Catholic Relief Services - Helping Children Since World War II

It was December 1945, and the United States military government in Austria was hard at work helping to rebuild that country from the devastation of World War II.

A representative from the National Catholic Welfare Conference (War Relief Services) arrived in Vienna that month with some good news for U.S. military officials. Humanitarian aid for Austria would be forthcoming from the charity, which had been founded by American Catholic bishops.

That September, the U.S. and its allies had started providing school lunches in Austria to fight child malnutrition and encourage class attendance. But maintaining supplies for a school lunch program over years of reconstruction was a monumental challenge.

War Relief Services had a special impact in postwar Austria, supplying precious meals to malnourished children. With serious food shortages crises in the country, it was crucial to ensure these meals for children.

In July 1946, War Relief Services helped contribute food to continue the meal program even when the schools were closed for the summer. The organization became more deeply involved in supporting school meals in Austria. A December 1947 report by the U.S. military government stated, “The U.S. Zone School Feeding Program received 40 tons of food donated by the National Catholic Welfare Conference - War Relief Services.” During 1948, sizable donations of food to the Austria program continued, augmenting school feeding efforts being carried out by UNICEF.

School lunches were a vital part of Austria’s and Europe’s recovery after World War II, with War Relief Services among the charities playing a significant role. Following WWII, the organization expanded to many other countries and eventually took on the name Catholic Relief Services (CRS), which it holds today. Catholic Relief Services is the official international humanitarian agency of the U.S. Catholic community.

Tragically, WWII was not the last time conflict would strike Europe and put people in need of humanitarian assistance. In 1992 war erupted in Bosnia-Herzegovina after it declared independence from the former Yugoslavia. The fighting killed over 200,000 people and displaced over two million. Catholic Relief Services responded with emergency assistance during the conflict, and, as in post-WWII Austria, supplied school meals during the reconstruction period.

Article Author: William Lambers

William Lambers is the author of "The Roadmap to End Global Hunger," which focuses on the legislation in Congress that would put global hunger at the top of Obama administration's agenda. He is also the author of "Ending World Hunger: School Lunches …

Visit William Lambers's author page — William Lambers's Blog