Care Package

     Few of you remember the original Care Packages, but they were boxes of goodies that brightened the day wherever and whenever they arrived. In 1945, the newly formed CARE (then the Cooperative for American Remittances to Europe) initiated a program to send food relief to Europe, where large numbers of people were at risk of starvation in the wake of World War II. The organization obtained permission from the United States government to send U.S. Army surplus "10-in-1" food parcels to Europe. The "10-in-1" parcels had been prepared for an invasion of Japan, which never transpired. Americans were given the opportunity to purchase a CARE Package for 10 dollars to send to friends or relatives in Europe. Packages were guaranteed to arrive within four months. Even when a donor did not know an address of a beneficiary, CARE would find that person using the last address known. The CARE package thus became a "missing person" service in the chaos following World War II.

The content of a CARE Package in West Germany 1948

The first CARE Packages contained:

• one pound (450 g) of beef in broth
• one pound (450 g) of steak and kidneys
• 8 ounces (230 g) of liver loaf
• 8 ounces (230 g) of corned beef
• 12 ounces (340 g) of luncheon loaf (like Spam)
• 8 ounces (230 g) of bacon
• two pounds (910 g) of margarine
• one pound (450 g) of lard
• one pound (450 g) of fruit preserves
• one pound (450 g) of honey
• one pound (450 g) of raisins
• one pound (450 g) of chocolate
• two pounds (910 g) of sugar
• 8 ounces (230 g) of powdered eggs
• two pounds (910 g) of whole-milk powder
• two pounds (910 g) of coffee

Later CARE Packages included food for different cultural diets as well as non-food items including tools, blankets, school supplies, and medicine.

     Now that you've had your history lesson, today we received a wonderful Care Package. There was no Spam, but a wonderful hunk of Salami and cheese that will be tried soon. The gift goes a long way to soften the edges of discomfort caused by our not sitting on the edge of Penobscot Bay for the summer. Here's a shot of the package from Morse's Sauerkraut. 

      Many thanks to Dick and Eleanor Roth and Bernie and Ann Dunn.