Catholic priest, Fr. Giordano Belanich, founded Croatian Relief in 1992 to mobilize humanitarian aid for the victims of the wars in Croatia and Bosnia. By organizing the Croatian diaspora community in the United States and throughout the world, Croatian Relief Services was able to aid tens of thousands of individuals affected by this disaster.
As the violence in the Balkans died down, Croatian Relief Services continued its outreach to victims of war, natural disaster, and extreme poverty throughout the world, and has had a positive impact on countless lives. In 2010, after a catastrophic 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Croatian Relief Services opened the Cardinal Stepinac Children’s Home. The Children’s Home provides a loving and nurturing environment for over 40 orphaned and abandoned children, and has become a focal point of our mission. Croatian Relief Services continues to provide humanitarian assistance for the poorest of the poor in Croatia, Haiti, and throughout the world.