Children.org is top disaster relief agency in

Philippines. (PRNewsFoto/Children International)

/PRNewswire/ - The Philippine National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) presented Children International, a U.S.-based charity, their highest honor for best performance of a non-government organization in humanitarian assistance in their efforts to save the children and families affected by natural disasters.

The Philippine NDCC recognized Children International for three reasons:

• The charity's ability to mobilize and encourage volunteers.
  
• Children International led and cooperated with other social welfare and humanitarian organizations in the management of relief efforts.
  
• The organization's willingness to help families outside of their sponsorship population.

The U.S.-based humanitarian organization helps more than 335,000 children globally and more than 77,000 of those reside in the Philippines. Their volunteer network of 10,000 parents and community members are motivated to help based on the spirit of their communities.

The evaluating team took into consideration the success of Children International's Youth Program. The Youth Health Corps, one of many youth programs, consists of more than 500 trained youth volunteers helping their peers in the community overcome hardships. These youth are trained in psychosocial therapy and health awareness. In post-disaster response, they facilitated many psychosocial play therapy sessions for children dramatically impacted by typhoons, hurricanes, flooding and fires.

The Youth Council was also cited for their efforts to improve their communities and environment in times of adversity. The Youth Empowerment Fund is given to youth councils so they can learn to actively participate in decision making, creative thinking, and positively influencing their community. The youth in this region created the Care to Love the Environment And Nature (CLEAN) community project in which they helped repair damage to their communities by cleaning up debris and much more.

"Our youth do wonderful things for their communities every day," said Children International President and CEO Jim Cook, "This award is an honor, but I am more proud that our agency, its volunteers and youth respond quickly when people of the community need it the most."

The Gawad Kalasag Award is the government's recognition of outstanding performance of partners and stakeholders in disaster-management programs. The award also highlights cases of extraordinary courage, heroism, self-sacrifice, and bravery against all odds in times of natural and man-made disasters and emergencies.

About Children International:
Established in 1936, Children International is a humanitarian organization with its headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri. Children International's programs help more than 335,000 children and their families in 11 countries around the world including Chile, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Honduras, India, Mexico,the Philippines, the United States and Zambia. For more information about Children International or to sponsor a child, visit www.children.org.

Children International

Children International

Established in 1936, Children International is a humanitarian organization which invests in more than 335,000 children and youth living in crushing poverty in 11 countries around the world. Children International's signature programs provide medical and dental care, nutritional support and educational tools to children beginning at age 3 to 19. Children International's youth programs provide youth with training necessary to escape the trap of poverty as adults -- job-skills training, higher education support, personal financial education, sports leagues and leadership and life skills training.

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