SHELTER BOX
In response to yet more depressing news of another disaster threatening the survival of millions of people Rotarian Tom Henderson from Helston in Cornwall decided to find another way of meeting the needs of the victims. His solution was incredibly simple - aren't all great ideas? A standard robust box containing an agreed selection of essential items to meet the survival needs of those most chronically affected by natural and man-made disasters wherever they occur. For details of how Tom's has helped tens of thousands of people worldwide look up www.shelterbox.org
A huge thank you from Tom Henderson OBE and everyone at ShelterBox
Dear Rotarians
As today is the 105th anniversary of Rotary International, ShelterBox would like to say ‘Happy Birthday' and ‘Thank You' to all Rotarians around the world for their incredible support in recent months and the years past.
This year also marks the tenth anniversary of ShelterBox which was founded in 2000 as the Millennium project for the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard, Cornwall, and is now the largest global Rotary Club project in the world.
Following the devastating 7.0-earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, ShelterBox has witnessed a global response to this disaster on a scale never seen before. The support for ShelterBox's work from Rotarians across the globe has been sensational and we could not carry out our work without Rotary's help.
To date, close to 10,000 ShelterBoxes have been sent to Haiti with thousands more to follow in the coming weeks and months. The response to this disaster is a long term commitment for ShelterBox and we are doing everything within our power to ensure as many Haitians as possible are provided with safe and secure shelter.
The dedication, passion, generosity, encouragement and commitment of Rotarians has been astounding. Your efforts have helped bring hope back to Haiti and all the countries we have responded to with emergency shelter over the past ten years.
The interview below is from Rotary International and features a ShelterBox Response Team member speaking from Haiti in January:
http://www.shelterbox.org/news.php?id=260
Many thanks for your continued support.
Best wishes,
Rotarian Tom Henderson, Founder and CEO of ShelterBox, and everyone at ShelterBox
UPDATE!, UPDATE!, UPDATE! - Rotary aid relief projects deliver hope to Haiti
Rotary members across Great Britain and Ireland are pushing forward with fundraising for the Haiti relief effort and have now raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for immediate emergency requirements.
A collection in Waterlooville town centre by the Rotary Club of Waterlooville, together with a further contribution from the Waterlooville Ladies Inner Wheel raised £1500 towards this needy cause. Rotary President John Cairns said " I have been stunned by the generosity of the public yet again to this very urgent appeal". A very real contribution that Rotary makes is in providing ShelterBoxes. Each ShelterBox costs £500 and contains a ten-person tent and survival equipment to help communities get though the coming months. So far 10,000 boxes have already arrived and are being allocated to the worst affected areas. Many more thousands are being prepared for shipment to the ShelterBox Response Teams who are on the ground, helping to organise distribution. It makes me very proud to be just a small part of a very large Rotary team who pull out all the stops at times such as this. Rebuilding Haitian communities is expected to take years and Rotary clubs are determined to give as much support as possible".
The success of all these projects relies on the fundraising efforts of Rotary clubs and the generosity of the public. As these boxes are sent out, more are being packed, creating a need for new boxes and further funding. Rotary clubs in Great Britain and Ireland are reaching out into communities and asking for help to support these life-saving projects.
Feb 2010 - CHILE EARTHQUAKE DISASTER - Rotary Shelter Boxes are on their way
ShelterBox is responding to the news of destruction caused by a massive earthquake which hit Chile at 0643 GMT this morning.
A ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) is currently being mobilised with two SRT members from the UK and one from the US set to deploy to the region. The 8.8 magnitude quake struck southern Chile and triggered a tsunami alert along thousands of miles of the South American coastline and beyond. It caused buildings to collapse in the Chilean capital, Santiago, 200 miles from the epicentre. It is feared thousands of homes could have been destroyed.
ShelterBox General Manager Lasse Petersen said: 'ShelterBox will respond quickly where needed, as the unfolding news becomes clearer and the scale of need is confirmed.
'A ShelterBox Response Team is preparing to mobilise as the earliest opportunity. Our thoughts go out to the people who have been affected by this disaster.'
Chile's second-largest city, Concepcion, just 75 miles from the epicentre, is likely to be the worst affected by the earthquake, with more than 200,000 people living along the Bio Bio river.
The initial quake was followed by two aftershocks measuring 6.9 and 5.5 in magnitude. The quake is Chile's largest in 25 years and Chile's president Michelle Bachelet has declared a 'state of catastrophe' in the country.
