Joe Wernicke

Joe Wernicke was born in Germany in 1947, two years after the end of World War II. His family moved frequently until they settled in a town near the Danish border. Soon after, they began receiving CARE Packages sent by an American woman named Clara. For Joe, the packages would always be associated with delicious Hershey’s Kisses and the idea that a stranger cared for his well-being.

Joe remembers that first package clearly. “We were standing in the hallway, and I remember thinking: if I am ever in any sort of position in my life where I can, I am going to give back to CARE.”

It wasn’t until 1984—when Joe became a research physician with Eli Lilly—that he was able to give back to CARE. His first gift was $100. In 2004, when the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami struck Indonesia, Eli Lilly pledged to help with relief efforts. Joe promptly contacted the future chief executive officer to recommend that funds be donated to CARE, which led to one of CARE’s first corporate partnerships and a $500,000 gift from the company.

Joe and his wife, Rose, continue to support CARE annually and have made the generous decision to include CARE in their estate plans. By naming CARE as a beneficiary of their IRA, they have ensured that their legacy will live on through CARE’s programming. Joe has truly lived out his dream of giving back to the organization that gave him hope when he was just 8 years old.