In 1947, Dr. Bob Pierce had an encounter that changed his life. While on a mission trip to China, Pierce met a battered, abandoned child named White Jade who was temporarily in the care of her teacher. Pierce gave his last five dollars to Jade's teacher along with a promise to send the same amount each month so the child would be cared for.

This encounter inspired Pierce to build an organization that would address the needs of children across the world—World Vision. The first child sponsorship program began in 1953, in response to the needs of hundreds of thousands of orphans after the Korean War. Now, World Vision reaches out to more than 90 developing countries worldwide.

In 1957, Canada's first World Vision office opened in a tiny space in downtown Toronto. Today, the new national headquarters, based in Mississauga, is one of the largest and busiest offices in the partnership.

As Canada's largest private relief and development agency, we rely on the support of individuals, corporate partners and government bodies. World Vision addresses the needs of the world's marginalized and poor on several fronts, striving to create development programs that are sustainable in the areas and communities we work in.

With the help of 607,319 donors, World Vision Canada is a partner in more than 390 projects globally, helping millions of impoverished people. Canadians sponsor more than 454,309 children around the world.

World Vision focuses on fostering change in developing countries and answering the call of those in emergency situations. We work to change unjust policies and structures, through foreign policy and development projects, to improve the lives of the poor.

A long history of partnering with the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA) and with other government bodies has enabled us to become a leader in overseas development. These partnerships allow the organization to address many global issues that put children at risk, including HIV/AIDS intervention, child poverty, armed conflict, and health and nutrition issues.

World Vision's mission each day is to make our vision statement a reality: "Our hope for every child, life in all its fullness. Our prayer for every heart, the will to make it so." Each year brings us closer to that goal.