CARE is one of the world's leaders in the fight against global poverty. They place an emphasis on working next to poor women, since women with the correct resources have the power to empower entire families and communities to reach the ultimate goal of escaping poverty.

Woman are the core of CARE's community efforts to help improve education, increase clean water access, prevent diseases from spreading, increase sanitation, protect the natural resources and make economic opportunities more feasible.

Care also helps distribute emergency aid in war torn areas and areas that have suffered natural disasters, in order to help people to rebuild their lives. CARE is governed by a board of directors that are elected each year by members at the organization's annual meeting.

All board members must gain a basic understanding of the organization and initiate action that supports the organizations goals, mission and programs. The board appoints the executive team and consists of the president, secretary and treasurer while the president appoints the other members of executive team of CARE.

The headquarters of CARE are located in Atlanta, Georgia and has branch offices in nine U.S. cities along with each country in which they work. In 2010, CARE was involved in 87 countries where it helped to implement programs for the long-term fight against poverty.

CARE also responded to humanitarian emergencies and advocated changes in policy to help those suffering from poverty the most. CARE is supported by dozens of different U.S corporations, hundreds of thousands of caring individuals, and many foundations through donations each year. Funding also comes from a number of government agencies, the United Nations and the European Union. Since its foundation in 1945 it has helped to change the lives of many through the hard work of its field personnel and the generous donations of hundreds of people and businesses around the globe.

Purpose

CARE is committed to more than just meeting the immediate needs of people and communities. CARE tries to address the underlying issues to overcoming poverty like exclusion and discrimination, incompetence or corrupt public institutions, lack of public services access, social conflicts and the many different health threats to the public.

It is true that these types of problems are also present in developed nations but the scale cannot compare to the poor nations. CARE believes their greatest potential of reaching and impacting the most is in developing nations.

CARE visions a world that is full of tolerance, hope and social well-being where the plight of poverty has been defeated and where people live in security and with dignity. CARE also believes it plays a global role in helping end poverty and where they are a partner of choice in the worldwide movement of ending global poverty.

Its mission is to serve the families and individuals in the communities that are the poorest around the world. The organization draws strength from its global experience, resources and diversity and it promotes many innovative solutions while always advocating global responsibility.

CARE's aim is to facilitate lasting change in all the countries and communities in which they work. The organization believes it is possible because: it helps to provide economic opportunities; they deliver relief in times of emergency; its programs helps to strengthen self-help capabilities; at all levels it helps to influence policy decisions; and it addresses discriminations in any form found in developing nations around the world.

Lead by the hopes and inspirations of the local communities, CARE pursues its mission with compassion, excellence and strong will because the people whom the organization serves deserve nothing less than 100% efforts on the organization's part. CARE reevaluates its mission and vision on a regular basis in order to stay abreast of the ever-changing world they are trying to help.

History

CARE is one of the leading private humanitarian aid organizations in the world and a member of a 12 member international confederation of organizations that help communities through a commitment to the developing world aimed at eradicating poverty. CARE was founded in 1945 when CARE packages were put together by 22 American organizations for survivors of World War II. There were thousands who contributed with the most prominent of them being President Harry S. Truman.

The first 20,000 CARE packages arrived on May 11, 1946 in Le Havre, France. During the following two decades, over 100 million packages reached those in need. The first packages went to Europe, followed by Asia and then other areas of the developing world.

CARE packages originated from Army surplus packages that were 10 in 1 parcels of food intended to feed one meal to 10 soldiers during the army's planned Japanese invasion. They were obtained by CARE when the Second World War ended. A service was started where families and friends could send packages to people in Europe, where following the war many were starving. For just ten dollars, a CARE package could be purchased and was guaranteed to reach its addressee in just four months.

When the army surplus rations ran out CARE started to assemble its own food packs that it received thanks to donations from many American companies. The first care packages consisted of different cooking material and foodstuffs and later included food that created for different cultural diets and non-food contents like blankets, tools, medicines and school supplies.

Those packages began to fade out some decades ago when the organization started to expand its work and focus on projects that were long term and also to focus on emergency relief. Today CARE devotes its energies to fighting global poverty by working hand in hand with women.