The beginnings of CARO go back to the year 2000 when Stephanie Wanner asked her father Robert Wanner to travel with her to Romania where she was volunteering to work with an NGO at a small non government group home and at a  state orphanage in Medias Romania. The tragic circumstances of these children were the consequence of the insane leadership of the despot Ceauscecu who had required families in abject poverty to have a minimum of five children. 

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Upon their return to Canada Robert, with the support of his wife Joan, their daughters, good friends Wally and Sharon Regher and good friend Allan Hunt began raising funds to send to Medias. From the outset CARO leadership was driven by two abiding principles

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• Let local leaders and agencies determine the priorities as to where financial contributions should be allocated and

• Volunteers who work for CARO do so pro bono with no remuneration.

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In those first years money was raised for the orphanage, computers for a school and a contingent of Medicine Hat College ECD students who with Allan Hunt travelled to Romania to volunteer in the orphanage. 

Finally in 2003 the decision was made to legally incorporate as Canadian’s Reaching Out to the World’s Children (CARO) and shortly thereafter CARO was approved as a Canada Revenue Charitable Foundation. Funding continued for numerous projects in Romania as well as partnerships with different individuals to support projects in India, Mexico as well hot lunch programs in Medicine Hat schools and support for local skateboarders. 

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In circa 2004 CARO was approached by Garrett Johnson, a local Medicine Hat youth who had just returned home from a six-month bilingual student placement in Yako, Burkina Faso. Garrett lived with the Zida family, Yako community leaders who had established the Teega Wende orphanage for abandoned and orphaned children. The centre was staffed by women, most of whom were single mothers who took turns caring for the children as well as each other’s children. Garrett approached CARO to support Teega Wende. CARO provided an initial modest contribution of $500.00. By the end of 2021 CARO had provided more than $589,000.00 to Teega Wende. In addition several groups of volunteers travelled and stayed and volunteered in Teege Wende since the partnership began.

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Since its inception CARO has invested approximately $800,000.00 for both international and local support to aid children, their families and communities. For nearly a decade funds were generated at the CARO – Connaught Annual Golf tournament in addition to fundraising events, local contributors and some government grants prior to their elimination. In recent years fundraising events have been limited. In 2022 discussions began with MHART,  a dedicated group of volunteers who have and are resettling refugee families from Syria and other war ravaged countries into Canada. A new and exciting partnership was formed with new energy with shared convictions into CARO's next bright chapter.