New York City, 2013
Back in 2013, my wife stumbled upon one of the Children International®'s staff giving flyers in the streets of New York City. It was her first day at a new job after being made redundant in her previous company. It was one of the first experiences she dubbed as a blessing in disguise, for she had received more than what she prayed for. She stopped in her tracks and listened to the staff's pitch. The idea of sponsoring children in a foreign country, connecting with them via letters and pictures, and seeing the direct impact of your contributions, moved her to support the non-profit organization. It was one of those days where she was enveloped with optimism and gratefulness and decided to share her blessings with someone in need. This day marked the beginning of her Children International journey.
Few years passed, I moved to New York City from the Philippines, and my wife introduced me to child sponsorship. Coming from a 3rd world country and immersed in poverty-stricken communities, I knew right away that I would be sponsoring a child.
Our extended family
Receiving hand-written messages from our sponsored kids, seeing hope from their photos and letters are priceless. This extraordinary experience brought so much appreciation in life that our CI family grew into 3, 4, and 5 children from different countries.
Every child deserves a future
Years have gone by, and we were blessed to have our firstborn child who brought so much joy and meaning to our family. Every day, we are thankful for having the essential resources to provide him a good life and opportunity that not all children can have. He was gifted with wonderful family and friends who could be there for him in difficult times. This made us realize more that every child deserves a future, for they are a part of our legacy.
The 2020 pandemic
The lockdown helped us understand the deeper meaning of life beyond anything else - the importance of genuinely living beyond just the means of existing. Gratefulness continued to grow inside us. It reminded us to appreciate basic things like food on the table, comfortable shelter, clean water, diapers for the baby, comfortable clothing, and so much more. We thought of making one of our dreams happen from this unprecedented event.
Our passion to purpose and collaboration with Children International
This gave birth to INSPIRRE, a giving-back brand capitalizing on the gamut of our passion and experiences to create something purposeful beyond our family and ourselves. Inspired by my mother, who helped a lot of people in poverty when I was young, I thought of carrying on her generosity. Supporting children we know nothing about made it more special, for genuine kindness should come from within and not because of what other people can do in return. And we are humbled to have Children International and their Empowerment Program as our trustable giving partner for 50% of our net profits in the first few years of our journey. Having a respected organization on our side brings confidence that our humble brand can make a real impact.
Ripple-effect that inspires
May this story inspire you to seize an opportunity and act on your ideas and dreams in making a difference not just for yourself but also for people who need it the most. Fight for something than live for nothing. It's never too late to find purpose in your passion.
Ji, INSPIRRE Founder and Student of Life