Prior to my career in media, I spent about seven years working for the local domestic violence and sexual assault advocacy organization.
I saw firsthand the results of a woman finally understanding that she did matter, that she didn't have to put up with her violent partner, that she could leave and survive.
And how our nonprofit's support, both emotional and financial, had been key to her success.
That experience turned me into a passionate advocate. Whether they live in my own community, or in a tiny village somewhere overseas, I want to be an active part of empowering women to be happy and healthy in their own lives.
Enter CARE. Have you heard of them?
CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty with a commitment to empowering women and girls.
Women like Kallani in northern Bangladesh, who struggled because the family milk cow was underproducing. Thanks to CARE’s Strengthening the Dairy Value Chain program, she was able to learn how to best feed her cow for optimum production — and now, not just surviving but thriving, Kallani teaches other women to do the same, helping to improve local conditions in their village.
And women like Maria in Ecuador, who went from hauling water up a mountain to meet her family of 11's daily needs, to working with CARE to learn to harvest water from mist on their foggy days — to use not just for her family's immediate concerns, but to water a small farm and to earn money by selling at market. The extra dollars she's earning? They're being set aside for a savings nest egg and to support her children's education tuition.
CARE is helping lift families out of poverty.
These are just two examples of ways that CARE is working internationally. If this has peeked your interest to learn more, I encourage you to visit the CARE website, where you can watch videos about Kallani and Maria, and read about the myriad ways that CARE is doing good.
Join CARE's email list and, if you so choose, give a few dollars to a program that makes your heart swell.
P.S. Do you know the origin of the phrase "CARE package"? In 1945, CARE invented the concept as "a way for Americans to send lifesaving food and supplies to a Europe flattened by World War II." The packages ended up being so popular that the term became a synonym for the fun and thoughtful gifts we now send to far-away loved ones. Cool factoid, eh?
Today’s post is sponsored by CARE, but my enthusiasm for their humanitarian programs is all my own!