A portrait of kindergartner, Cruize, 5, at her school. She participates in the Save the Children literacy program.

One in four children in the U.S. live in severe poverty. In Cruize’s county in rural Tennessee, 30% of the 35,000 residents live below the national poverty level.

Save the Children’s U.S. child sponsorship program provides children with the fundamentals for future success–access to educational services, books, computers, after-school learning and activity programs and a healthy snack.

In Save the Children sponsorship-funded schools throughout the county where Cruize lives, teachers are equipped with books and teaching tools to instruct and inspire students. Libraries are stocked with books, nutritious after-school snacks are provided and indoor and outdoor physical activities take place.