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How We Got Started

About Heart to Heart

The story of Heart to Heart International is all about connecting people and resources to a world in need. Heart to Heart started as an idea to get people in the heart of America involved in helping people in the heart of Russia. The same ideals that motivated Dr. Gary Morsch, Heart to Heart’s founder, to organize the largest volunteer airlift in U.S. history still resonate today in all of the organization’s humanitarian operations.

One of the great things about that first airlift was that everybody was invited to help in the initiative. People from all walks of life were captivated by the idea that they could be part of something that had a global impact. Heart to Heart continues to invite people to serve their fellowman, whether across the street or around the world. The organization also seeks to help people in desperate, regardless of their race, religion, or personal or political beliefs.

Volunteers that participated with Heart to Heart’s inaugural airlift discovered a significant benefit in serving others. Many of them said that the airlift was one of the most meaningful things they had done in their lives. Today, Heart to Heart offers multiple opportunities for meaningful service. The organization believes that lives are transformed when people who can help connect with people in need. The amazing thing is that both the recipient and the volunteer are changed in the process. Volunteers often say that they received more than they gave through their service experience. This transformation is all part of Heart to Heart’s “people agenda.”

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Though volunteers are an important part of Heart to Heart’s vision to create a healthier world, the organization relies heavily on key partnerships to literally get the work off the ground. On that first airlift, Heart to Heart found partners within the pharmaceutical industry, in civic groups, in faith communities, in high government offices, and others. Today, the organization enjoys thriving relationships with leading medical associations, Fortune 500 companies, globally minded organizations, and senior government officials around the world. Heart to Heart is shaping the culture of these partners by helping them connect to a world in need.

The genius of Heart to Heart’s first airlift was that everything was donated: all the medicines and first-aid supplies, the cargo plane, the financial support, and the volunteer hours. Heart to Heart continues that tradition of efficiency, while always striving to deliver the highest quality in each of its humanitarian efforts. The organization is consistently among the leading humanitarian organizations in terms of fiscal responsibility. Historically, Heart to Heart operates on less than 2 percent overhead, meaning that more than 98 percent of all contributions goes directly to humanitarian operations. On average, Heart to Heart is able to leverage each $1 donation to procure and deliver $25 worth of medical aid.

WHAT WE DO

Each year, Heart to Heart is actively supporting healthcare development in nearly 60 countries around the world, including the United States. The organization identifies pockets of human need and finds ways to satisfy those needs. Heart to Heart utilizes volunteers and members of its global alliance to create a viable supply line of medical aid and other services. The primary outcome of Heart to Heart’s work is a healthier world. Because of Heart to Heart’s humanitarian programs, millions of people live healthier lives, disaster survivors have hope, newborns take their first breath, people have their sight restored, mothers survive the birthing process, and America’s poor and needy know that someone cares about them.

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Here is a summary of Heart to Heart’s global operations:

• Internationally, Heart to Heart works to improve the quality of medical care and strives to increase access to essential health services in developing countries. The organization recruits volunteers and solicits members of its global alliance to provide medical training to health professionals, advocates policy changes to make health care more affordable and available, organizes special projects aimed at raising the quality of life for vulnerable women and children, and operates effectively within the local infrastructure to create healthier communities. Heart to Heart also functions as experts in humanitarian-assistance programs within the global-response community to address broader issues such as human pandemics, child mortality, and maternal health.
• In the United States, Heart to Heart works to increase the quality of life for some of America’s poorest and most vulnerable populations. By training and placing volunteers within its agency support network, Heart to Heart expands the capacity of these institutions to serve the poor in their communities. Further, the organization engages its partners to support local and national initiatives designed to help people live healthier lives. Heart to Heart is one of only a handful of organizations that has vibrant operations both internationally and domestically.
• In times of disaster, Heart to Heart takes a holistic approach. Along with the organization’s global alliance, Heart to Heart has created a readiness structure that allows it to respond to victims of natural disaster and human tragedy anywhere in the world. As Heart to Heart mobilizes its volunteer base and alliance members, the organization works to save as many lives as possible by providing frontline medical support, durable shelter, clean drinking water, and nonperishable food items to assist survivors through the first difficult days and weeks following a crisis event. Heart to Heart then works closely with local officials in the recovery effort, so that the communities can begin to think about the future. As the rebuilding process gets underway, Heart to Heart often helps in infrastructure-building projects that focus on clinics, schools, and community centers. The organization’s ultimate goal in every crisis response is to help a better and stronger community emerge in the aftermath of a disaster. Because of Heart to Heart’s expertise in crisis response, the international relief community often calls upon the organization to lead specific initiatives aimed at restoring medical services and rebuilding lives.

If you are interesting in learning more about Heart to Heart, joining its growing force of volunteers, or getting your company or organization involved in its global alliance, contact the organization in one of the following ways:

Heart to Heart International
401 South Clairborne, Suite 302
Olathe, KS 66062

Phone: 913-764-5200
Fax: 913-764-0809
E-Mail: [email protected]
Internet: www.HeartToHeart.org