously here at Compassion. As a Christian organization, everything we do needs to be worthy of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and we want as much as possible to get to the children we serve. That’s why at least 80% if not more of your monthly support goes directly towards programming specifically for Cauã. The remaining 20% or less is used for administration costs like transaction fees, customer service, and marketing to help us reach more supporters and children.
To make sense of the salary we pay our president and CEO, please understand that his income is well under the average salary range of other presidents and CEOs of other organizations who are within the same categorization as Compassion. We usually compare our CEO’s compensation to World Vision’s President, who has a reportable compensation from that organization as $447,500, because they are an organization of comparable size and mission. Also, please know that our leaders are faithful sponsors and donors as well, and personally and financially support the ministry.
Our statement on stewardship says the following: “The ministry of Compassion belongs to the children, our Implementing Church Partners, our sponsors and donors, our Supporting Church Partners and ultimately to God. Therefore, we protect, develop, and deploy all of our resources (people, time, money, knowledge, reputation and materials) with great care and wisdom.” In order to develop quality staff at Compassion while at the same time managing our financial resources with great care and wisdom, we seek to offer competitive salaries for the various positions necessary to successfully execute Compassion’s mission statement.
Please know that we greatly appreciate and value your feedback. Per your request, I have cancelled your sponsorship of Cauã, and you should receive a confirmation in the mail within 10-14 business days. Thank you so much for blessing Cauã with your love and support for the past 5 months. God bless you!
Hello,
Sadly, I’m not in a financial position to continue my sponsorship with Maldini any longer. Please let me know how I might go about cancelling my sponsorship and making sure he is available for others to sponsor.
Maggie, I’m so sorry to hear that you are facing financial hardships and are unable to continue sponsoring Maldini. I have cancelled your sponsorship and have made Maldini available for sponsorship again. Thank you so much for your support of Maldini for the past 8 years. We will do our best to find him another sponsor soon. You are welcome to send Maldini a final letter to say goodbye. If you would like to do this, please send a physical letter with the words “Final Letter” written on the top along with his full name and child number (IO010700029). Please send the letter to Compassion’s address below:
Attn Correspondence Dept
Compassion International
Colorado Springs, CO 80997-0004
If in the future you would like to sponsor another child, we would be blessed to partner with you again. Have a blessed day!
I just wanted to say, I understand people not feeling that they can afford to sponsor a child right now because my husband and I are going through an extreme financial problems right now but I realize that the child I am sponsoring right now is in even worse dire straights than we are! I believe what the bible says ‘The earth and everything in it belongs to the LORD’. It also say if you do something for the least of my own you have done it onto me. Would I hold back anything from the LORD when it all belongs to him anyway? I will continue to trust the LORD and not money. Jesus said that I will never leave you or forsake you! God can’t lie! It is impossible! Jesus loves you right where you are! Thank God for all his mercy
I thought of cancelling because I’m struggling right now. But after reading this and some comments, I think a short break could be helpful and hopefully get over some financial hurdles I’ve faced recently.
HI Brian! I am so sorry to hear that you are going through a rough financial period! I have gone ahead and covered the months of October through December for you today. If you still need any assistance with your sponsorship at the beginning of next year, please let us know and we will work with you to see what options are available to you at that time. God bless you! Know that your kiddo is doing well and is still being taken care of during this hard time for you :).
I’m going to need to cancel my sponsorship, when I went in on this I was the only one to have my debt card on me so my other two friends have now stopped paying and with school and a car payment I can no longer afford to pay this every month. Please understand this and help me out, I sponsor IO059100391.
Veronica, I am so sorry you are faced with such a difficult decision but I understand that this is just what you need to do. As you requested, I have made your child available for another sponsor. Please let me know if I may be of any further assistance.
I would like to cancel my sponsorship at this time. My sponsor number is 06529289.
Paula, I am sorry to hear that you are faced with such a difficult decision. It looks like you called in earlier today and we have taken care of your request. Please let me know if I may be of any further assistance.
My husband and I had to file bankruptcy last year due to some difficult times and we have tried to keep up with the sponsorship of Aboubacar #BF4630005 and Solueymane #BF4630004 Ouedraogo, but it is not working out for our budget and I need to cancel our sponsorship. Prayers will continue for these two boys and they will always be in our hearts. Thanks for this opportunity.
Shawn, I am so sorry to hear you and your husband have been struggling so much and that you had to file for bankruptcy. I am happy to help you with whatever you need to do on your account but I just want to make sure I have the correct account first. Are you sponsoring two boys from Burkina Faso? Please confirm or email us at [email protected] with more information so that we can help you with your request. Thank you!
Hello,
Is it possible to receive the three month financial assistance with my sponsorship for Eliza? I do not want to completely cancel my sponsorship but am experiencing financial difficulties and feel as though I would be able to continue my sponsorship in the coming months. Thank you for your help.
Kacey, we are happy to help you to be able to continue your relationship with Eliza! As you requested, I have covered the next three months’ support for you. I sincerely hope things turn around for you in the next few months. Please let us know if we can help in any other way.
Hello, My kids and I need to cancel our sponsoring. Please cancel Child ID: EC070002131. I’m sorry.
Viviana, I am sorry to hear you have had to make such a difficult decision. As you requested, I have made your child available for another sponsor. Please let us know if you are ever able to sponsor again. We would be happy to partner with you again in the future.
Partially due to financial situation but mostly out of an honest selfishness, I need to be cancelling my sponsorship for TZ025000165.
Ashley, I am so sorry you cannot continue to sponsor your child, but I do completely understand. I have placed Ramadhan back up for sponsorship for you today. Thank you so much for sponsoring him while you were able to!
Hello there!
I would like to cancel our sponsorship for our sponsored child 01071876. Thank you!
Hi Erik! I am so sorry that you are thinking of canceling your sponsorship of Medelin. I see that you have been with him over 14 years! That is truly incredible! Is there anything that Compassion can do to help you continue your relationship with him? If your request is due to financial issues, we would be happy to cover the next three months of sponsorship to allow you a break from the financial commitment? Please let us know what you feel would be best. I look forward to your reply! -Shannon
Please cancel our sponsorship of Emanuel 4112940-6. We are so sorry to have to do that.
Thanks.
Amy
Amy, I’m so sorry to hear that you need to end your sponsorship of Emanuel. Please share if there is any way we could be serving you better. If this request is due to financial concerns, we may be able to help you. We are incredibly grateful for the impact your love and support is making in Emanuel’s life, so Compassion would be happy to cover three months of support for you. This means that we would cover the months of July through September. This would be our gift to you :).
If this would help you continue your sponsorship, please let me know and I would be happy to take care of this for you. If you would still like your sponsorship to be cancelled, please let me know and I will honor your request. I look forward to your reply. Have a blessed day and a Happy 4th of July!
I would like to cancel my sponsorship due to financial reasons. I’m not interested in a reduced rate or anything. I would just like to cancel my sponsorship for now and when I can do so in the future then I will sign up at that time.
Good afternoon Amy,
I am so sorry to hear that you will no longer be able to support Joana. I have removed her from your account as requested. Please know that I will be praying for your financial well-being, and we look forward to partnering with you in the future! 🙂
Hello, My family and I need to cancel our sponsoring three precious little ones. Please accept our apologies. Thanks so much.
Hi Pastor Ray! I’m so sorry to hear that you need to end your sponsorships of Alisson, Reymundo, and Claribel. Please share if there is any way we could be serving you and your family better. If you would like to cancel due to financial reasons, I may be able to help you :). We are incredibly grateful for the life-changing impact your sponsorship is having in your kiddo’s lives, so Compassion would be happy to cover three months of support for you. This means that we would cover the months of May through July. Please let me know if this would help you, and I would be happy to take care of this for you. However, if you would still like to cancel your sponsorships, please reply to this message with that instruction, and your request will be honored. I look forward to hearing from you!
Hi, I was wondering how to cancel the monthly draft, as well. I just cannot afford it as I am finishing college.
Dylan, I am so sorry that you aren’t able to continue sponsoring your child, but I well remember how hard it was to sponsor a child when I was in college. I’ve taken care of canceling your sponsorship for you today. Please let me know if I can help you further.
Please cancel my account. I have been sponsoring my child for almost a year and financially i just cent provide for her anymore.
Hi Autumn,
I am so sorry to hear that you will no longer be able to sponsor Deysy. Because we value your sponsorship and all that you do for her, we would be happy to cover three months of sponsorship for you, to allow a small break financially. Please let us know if you feel like this would be helpful. Otherwise, I will be happy to fulfill your wish to cancel your account. -Shannon
My husband and I happen to be in Peru visiting. Cusco and Lima. Would there be a possibility to connect with a Compassion center while here and find a child to sponsor? Could we even meet them? We have sponsored two children from India for the past 6-8 years but with Compassion being forced out of India we have lost the connection with these precious children. Abhisek Naik and Kumari Khillo
Erin, how long will you be in Peru? We need an eight week notice when sponsors ask to visit a project or specific child because we have to do a background check and arrange the visit. If you will be there longer than that, please do let me know! I am so sorry that you have lost your sweet children due to our closure of our India program :(. My heart hurts for you, but I pray that God continues to work in each of your lives!
I need to cancel my account
Mariah, I am sorry you are thinking of ending your sponsorship of Daniela Michelle Alava Avila. Please share if there is any way we could be serving you better. If this request is due to financial concerns, we may be able to help you. Because we value you as a Compassion sponsor and the difference you are making in Daniala’s life, Compassion would be happy to cover three months of support for you. This means we would cover the months of April through June. This would be our gift to you; you would not need to reimburse Compassion.
If this option would help, please let me know and I would be happy to take care of this for you. If not, and you would like your sponsorship cancelled, please reply to this message with that instruction and your request will be honored.
In the meantime, I have paused your automatic monthly contribution until we hear back from you. -Christina
Please cancel my account, since I can no longer sponsor Sonali from India. I want to sponsor a child with an organization I can travel with at this time. Thanks so much for everything you do.
Hi Deborah! No problem at all. I have made notes in your account that you will not be sponsoring another child at this time. If you ever do decide to sponsor with us again in the future, I encourage you to look into our sponsor tours and visits! 🙂
Due to the fact that I cannot support my child from india,please cancel my account.thank you
Hi Jane! I am so sorry, but I am not able to locate a child from India on your account. Can you please provide me either the full name of this child, or their child number so that I can see if you possibly have another account? The only child I see on your account is named Pavithra and she lives in Sri Lanka. Thanks for getting back with us on this!
I am sponsoring a child in India, which unfortunately has become unavailable for Compassion support. I am unable to continue with an alternate sponsorship at this time. Hopefully at some point, I’ll be able to sponsor another child. Can you please assist me to stop the draft each month?
Hi Stephen. I am so sorry that you are no longer able to support Mani because of this heartbreaking situation. I have stopped your donations today. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for hanging onto your sweet young man while we did our best to rectify the issues with India. Your impact on Mani’s life will be one that last for many, many years.
Can you please cancel our monthly draft? My son has been saving money for the past 2 years to send money however due to some other circumstances cannot continue. Our account name for our son is Grayson Grant.
Hi Grayson,
I have taken care of removing Walther from your account. Please know you are still welcome to send him a final letter. Please write “Final Letter” across the top of the correspondence, along with your child’s name and child’s number, (HA088000020). Please send your letter to Compassion’s address below:
Compassion International
Colorado Springs, CO 80997
If in the future you would like to sponsor another child, we would be blessed to partner with you again.
Please join us in continued prayer for this child. We know that although you may not be able to continue to sponsor them, your prayers can make even a larger impact.
Have a blessed day!
I want to send birthday gifts to three of my correspondents. I have sent a res quest in but I donate believe it went to the right place. Why can’t we add gigs for correspondents in the additional giving section? It shouldn’t be this hard to give gifts.
Mary Lee Marshman
Sponsor for Florence, Mary, Hercules and Dan
Correspondent for Alexis, Rebecca, Tanakrit, Paskalina, Jackyline, Risper and Dinka
Mary, I am so sorry for any inconvenience you have experienced when giving gifts to your correspondent children. Please know that we are so grateful for your generous heart! Regrettably, the option to give a gift to a correspondent child in the “Additional Giving” section of your My Account is not available because the gift must be processed in a unique way. However, we greatly appreciate your feedback, and I will give your recommendation to our web team :). Sadly, when we transitioned to a new system, we also experienced an issue with processing these special gifts, so correspondent gifts are a bit delayed in being processed at the moment. I’m deeply sorry that your gifts have not been processed yet, but we will take care of them as soon as we can. Thank you for your patience!
Unfortunately, I have to cancel my sponsorship. Like everyone else, I feel awful that I have to do this, but finances are very tight. Hopefully at some point, I’ll be able to sponsor another child. Can you please assist me on what I need to do to cancel. Thank you.
Jennifer, I am deeply sorry to hear of your financial concerns, and I definitely understand how stressful financial hardships can be. Because we greatly value the difference you are making in Arminda’s life, Compassion would be happy to waive three months of support for you. This would mean that we would take care of March through May, and your support would resume in June. If this would help you, please let me know and I will be happy to take care of this for you. However, if you would like to have your sponsorship cancelled, please let me know, and I will honor your request. In the meantime, I have paused your donations until we hear back from you :). I look forward to hearing from you!
How do I cancel my sponsor. I am in college right now and financial struggles are in the mix. I wish I could continue sponsoring because I do believe God called me to this, but I feel this point in time I am not ready. Maybe in the future I might choose to sponsor another child, but for right now I would like to discontinue.
Hi Sydney! I am so sorry that it took so long for me to answer your question. I’m sad that you can no longer continue to sponsor your child, but I remember struggling to make those donations through college as well. It looks like another representative already took care of canceling your sponsorship for you, and even placed you on the list for a correspondent child :). Let me know if I can help you further!
Hello, I am yet another one who needs assistance in cancelling my 2 sponsorships today. I am unable to continue at this time. Could someone advise me as to how to stop the draft each month?
Thank you!!
John Abraham
Hi John Abraham! I am so sorry it took me this long to reply to you! It looks like another representative was able to take care of your account for you earlier today. I am so sorry that you cannot continue, but I am grateful for the love and support that you have been so willing to give to your child. Thank you! God bless!
How do I concern two of my children. I received an email concerning India, which according to the email will be closing the 15 of March. I will sponsor two other children but I would like to choose them. Thanks!
Hi Jose! I’m a little confused by your comment, but I think I understand. Please let me know if I have this wrong! Are you looking to sponsor two new children in place of the ones you currently sponsor in India? If so, can you please email us at [email protected] for more information. I wasn’t able to find your account with your name and email.
Hello,
I am sorry to say I need to end my sponsorship. I thought this is hat God was calling me to do but due to financial reasons, I need to end my sponsorship. Please help me before the withdraw on the 15th.
Thanks.
Ashley, I am so sorry that you can no longer afford your sponsorship. If it would help, Compassion would be willing to cover your donations for the months of March through May and reduce your sponsorship rate to $19 a month for June through November. Let me know if our offer would help or if we need to cancel your sponsorship after all. We want you to be able to continue with your kiddo if possible, but we do understand that sometimes that truly isn’t a possibility.
Hello, I am yet another one who needs assistance in cancelling my sponsorship today. I regret I am simply just unable to continue. Could someone advise me as to how to stop the draft each month?
Thank you
Vicki, I’m so sorry that you are not able to continue sponsoring Ian :(. I understand that financial hardships can be stressful. Because your request is due to financial concerns, we may be able to help you. Please know that we greatly value you as a Compassion sponsor and the wonderful impact you have had in Ian’s life, so Compassion would be happy to cover three months of support for you. This means we would cover the months of March through May. This would be our gift to you. If this option would help, please let me know and I would be happy to take care of this for you. If you would still like to cancel, please let me know, and I will make Ian available for sponsorship again. In the meantime, I have paused your automatic monthly contributions until we hear back from you.
I’ve been sponsoring a child for the past 12 years. She is now 18 years old. When does the sponsorship end? I haven’t been able to get any real clear answers. I feel a little discouraged because after 12 years, I still barely know her. All of her letters are the same basic information and same questions to me, as if she never reads the answers that I send her or looks at the pictures I send her.
Hi Becky, I’ve only been with Compassion for two weeks now and I have many questions and concerns about all of this. There are however some things I know. God is Sovereign over all things and nothing escapes His notice. Indeed, He is the first cause. He gave me the desire, the means and the ability to help the poor and also led me to this organization. I know it’s a hard thing to do when giving money to erase from your mind the thoughts and fears that one’s money isn’t being used properly or that the recipient isn’t appreciative of the efforts made on their behalf. But God knows and, it is the giving that He takes into account, for our part, and after that He will hold someone else accountable for their motives and actions. Remember that, “GOD works ALL THINGS together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.” Romans 8.28
I hope this helps you, God bless and Merry Christmas
Becky, I am deeply sorry to hear that your sponsorship experience has been less than what we hope for :(. I hear your love and concern for Lovelyshewenda, and your desire to foster a meaningful relationship with her is evident. We are so grateful to have sponsors like you who are committed and truly have a heart for this ministry. I’m sure that Lovelyshewenda is very thankful to have you as her sponsor for the past 12 years. In Haiti, the completion age for the Compassion program is 22 years old. I’m sorry you have not received a clear answer in the past about when your child will graduate. This is most likely because we can only estimate this completion date. Right now, we are estimating that she will complete around November of 2020 because that is when she will be 22 years old. Please know that your letters and sponsorship are definitely making a positive impact in Lovelyshewenda’s life even if it is not showing in her letter writing. Many of our children, even as they grow and mature, can feel very timid and unsure in their letter writing abilities. On letter writing day, the tutor will often write suggestions or an example on the chalk board to help the children with their letters. If Lovelyshewenda doesn’t know what to write about, then she may be simply using the tutor’s suggestions, and this may be why her letters are so similar. We have also seen that many children take their precious letters home to keep safe. Then they forget to bring them back on letter writing day, so they forget your questions and forget what you have already answered. Please know that your girl has received every letter and picture you have sent. One thing that we encourage our sponsors to do is to highlight their questions or make their questions in a list :). This will draw the attention of your child and her tutor to answer them. I want to encourage you that your sponsorship is making a difference :). Thank you for voicing your concerns to us. We are happy to answer any questions or concerns you have at any time. God bless you and Merry Christmas!
Thank you for your response. I feel much better now that you have explained how the letter writing process works. I think that it is important for the sponsors to know (at the time of signing up) how long they will be sponsoring a child. In the United States, we often think that the age of adulthood is 18. When we agree to sponsor a 6 year old, we will be sponsoring them for 16 years! That is quite a commitment.
I am very sorry as well to have to write this, but I need to cancel my three sponsorships. I know about the financial assistance that is available to me, but I just need to cancel. Can you take care of this for me? Thank you for your help. I have enjoyed being a Compassion sponsor and hope to be able to come back at some point.
Heather, we too are sad that you are no longer able to sponsor your children :(. Thank you so much for the investment you have made into each of their lives personally over the last few years. You have blessed them in more ways that you will ever know! I have placed Hemamol, Rijo, and Frency back up for sponsorship today. The remaining children on your account are all correspondents who you can continue to write to as you have been :). We also hope that you will be able to sponsor a child again and will be praying for you in the meantime!
After reading some of these comments, I feel a little better, but I can relate to these emotions and how each and every person has felt when they can no longer afford to sponsor one of these kids. My heart is just broken right now. I have had the $19 for 6 month which was a huge help and I 100% appreciated it. Now that I have been working less with being involved in school, my finances just aren’t where I would like them to be, and the $38 is starting to add/catch up month after month. I hate to do it, but I need to cancel. Can you help me with this? Usually my payments go out on the 20th-21st of each month, and if I can avoid that withdrawal this month, that be beyond a help and then I wouldn’t have to worry about a $36 over draft fee. Thank You for understanding. Again I’m so sorry.
Hi Matthew. I am so sorry that you are having to make the decision to put Patricia back up for sponsorship :(. I have requested that we take her off of your account, which usually takes a few days. Regrettably, your November donation is already in process of being pulled out of your account and I don’t have the ability to stop it. I can refund the donation to you after it pulls out though. I have requested we do this for you as well.
I feel awful about this but I’m just not able to continue sponsoring the child I signed up for… some really unexpected things came up and it’s not a possibility for my family right now. I’m so, so sorry. I really hope to be able to do more with Compassion in the future. can you please assist me in cancelling my sponsorship? I have enjoyed being a part of my sponsored child’s life for a few years.
Reply
Terrah, I am so sorry that you are faced with this difficult decision. Please don’t beat yourself up too much! We understand that these things happen. I am happy to help you with whatever you need to do today. We do have a few options that may be able to help you to continue your support of Saviour. For example, we could cover your support through the end of the year and then lower your support amount to $19 for six months. Please let me know if that would help. If not, let me know and I will make Saviour available for another sponsor.
I know how you all feel. I’ve cancelled several sponsorships in the past and honestly I really feel ashamed for it. But mine is a different situation. It was not “just” the lack of money, or some kind of financial struggle – despite the fact that, first of all, I did not have a steady income when I chose to sponsor those children! What I did not know, back then, is that I have bipolar disorder… which prompts me to make sudden decisions without thinking about the consequences. Believe me when I say that I very often think about Pauline, or Angele, or Tapan, or Musa… the ones with whom I had built a stronger relationship. I feel so ashamed, really. The only thing I can say is that I didn’t know then… and that now I keep my instinctive reactions under control. Of all those sponsorships, I’ve just kept 2. One has just ended the Compassion Program, and after thinking a lot, really a lot, about this decision, I decided to sponsor another girl who will turn 18 in February. I chose a grown-up girl also because the commitment lasts many years less, if compared to the sponsorship of young children. Every day I pray that I have the health and strength to end my sponsorship only when she will end Compassion program. I could not stand the idea of having hurt another child, I’ve done that in the past more than once. The problem is that undiagnosed bipolar disorder can lead to behaviors that the person might regret sooner or later. I wish I was myself, the real me, when I clicked the “sponsor me” button years ago. Now I’m here with my memories, and with the feeling that I have made a few precious children suffer. They were really part of my life. One of them, very young, had a mentally ill father, we used to pray for him. “Funny” that I found out that I am mentally ill, too. Anyway, this is my story, this is something I regret. I hope all them have found a better sponsor than me. I hope that they are not still missing my letters, cards, albums, stickers… all the stuff I used to send them regularly when I was their sponsor. But most of all I hope that they are not still missing my LOVE. Because that was really sincere, bipolar disorder or not.
Hello,
My name is Vienna Ray. I would like to continue my sponsorship but I would like to stop the automatic withdrawals and change the payments so I can pay the monthly amount manually, without it going directly out of my account. Please let me know how I can do this.
Thank you!
Hi Vienna! Thank you so much for supporting Joan, and please accept our welcome to the Compassion family if you haven’t heard that from us yet! We are so excited to partner with you :). I stopped the automatic withdrawals on your account today, so you are free to send in monthly contributions manually now. God bless you!
Like many others, I can no longer afford to sponsor my child! College is really taking a toll on my finances! I do hope to sponsor another child after I’ve graduated and can afford it again. Thank you!
I am sorry to say that my my partner in sponsoring our child and I are not able to continue sponsoring and we would like to discontinue our sponsorship. I am going to college shortly and she is not able to pay for the sponsorship on her own. Thank you for all of your help and I hope I will be able to sponsor again someday.
Hi Regina and Jinny! I am sorry to hear that you need to cancel your sponsorship, but I completely understand. College is very expensive but well worth the commitment! I would be happy to help you with this request, but I cannot find your account. If you know your sponsor number or your child’s number, can you please email us this information at [email protected]?
When does the sponsorship end? I have been sponsoring a little girl for 12 years now. She will be turning 18 in a few months. I haven’t heard anything from Compassion
Hi Becky! Thank you so much for sponsoring your girl for the past 12 years. I am sure that having that consistency and longevity with you is so encouraging to her. The age when a child graduates from Compassion’s program can vary depending on the country they live in and the programming available at their church project. The young lady you are sponsoring is from Haiti, which allows children to remain in the program until the age of 22. We show that she is expected to graduate from the program in November 2020. During her last 4 years in the program, she will work on completing her high school education and will be receiving vocational training through Compassion. She also has additional options once she completes high school to attend university, a vocational school, or receive ministry training. Compassion wants to ensure that once a child completes the program, they have the skills necessary to be successful. You will receive a new photo of you girl and updated information on her around December 2016. This will include her expected graduation date, as well. If, for any reason, she will graduate earlier, her project staff will notify us of the change, and we will contact you to let you know.
Hello, I’m not sure if this is where I can ask a question but it’s the only form of communication I found. I started sponsoring a little boy in Burkina Faso about 4 months ago. My 13 year son is actually the sponsor, he’s the one who writes the letters. He keeps asking why haven’t we heard from the little boy. We finally received a letter but it was from the Pastor at the local development center. The letter mentioned the child’s name but no mention of him even being at the center. Nothing about the child personally. No reinsurance that he’s doing well. To me it was almost like it’s a standard letter that is sent to everyone. My son was very disappointed cause he hoping to get something from his sponsor considering we sent pictures, letters and prayers in our first envelop to him. Maybe this normal, so my son is sending another letter to see if we get a response. I want to trust the Compassion Project but after receiving the first letter I’m questioning my decision. Please advise if this the normal routine. I’m hoping to get a actually letter from the little boy very soon
Hi Brande! Thank you so much for choosing to sponsor your little man, Kader! I am sure you are anxious to hear from him and begin developing a relationship through your letters. First letters from children can take up to four months for you to receive. Since you began the sponsorship at the end of March, you should have his first letter by the end of July. If you don’t receive that letter by then, please let us know either here or by emailing us at [email protected]. At that point, we can send an inquiry to see why there was a delay in sending out that letter.
The letters from the pastors are actually intended to give you a better glimpse into Kader’s center and community as a whole. The pastors are able to share their heart for their ministry through the Compassion program in those letters, often highlighting a few things sponsors can be praying over and praising the Lord for in that community. It isn’t intended to be a progress report on Kader himself. The letter relationship is the significant piece that will update you on how Kader is doing. We also send updated photos of Kader every two years so you can see how much he is growing. The start of a sponsorship can be hard, but I’m praying that your son and Kader become fast friends who develop a loving friendship over the years :).
We need to cancel our support to our child. We have run into financial difficulties. Can someone advise me how how to do this? I am so sorry.
Melissa, I am so sorry to hear that you are going through some financial struggles! If it would be helpful, Compassion would be happy to cover 3 months of support for you. Please let me know if this would work well for you, and I will update your account accordingly. If not, we completely understand and will cancel your sponsorship.
Hi, I’m sorry for putting this here but I wasn’t quite sure where else too. I feel awful about this but I’m just not able to continue sponsoring the child I signed up for… some really unexpected things came up and it’s not a possibility for my family right now. I’m so, so sorry. I really hope to be able to do more with Compassion in the future. 🙁
Michaela, I am so sorry to hear that you are struggling so much as a family right now. 🙁 We understand that sometimes life happens and it’s just not possible to continue. As you requested, I have made Eskedar available for another sponsor. If at some point you all get back on your feet and want to sponsor again, we would be happy to have you back!
Thank you for sharing your story, and with an eye-grabbing headline. My husband “warned” me, when I was glassy-eyed- staring at the picture of Jolie, my soon-to-be sponsored child. We had just finished the Compassion Tour at a local church parking lot, and I said this was what I wanted as a Mother’s Day gift. He said “This isn’t just a one-time thing. You can’t just stop one day because you don’t feel like giving them money. You give every year until she’s an adult, it’s like we have another child.” The seriousness of starting a relationship with this vulnerable little girl needed to be considered. I thought if at any time we canceled, she would miss being a part of the Bible studies, extra medical and educational help, and the connection to someone far away who cared for her. Breaking a bond I felt God had desired was something to consider prior to sponsoring. I’m glad the commitment set in prior to signing up as a sponsor. I hope others consider the commitment as such, prior to sponsoring a child. This Mother’s Day I’m proud to say my gift is another year sponsoring Jolie.
I love knowing that we are a part of helping Compassion international in many ways. Our sponsored child has been apart of our monthly prayers and budget for 2 years now. sometimes we have cut back in other ways to make sure our little guy is cared for. We didn’t realize how much money we wasted on unimportant items until we started looking at if we can really afford this. So glad God spoke to us and laid this on our hearts to help. Thank you Compassion and we know our letters are being delivered as well as read to our sponsor child. If you are unsure whether to continue your sponsorship let me encourage you that it is so worth it.
My sponsored child has moved out of your area, at this time I can no longer afford to sponsor another child, it breaks my heart to do this, she will always be in my heart and my prayers as well as all the wonderful work compassion does. May God bless each and every one that has a part in helping children around the world.
Hi Lorrie! As you requested, I have made the other child we had on hold for your consideration available for another sponsor. Thank you so much for all that you have done for Saira in Honduras! It looks like you also had a $10/month commitment to providing bibles for children. Are you able to continue with that commitment? Thank you so much for your partnership with our ministry!
I need to cancel my sponership also. Just can’t afford it. Need to take care of my family first. I am sorry fir this but it’s a very difficult time for me.
Cathy, I am sorry to hear that you need to make the difficult decision to end your sponsorship right now. As you requested, I have made Dayana available for another sponsor. Thank you so much for your love and support for Dayana while you were able to sponsor her.
I am sorry to say that I have to cancel my sponsorship. It would make it very difficult to keep up on it because I have to take expensive classes over the summer.
Regina, I am so sorry to hear that you are struggling. I am in school right now too and know that it can be very expensive. Would it help if we were to cover three months support to get you through the summer and then lower your support amount to $19 a month for six months? If so, please let us know and we will take care of that for you. If not, let us know and we will make Emmanuel available for another sponsor.
Hi, I also will need to cancel my sponsorship as i unfortunately do not have a job anymore and I need to conserve my money. i hate to do it, but i have to survive as well. Can you please advise if you are able to do this for me. Thanks and i hope someone can jump in to help my Silvia again.
Courtney and Riaan, I am sorry to hear that you need to make such a difficult decision right now. As you requested, I have made Silvia available for another sponsor. Thank you so much for all of the loving letters and support that you have sent to her during the time that you were sponsoring Silvia! God bless you!
I would like to cancel my sponsor. How do I go about in cancelling the payments?
Hi Diana! I am so sorry to hear that you are faced with such a difficult decision. Please rest assured that I work for Compassion and have stopped your automatic withdrawal. I am not sure what you are going through but if this is due to a short term financial difficulty we have some options that may be able to help you to keep the relationship that you have started with your children. For example, we could cover your support for three months between February and April. Then starting in May, we could lower your support amount to $19 per child or $38 for two children for six months. Please let me know if this would help. If not, let me know and I will make your children available for other sponsors. You are also welcome to email us at [email protected].
Hello. Sadly, I also need to end my sponsorship. I have no way to pay for it due to recent job issues. How do I go about canceling it?
Jessica, I am sorry to hear that you need to end your sponsorship due to financial hardships. Because this request is due to financial concerns, we may be able to help you. Regrettably, I was not able to locate your account :(. Will you please provide your sponsor number or child’s number? You may also email us at [email protected] if you do not feel comfortable providing this information publicly. Thank you!
Hello! I need to cancel my sponsorship. Please send instructions asap. Thanks
Luaipou, I am sorry you are faced with such a difficult decision. I am sending you an email right now to assist you further.
Hello
I need to cancel my sponsorship.
Kindly please advise what I need to do.
Thank you
Claudia, I’m sorry to hear that you need to discontinue supporting your child but I can certainly help you with that. Regrettably, I was unable to locate your account under your email address. Please post your child ID or sponsor number so that I can locate you in our system. If you’d prefer, you can also email our office at [email protected] or call our office at (800) 336-7676 and we’ll be happy to assist you. Please let us know if you’d be interested in hearing options that are available to sponsors going through financial difficulties. I’m not sure what your situation looks like but we’d love to help you maintain your relationship with your child if you’re experiencing short term financial difficulties.
I would like to cancel my sponsorship. Please advise me as to the process. Thank you.
Hi Susan! I’m so sorry to hear that you wish to discontinue your sponsorship of Anthony but I can certainly help you. I’m sending an email to you right now to assist you further.
Thanks for sharing your story, The child that I sponsor is also from Peru so your story kinda hit home. I am currently going through some financial struggles and got a little behind in my sponsorship but was recently able to catch up. God Bless : )
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Thank you for your honesty and the realization that we must remain faithful to the Gospel — proclaiming the good news but also doing the good news. My husband and I recently sponsored a young girl from Africa. We are just beginning our journey. Your testimony confirms that it is so easy to reason our way out of not giving of our time and stewardship in general. Jesus Christ calls us to endure and remain faithful. We are not to be distracted by human events by not being a neighbor to our sisters and brothers throughout the world in need.
Thank you to everyone for their sweet and encouraging comments! I am so grateful my honesty was received with such grace! And I am filled with gratitude for you and your commitment to your sponsored child.
Brianna,
I am sad to say that a few years ago I had also cancelled my sponsership to a sweet boy in South America. I didn’t want to do it, but I thought at the time there was no way to support him. I have prayed for him constantly and tried to find him on here later, no luck. I hope that people realize their sponser child will have more effect on them after time then they could ever imagine. I wish I had kept my sponsership.
I was once a sponsored child of Compassion & have been truly blessed to be a recipient of this wonderful ministry! Words are not enough to express my gratitude to our loving God who showed us the perfect example of love in Jesus & for people – total strangers like you – who respond to the challenge of making a difference in the lives of the underprivileged. My life has been changed in so many ways.. And I am happy to share that in my city, our Compassion alumni group has decided to sponsor a child soon! We are very, very excited to now become a channel of blessing to somebody else’s life as we are living testimonies of how this ministry works. Glory to God!
I’ve been sponsoring for 3 years now. One of my sponsorships just ended, because she graduated the program. I have 2 others, Maxwell from Kenya, Yuri from Guatemala and I write letters to Sofia in El Salvador.
Sometimes I have the same doubts, the same questions etc. it’s hard to believe that it’s real and with so many unscrupulous organizations in the world, it’s sometimes hard to fathom that Compassion is completely real. On the other hand, I truly believe God would to have led me to them, unless they were.
I have been a sponsor of numerous children for over 30 years. I didn’t know about the ministry until I heard a presentation at a Christian concert. God led me to go check out the sponsorship table, at least one child caught my heart, and I began the wonderful relationship, with letters, photos, cards and more, for… as long as I live! I never doubted the letters or photos were not real. I knew Compassion had a high level of integrity — I kept up on nonprofits to make sure no red flags came up.
As for Peru, I just came back from my first sponsor trip to this country and I can assure others that there is a dedicated, honest and loving staff. These bloggers will experience the same–they will not need to “go through file cabinets.” Just visiting Compassion programs and meeting the children, families and staff will say it all. The love of Christ in the most tangible way. I love Peru and all that Compassion stands for.
The title of your blog sure got my attention. I have been to Guatemala and Colombia to see my sponsored kids. Once you have played with them, prayed with them, visited with their family, and processed just how little they have and how important you are to them, there is no quit. I am on my seventh, eight and ninth kids now, and have watched four of them graduate. I am in this for the long haul, one child at a time. Alice, I know where you are coming from. My kids are family.
I’m a sponsor because as a children’s minister I know how much a little support can go in changing a child’s life and how transforming the message of Jesus can be making a whole life count for Christ.
I’m a Compassion sponsor because I started working at Compassion’s I was in the accounts department and I saw for myself their financial integrity. I’m a Compassion sponsor because the more I learn about Compassion the more convinced I am that it is a great ministry that God uses to bless, challenge and change all sorts of people in both the developing and developed world.
Hello, I am so looking forward to reading the blogs from Peru. I look forward to learning more about the country where our sponsored child is from. If you come across a 4 year old girl named Yohana Troncos Castillo, please give her hugs and kisses from us…She lives in the Lima area…thank you bunches! Jesse and Lisa Davila
Wow, what a story. Thank you for sharing this as I think a lot of people are this way with not believing that the sponsored child really gets our mail or all of the money goes to the child, ect…. I do look forward to getting Silvia’s letters and drawings (she is our sponsored child in El Salvador) and she is absolutely beautiful and delightful and we feel blessed to be able to get to know her. We have been saving up our change to visit her some day. She doesn’t know this yet and when we get the money saved we then will tell her we will be on our way 🙂 She is as real in our lives as our children and grandchildren…we count her as one of the kids. Please, if your reading this and have not sponsored a child please consider this information and look for a child to sponsor. They will be grateful and you will find the joy in this also. God bless you and yours and all of the children sponsored and waiting to be sponsored. Peace be with you, Nikkita
I met my sponsored child and her mother for the second time in 3 years. We have a relationship and I wouldn’t trade it for the world.
I have sponsored a boy from Bolovia for several years now.Actually, I guess he is becoming a youg man now. He will be 15 this month.What a blessing to be a small part of his llife. I only wish I could do more. I will admit to a bit of frustration: None of my questions are never answered, and I don’t feel I know him any better now than I did in the beginning,. Of course I understand the language barrier..perhaps his translator is unable to follow through. I am 90 1/2 years old now. I was so happy to learn that when the Lord takes me home my young man will be turned over to another sponsor until he reaches the age of ineligibility. May the Lord continue to bring forth more sponsors for these precious ones. Toni Welch
You have given me courage to not give up because of my age, I will be 79 in 7 months but feel more like in my 50’s. I have been blessed by being a sponsor and my notebooks for each child are getting pretty full. I decided to add 3 Child Survival Projects (CSP) so that I could reach even more children from birth with out having to pay a lot extra. I am thinking of adding another CSP but not sure which country I want to include. These CSP’s help several entire families including the newborn or the expected newborn.
I am so glad that so many people have had the opportunity to go on these trips and share their experiences with us! Don’t know if it is in God’s plan for me to ever visit one of our sponsored children, but I am so thankful for what a difference Compassion is making in their lives and in the lives of their families. Can’t wait to read about all the experiences this week!
Thanks for this great essay. Our family just started sponsoring a little girl in Peru this year. Maybe you will get to meet her. Her name is Yaritza and she is beautiful. If you do, hug her for us and remind her she is loved and prayed for by a family far away. I look forward to following the posts this week.
Thanks for sharing! I’m a missionary here in Cusco, if y’all are around this area hit me up. We could grab lunch or coffee. [email protected]