Moved by the plight, devastation and suffering of the people of Eritrea in the mid 1980s due to its war-torn history with neighboring Ethiopia, the founder of Volunteers on Call, Inc. was shaken by pictures of a struggling nation thousands of miles away.

Almost daily, the world witnessed through newspapers and television images of under-nourished children with bloated stomachs, missing hair and lifeless expressions. Portrayals of helpless mothers, holding children on the doorsteps of death, and powerless to save them both touched and rallied Ms Bowgen.

Compelled by a sense of urgency volunteers went to work. Gathering churches, civic groups, individual humanitarians and one of the largest international humanitarian organizations specializing in disaster airlifts, more than two tons of powdered milk was delivered to the starving children of Eritrea.