Petersen Painting
Joel Petersen on ChildFund International In addition to serving as President of Petersen Painting, the construction firm I founded in 1996, I support several charitable initiatives through my church and as an individual donor. Because I believe strongly in the value of helping others whenever I can, I contribute regularly to groups such as ChildFund International, a nonprofit organization that has worked for more than 70 years to change the lives of vulnerable children around the world. Presbyterian minister Dr. J. Calvitt Clarke first established China's Children Fund (CCF) to provide emergency relief to children affected by the Second Sino-Japanese War. Although the organization began its mission by raising money for schools and orphanages in China, Dr. Clarke soon pioneered the humanitarian sponsorship model of allowing one donor to fund the care of one child.

After World War II ended in 1945, CCF turned its resources to helping children in other Southeast Asian countries before moving into Europe and the Middle East. In the following decades, CCF changed its name to Christian Children's Fund to reflect its newly expanded focus and adopted a policy of community-based development. More recently, the CCF joined forces with other international children's organizations to create the ChildFund Alliance, a global network that aims to provide solutions to the many challenges children face today. As ChildFund International, the organization currently serves 31 countries around the world and further supports emergency response efforts as needed. While ChildFund International no longer employs religious mission-based programs, the organization continues to uphold Dr. Clarke's vision by collaborating with local communities to implement programs that make a positive impact.

As an involved member of my own community, I applaud the organization's accomplishments and remain an active supporter of its work. To learn more about ChildFund International and how to contribute, visit www.childfund.org.

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