- American Refugee Committee
The American Refugee Committee (ARC) is a major international non-profit, non-sectarian organization focused on helping refugees and displaced people regain control of their lives. The group was initially founded in 1979 to provide aid to Cambodians on the Thai-Cambodian border. They've since worked throughout Africa and Asia, in places like
Iraq andKosovo . Today, the organization works in eight countries around the world, including theDarfur region of Sudan.ARC's World Headquarters are currently located in
Minneapolis .History
ARC was founded by Chicago businessman Neal Ball. After sponsoring a refugee from Cambodia and attempting to reunite the refugee's family, Ball became increasingly involved in improving the lives of refugees around the world.
Current Projects
ARC has several humanitarian programs in
Asia andAfrica . ARC provides medical care, shelter, protection services, clean water, community development support, and microloans and other opportunities to help refugees take back control of their lives. [http://www.arcrelief.org//site/PageServer?pagename=index_programs]In Africa, ARC has programs in
Liberia ,Sudan ,Darfur ,Uganda andRwanda .In Asia, ARC programs are concentrated in
Pakistan , andThailand . In Pakistan, ARC recently earned recognition for its significant work in the aftermath of the major earthquakes in Northern Pakistan. [http://www.arcrelief.org/site/PageServer?pagename=programs_earthquakepakistan] ARC also responded to the 2004 Indian Ocean Tsunami, providing relief services in Sri Lanka andIndonesia and completing its Fishing Boat Project in Thailand. [http://www.ARCrelief.org/site/PageServer?pagename=News_PR_3_10_06_a]Awards and Distinctions
ARC has been highly rated for the efficiency and effectiveness of their programs, perhaps most notably with a relatively rare A+ rating by Charitywatch.org [http://charitywatch.org/toprated.html#intrelief] , a charity watchdog site created by the
American Institute of Philanthropy to rate non-profits based on the ratio of funds spent on humanitarian aid compared to administrative overhead.Reader's Digest Magazine, Money Magazine, GiveSpot.com, and Charity Navigator also highly rated ARC.External links
American Refugee Committee [http://www.arcrelief.org main site.]
InterAction Member Site [http://www.interaction.org/members/detail.php?id=61]
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