World Relief
 | |
| Formation | 1944 |
|---|---|
| Type | International NGO |
| Purpose | Relief and Development |
| Headquarters | Baltimore, Maryland, US |
Region served | Worldwide |
| Website | Official Website |
World Relief is an international relief and development agency. Founded in 1944 as the humanitarian arm of the National Association of Evangelicals, World Relief offers assistance to victims of poverty, disease, hunger, war, disasters and persecution. Headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland, the organization has offices worldwide. It is supported by churches, foundations, and individual donors, as well as through United States Government grants from USAID and other agencies.
World Relief serves over 4 million vulnerable people a year and has over 100,000 volunteers actively engaged in reaching their communities with life saving messages. View the 2011 Annual Report
World Relief’s core programs focus on microfinance, AIDS prevention and care, maternal and child health, child development, agricultural training, disaster response, refugee resettlement and immigrant services.
In recent years, World Relief has become a leader in advocating for immigration reform. Most recently, Stephan Bauman, World Relief CEO, spoke at the Evangelical Immigration Table. World Relief on Immigration Reform
Mission Statement
"We believe God has equipped the church - the most diverse social network on the planet - to be at the center of these stories, leveraging time, energy and resources to join the vulnerable in their time of need.
We practice principles of transformational development to empower local churches in the United States and around the world so they can serve the vulnerable in their communities. With initiatives in education, health, child development, agriculture, food security, anti-trafficking, immigrant services, micro-enterprise, disaster response and refugee resettlement, we work holistically with the local church to stand for the sick, the widow, the orphan, the alien, the displaced, the devastated, the marginalized, and the disenfranchised.
In our own backyard and around the globe, we stand with individuals and communities through the process of healing, reconciliations, transformation and empowerment."
History
World Relief began in 1944 when American Christian denominations partnered with sister churches in war-torn Europe to address critical humanitarian needs. The National Association of Evangelicals established the War Relief Commission to send clothing and food to victims of World War II. After the war, evangelical leaders decided that the War Relief Commission should continue working in post-war Europe and around the world. In 1950, the agency was renamed World Relief, and began to focus on other areas of development – providing sewing machines and training so war widows could earn a living, setting up TB clinics, and supporting orphanages and land reclamation projects.
World Relief moved beyond providing emergency relief in response to disasters, working to foster long-term development to help the poor rise above subsistence.
World Relief is currently in 16 countries and has 24 US office and serves over 4 million vulnerable people a year. Current programming includes: Agribusiness, Anti-Trafficking, Child Development, Clean Water, Sanitation & Wells, Disaster Response, Employment Services, HIV/AIDS, Food Security, Immigrant Legal Services, Maternal and Child Health, Microfinance, Peace Building, Refugee Services and Savings for Life.[1]