YZM Sponsorship FAQs

A Primary Sponsorship is a pledged gift of $30/month (only $1/day!), and a Full Sponsorship is $60/month. A child can have one full sponsor or up to two primary sponsors. You can adjust your giving level at any time – just contact us!

Donations can be made by monthly automatic debit, recurring credit card, or manually by personal/bank check or credit card. Checks should be made payable to Helps Ministries, PO Box 6449, Asheville, NC 28816.

To set up recurring donations or make a full year donation towards an existing sponsorship, click here. To make an online donation for a different amount or other specific purpose, please visit our general donation page.

Yes! Remember that your letter will need to be translated, so use simple language and keep your message fairly short. Attach one of the yellow cards from your sponsorship packet to assist staff in identifying your child. Standard, flat mail may be sent through the Helps Ministries office or directly to Ethiopia (check international postage rates). If including a donation, please send it through the Helps office.

Tell about yourself, family, faith, hobbies, sports, the area where you live. Ask your child about his/her favorite school subjects, interests, and dreams. Include a photograph of you and your family, or a postcard from your city or state. Avoid writing about material wealth, or sending photos that put relative physical luxuries such as your house or car on display. Please don’t include your mailing address or any other direct contact information in the content of your letter.

Yes! Children usually write letters to their sponsors 2-3 times per year. If you haven’t received a letter for awhile, please contact us to make sure our records are current and that we have your correct mailing address. Please also keep in mind that some children, especially older children, may occasionally miss writing a letter due to various life circumstances.

Photos, stickers, and most other small items that fit into a flat envelope are great to include with a letter to your child. Don’t send cash, checks, jewelry, or electronics items. If you wish to send a package or other special gift, please contact us for ideas or guidelines! Due to high postage costs, we can’t forward packages to Ethiopia, but we may be able to arrange a local gift purchase – or hold your gift until a volunteer or staff member travels to YZM.

Most children graduate from YZM when they finish school, around age 19. However, students who attend college or vocational school may remain in the program longer – these older students can continue to be sponsored until they finish their degree or certificate! Sometimes a child may move out of the area or decide to stop going to school, in which case they will no longer be sponsored. If your sponsored child graduates or leaves the program for any reason, we’ll contact you as soon as possible and give you the opportunity to be matched with another child.

Your sponsorship support through YZM helps provide basic physical needs such as food and nutrition, medical care, school fees and supplies, school uniforms and casual clothing, hygiene supplies and education, as well as psychosocial and spiritual support through extracurricular activities, mentoring, and much more!

Yes! Helps Ministries is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit organization, and your sponsorship contributions are tax-deductible in the United States. You will receive donation receipts and a year-end giving statement from Helps. Our federal tax ID is 56-1133231.

That’s ok! Your sponsorship is a voluntary gift, not a bill or obligation. We understand that challenges come up, and other important responsibilities take precedent. If you need to put a sponsorship on hold temporarily, change your giving amount, or end your sponsorship altogether, just let us know!