From Care.org:
The first CARE Packages were U.S. Army surplus "10-in-1" food parcels intended to provide one meal for 10 soldiers during the planned invasion of Japan. We obtained them at the end of World War II and began a service that let Americans send the packages to friends and families in Europe, where millions were in danger of starvation. Ten dollars bought a CARE Package and guaranteed that its addressee would receive it within four months.
When the "10-in-1" parcels ran out, we began assembling our own food packages, greatly assisted by donations from American companies. At first, senders had to designate a specific person as the recipient, but soon CARE was flooded with donations to send CARE Packages to "a hungry occupant of a thatched cottage," "a school teacher in Germany," and so on.
Decades ago, we largely phased out the CARE Package as we expanded the breadth of our work, focusing on long-term projects in addition to emergency relief. However, it remains a powerful symbol of the compassion and generosity of those who support our vision of a world free of poverty and suffering.
What was in the first CARE Packages?
- one pound of beef in broth
- one pound of steak and kidneys
- 8 ounces of liver loaf
- 8 ounces of corned beef
- 12 ounces of luncheon loaf (like Spam®)
- 8 ounces of bacon
- 2 pounds of margarine
- one pound of lard
- one pound of fruit preserves
- one pound of honey
- one pound of raisins
- one pound of chocolate
- 2 pounds of sugar
- 8 ounces of egg powder
- 2 pounds of whole-milk powder
- 2 pounds of coffee
Later CARE Packages included food for different cultural diets and non-food items such as carpentry tools, blankets, school supplies and medicine.
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