Barb's Sharebook 

Entertaining. Educational. Exhausting. Empowering. CARE's National Conference & Celebration was all of that and more! I really wish you could have joined us. It was a jam-packed two days, full of learning, meeting fellow CARE supporters and most importantly bringing a clear message to Washington, D.C.: Americans are invested in the fight against global poverty!

As busload after busload of CARE advocates arrived on Capitol Hill, we fanned out to engage in more than 290 meetings with policymakers. We talked about some of the most important issues poor communities face: hunger, climate change and opportunities for all children.

And our leaders heard us. How do we know? Because just days later, 26 new co-sponsors signed onto the child marriage prevention act in the House and another nine in the Senate! After one day of meetings on the Hill, CARE supporters helped mobilize elected officials to fight poverty and defend the dignity of all people. Just imagine what we can do together over the next year!

Building on the conference’s success, our goal now is to make sure every member of Congress becomes a supporter of the child marriage law. Please, send a quick note to your elected officials encouraging them to stand up for girls’ rights. That simple action can help stop the practice that pushes 25,000 girls into marriage everyday!

To celebrate this year's conference theme, ''Many Voices, One Movement,'' we created a photo mosaic. We think it's the perfect representation of the conference: Each of us is a powerful figure on our own, but together we can be so much more!

Meet up with us at www.careconference.org and browse more photos, videos and stories. (The highlight reel with a Michael Franti soundtrack is my favorite!)

Again, thank you for all you are doing to support CARE. We hope you'll stay engaged with CARE as we strive to create lasting change and build a better world for all. See you in Washington next year!

With sincere appreciation,

Helene D. Gayle, MD, MPH
President and CEO, CARE