Respected Charitable Organizations Announce Merger
Contact: Gary Becks, CEO 760-930-9089
Merger of World Emergency Relief and Rescue Task Force strengthens ability to deliver vital relief services (CARLSBAD, CALIFORNIA) – In an effort to provide more efficient and effective delivery of vitally needed programs and services, World Emergency Relief (WER) and Rescue Task Force (RTF) announce their merger following approval by the organizations’ two boards of directors. The combined organizations will now move forward toward a seamless integration of the two nonprofit organizations into one corporate entity.
The new organization will be based at the WER offices in Carlsbad, California from where RTF and WER will continue operating their projects under their respective RTF and WER banners. World Emergency Relief’s Board of Directors has appointed Gary Becks as Chief Executive Officer of the newly merged organization. Becks served as Rescue Task Force CEO and also has held a seat on World Emergency Relief‘s Board of Directors for over 20 years.
“I have always been a part of the WER family,” said Gary Becks. “WER provided much of the original seed money for Rescue Task Force over 20 years ago and we have worked together at just about every disaster during the past two decades. This merger just makes the relationship official.”
Michael Batarsah, Board Chairman of World Emergency Relief, and John Linehan, Board Chairman of Rescue Task Force, point out that the longstanding informal relationship between the two organizations and the mutual objectives shared by both organizations led to a decision to combine resources and personnel into a single entity, including shared onsite warehousing, international networks for service delivery, and the combined talents of the respective staffs and volunteers.
“In these challenging economic circumstances, it makes the most sense for our groups to work together and capture combined costs,” said Linehan.
Both organizations’ current array of domestic and international services and programs and serving children, communities affected by natural disasters worldwide, and support for American military personnel will be greatly enhanced and now conducted at even lower overhead costs.
About World Emergency Relief
World Emergency Relief (WER) is a non-profit organization established in 1985. In addition to WER’s headquarters based in Carlsbad, California, WER also has international offices. World Emergency Relief’s (WER) vision is to give children all over the world a living chance by addressing their practical, emotional, spiritual and economic needs, as well as the needs of their families and communities. For more information, visit online at www.wer-us.org
About Rescue Task Force
Rescue Task Force (RTF) is a San Diego County based non-profit relief agency that responds to natural and man-made disasters world-wide. In addition to local military and military family support through their “Happy Hearts for Hurting Heroes” Back Pack program, RTF delivers volunteer medical and dental teams into the jungles villages of Honduras and has constructed three full service medical and dental clinic facilities deep in the jungles of Honduras’ Miskito Coast. RTF also operates fifteen schools for women in Afghanistan. For more information, visit online at www.rescuetaskforce.org
