Religious minorities lived as second-class citizens with limited rights under the oppressive rule of the Ottoman government. The once-powerful Empire began its slow decline when territories such as Bulgaria and Serbia sought independence.

By 1914, civil rights for Ottoman Armenians finally seemed within reach. But, with the world descending into war, the quest for equality would soon become a struggle to survive.

Ambassador Morgenthau informed the U.S. State Department of the "campaign of race extermination" in the Ottoman Empire. In September 1915, a group of American businessmen, educators, and philanthropists formed a committee to address the atrocities. That committee later became Near East Relief.

Near East Relief embarked upon an unprecedented rescue mission. The organization created orphanages to care for thousands of children. Near East Relief ultimately saved more than 1 million lives.

Near East Relief launched a fundraising initiative that would change the face of international philanthropy. The organization used words, photographs, graphic design, and the new medium of film to create a truly multimedia campaign. There was an outpouring support from the American people. Near East Relief raised $116 million.

In September 1922, fires tore through the port city of Smyrna, destroying the Armenian and Greek quarters. This disaster was a turning point in Near East Relief's work. Relief workers curtailed operations in Turkey and evacuated approximately 22,000 children to Greece, Syria, Palestine, and the Caucasus.

From 1915 - 1930, Near East Relief raised more than 132,000 children in a vast orphanage system. Near East Relief provided food, clothing, shelter, and vocational training. Children living in nearby refugee communities also benefitted from orphanage resources.

The violence and turbulent changes of the 1910s and early 1920s slowed by the mid-1920s. Refugees started new lives and new communities. Orphans grew into young adulthood as the region settled into fragile new divisions. It was time for Near East Relief to change as well.