Conference will feature a star-studded dinner honoring the 70th anniversary of the CARE Package, expert panels on poverty alleviation, citizens storming Capitol Hill for change
WASHINGTON, D.C. (May 2, 2016) —The global poverty-fighting organization CARE will honor its past at the CARE National Conference that begins today in the nation’s capital, then get down to the hard work of improving the future for women, girls and the communities they are lifting out of poverty around the world.
More than 400 of CARE’s citizen advocates are expected to gather at the conference to voice their support for critical funding and programs to improve the lives of poor women and girls around the world and help communities recover from emergencies.
This year’s conference will draw CARE advocates from nearly every state, partner organizations, corporations and leaders in global development. Key speakers include Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright and former Congressman Jim Kolbe (R-AZ).
A key part of this year’s conference is celebrating the 70th birthday of the CARE Package, which CARE created to deliver life-saving food and supplies to families in Europe after WWII. On May 11, 1946, the original shipment of cardboard boxes reached war survivors in Le Havre, France, the first of more than 100 million CARE Packages that Americans sent to people in need around the world.
The conference will feature photos, video and other content in an interactive exhibit dubbed “Then and Now; The CARE Package at 70,” and original CARE Package recipients and senders will be honored at a special reception keynoted by Albright and attended by “The Good Wife” actress Julianna Margulies.
“CARE couldn’t be more proud of our legacy of providing life-saving emergency assistance and creating change around the world,” said Michelle Nunn, president and CEO of CARE. “Over the last seven decades, CARE has been powered by the generosity of ordinary Americans and that continues today.”
Conference attendees will learn about key legislative issues including food aid reform, providing maternal health services to women around the world and smart ways to help poor communities find their own solutions to poverty. They will then head to Capitol Hill to discuss these issues with lawmakers and their staffs.
Attendees will also have the opportunity to join CARE Action, a new membership-driven platform for advocates committed to improving the lives of the world’s most marginalized people.
Also during the conference, CARE will present its annual “Deliver Lasting Change” award to three Syrian women to recognize their dedication serving on the front lines of the humanitarian response in their country, where they help deliver relief and promote justice. The award will be presented to Sandra Bitarova, Houda Atassi and Maria Al Abdeh.
CARE’s Special Delivery campaign, which has led more than 1,000 people to write messages of hope and solidarity to Syrian refugees, will culminate at the conference with a video booth where conference goers can record words of encouragement and support for those part of the largest human displacement since World War II.
Windows 10 is the premier partner of the CARE National Conference. Dove Chocolate and The UPS Foundation are champion level partners. Additional corporate sponsors include Cargill, Delta Air Lines, P&G and Walmart.
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MEDIA CONTACTS: Nicole Harris, 404-735-0871, nharris@care.org or Brian Feagans, 404-457-4644, bfeagans@care.org
About CARE: Founded in 1945 with the creation of the CARE Package®, CARE is a leading humanitarian organization fighting global poverty. CARE places special focus on working alongside poor girls and women because, equipped with the proper resources, they have the power to lift whole families and entire communities out of poverty. Last year CARE worked in 90 countries and reached more than 72 million people around the world. To learn more, visit www.care.org.