At the close of the Cold War, Dr. Gary Morsch, a family physician from Olathe, Kan., traveled with several other medical professionals to Russia to assess the state of patient care in the Soviet Union. The group witnessed a healthcare system on the brink of collapse. Motivated by what he saw, Dr. Morsch challenged his local Rotary Club to help provide medicines and medical supplies to hospitals in Moscow. He had toured several first-rate facilities and met many talented physicians. But their pharmacies were empty, and they had no way of providing patients with life-saving medicines.

Local collection drives soon spread. Major pharmaceutical companies joined the effort by donating much-needed products. Even the U.S. government got involved by providing the largest Air Force cargo plane in its fleet to fly the medical aid to Russia. On May 22, 1992, the C-5A Galaxy aircraft landed in Moscow. The aid was distributed to 15 area hospitals, and patients began receiving the care they needed.

A gift from the heart of America to the heart of Russia—the Heart to Heart Airlift—became a reality because hundreds of volunteers and caring corporate partners joined together to help people in need. At the time, it was the largest volunteer airlift in U.S. history.

The spirit behind that first project is still alive and well at Heart to Heart International today. As we work to create healthier communities around the world, we are motivated by the same principles that guided that first group of visionaries:

Help people in need
Heart to Heart International helps millions of people each year through humanitarian initiatives that improve health in underserved communities across America and around the world.

Do it efficiently
Because of your generosity, Heart to Heart International is able to operate with a low overhead of less than 2 percent—meaning more than 98 percent of every contribution goes directly to humanitarian programs.

Let everyone serve
Heart to Heart International was founded on the belief that everyone has something to offer to those in need and can participate in our humanitarian mission.

Make it transformational
We are as interested in seeing you find a renewed sense of purpose in your life as we are in helping people in challenging situations around the world find health and hope.