Did you know that CARE was set up in 1945 to provide vital support to families in warn-torn Europe, following the devastation and scarcity brought on by World War 2?
80 years ago, a group of people refused to stand on the sidelines while millions suffered in hunger after World War Two. So they came together to send packages of food to families across war-torn Europe. That’s how the CARE Package began.
Megan and her family were some of the first ever CARE Package recipients. Here she tells us her memories of that time, and her reflections on why CARE Packages are still so important today.
Will you consider sending a CARE Package today? You could help deliver urgent supplies like food and medicine to women and their families who need them most.
Megan's story
“I was only young when the Second World War broke out, living with my parents and my two sisters in Shropshire.
"It’s difficult to believe it was over 80 years ago now, as I still have such vivid memories of the suffering which my family, our neighbours and our community went through.
"But through all the darkness, there was one ray of hope which I will never forget. And it came from a complete stranger. Thanks to CARE supporters back in 1946, my family received one of the first ever CARE packages.
The kindness of strangers
"The package arrived from America. Food was so scarce, and I remember my mother’s relief as we sat round the table and opened it, pulling out milk powder, flour, canned meat and tinned peaches! Even now, I always keep a tin of peaches in my cupboard because it reminds me how happy I felt when we received those packages.
"The Second World War holds difficult memories for me. But I will never forget how it felt to know that a stranger, thousands of miles away, was looking out for me and my family during such difficult times.
"Right now, as conflict and crises around the world fill the news day after day, the kindness of strangers is more important than ever. The level of suffering we’re seeing in Sudan, in Gaza, in Somaliland – it’s difficult to comprehend.
Amira’s story
"The team at CARE told me about Amira*. She was only 21 when her mother was killed by a bomb in Sudan, whilst out collecting water. She told them, “I didn’t even have time to cry for my mother. The bombs kept falling so I grabbed my children and ran. I had no choice but to leave her body behind.”
"I heard how she walked with her two daughters (aged 1 and 3) for four months, through blistering heat. They eventually reached a village on the border of South Sudan, where donations from supporters helped to fund one of CARE’s health centres.
"They are now safe from the bombing, but life is still very difficult. Amira’s daughters are both malnourished as Amira’s only income is the money she makes selling grass, and she can’t afford to buy the food her children need.
"Thinking about a young mother facing struggles like these is terrible. But I feel such relief, knowing how a CARE Package from a stranger might bring her the ray of hope that she needs. Just like it did for me.
CARE Packages today
"Today, CARE focuses its projects on women and girls because they are often disproportionately affected during a crisis. And over the past 80 years, I’ve seen how CARE Packages have evolved into longer-term projects, and the incredible difference they make to so many women’s lives.
"Please consider making a donation and helping send a CARE Package to a family in crisis today. Your support could be a ray of hope to someone who so desperately needs it, just like CARE Packages were for me. And perhaps in 80 years’ time they’ll be telling their loved ones what a difference you made.
"If only I knew who those boxes came from all those years ago, I would say a big thank you for the happiness they gave us.”
How you can help
By sending a CARE Package today, you can help provide urgent supplies like food and medicine to women and their families who need them most - just like those CARE supporters did for Megan, all those years ago.
Right now, millions of women and families around the world are facing unimaginable hardship. Conflict, crisis and hunger are tearing lives apart — but you can help change this.
Your donation could support a family fleeing conflict, by putting shelter over their heads. Or a woman setting up a business, so that she can work her way out of poverty. Or it could support young girls who have escaped abuse, as they challenge gender roles in their communities and stand up for their rights.
