Cindy McCain has long been an advocate for children everywhere and their health care needs in particular. She founded and ran the American Voluntary medical team (AVMT) from 1988-1995. AVMT provided emergency medical and surgical care to impoverished children throughout the world. Cindy led 55 medical missions to third world and war-torn countries during AVMT's seven years of existence. In recent years, Cindy has dedicated the bulk of her volunteer time to three international organizations: The HALO Trust, Operation Smile and CARE.

The HALO Trust is a non-profit organization dedicated to landmine removal and weapons destruction in war-torn countries. HALO has 7,000 mine clearers in ten countries in Central Asia, the Caucasus, Southeast Asia, Africa and the Balkans. As a member of the Board of Trustees for the HALO Trust, Cindy has traveled to Sri Lanka, Mozambique, Angola and recently returned from her second visit to Cambodia. On each mission, she has observed the mine clearing process and seen the impact HALO has had in people's lives by removing landmines. She has worked tirelessly to raise awareness of HALO's life saving work. "It is impossible to describe the emotion of watching villages erected before your eyes as recently cleared land is handed back to its once displaced people."

Cindy also serves on the Board of Directors of Operation Smile, a non-profit organization whose mission is to repair cleft lips, cleft palates and other facial deformities for children around the world. Operation Smile also works to build partnerships between the public and private sector to advocate for sustainable healthcare systems for families. Since its founding in 1982, Operation Smile has provided free reconstructive surgery to over 100,000 children and young adults in 25 countries. Cindy has assisted on volunteer missions in Morocco, India and Vietnam. During those trips she has seen firsthand the life changing effects of Operation Smile's work.

Cindy recently joined the CARE, USA Board of Directors and traveled to Tanzania with CARE in February, 2007. CARE works to alleviate the underlying causes of poverty to help all people become self-sufficient. Special emphasis is placed on working with women including the development of community based efforts to improve basic education, increase access to clean water, prevent the spread of HIV and expand economic opportunities. CARE also provides emergency aid to disaster survivors and helps people rebuild their lives.

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