St Ives Rotary - ShelterBox

Our Club is a supporter of the Shelterbox program, which provides essential shelter to disaster victims throughout the world. We raise funds all year around to provide shelterboxes in support of natural or man made disasters.

Once upon a time, Rotarian Tom Henderson attended a regular meeting of the Rotary Club Helston-Lizard (Cornwall UK). What he said next was to change everything.
'Hey guys, I've had an idea which could bring shelter and beds to people who have become homeless in disasters around the world and all in a single box'. 'Yeah, that sounds a good idea,' we said, 'why don't you look into it?'
Well, Tom doesn't need to be told twice! As an ex Royal Navy officer and spending his time generally doing dangerous stuff above and below the sea all over the globe, he went and found all that was needed... tents, sleeping bags, boxes, equipment - the best quality, (with some arm twisting) at the lowest cost.

He put ShelterBox together, it's administered by the Helston-Lizard Club, and boxes are sent world-wide with the help of Rotary Clubs.

ShelterBox Australia is a project of the Rotary Club of Endeavour Hills (Vic) and the accredited international affiliate of the ShelterBox Trust UK: it is a company limited by guarantee [ACN 129 338 825] and administers ShelterBox in Australia.

Tom Henderson visited Australia in 2006, then again in 2007 where he spoke at eight Rotary District Conferences. He often says, 'it's only a box.' Well, after thus far providing vital assistance to over 500,000 people worldwide, we simply say, 'that's some box Tom!'

Where ShelterBoxes are used

ShelterBoxes are sent worldwide to disaster areas. Since 2000, more than 500,000 people in some 40 countries have been assisted by ShelterBox ... and the demand continues to exceed supply. ShelterBox is now the largest Rotary Club project in the world.

Whether it be natural disasters or man made destruction ShelterBox is there at the grass roots, helping people in need. There are No borders within Rotary!

This Haitian family sleep secure under a ShelterBox tents but thousands of others still need our help. Photograph: Mark Pearson

Six months after the world was rocked by one of the worst disasters it has ever witnessed; the huge financial commitment to rebuilding permanent shelter has had little impact for the hundreds of thousands of families displaced by the earthquake.

As land ownership issues and logistics delay the massive rebuilding efforts needed, the basic tarpaulin shelters received by the majority of those made homeless is proving little match for heavy rains and the hurricane season.

Additional strain is put on the capital, Port-au-Prince, as host families are unable to support those who lost everything and people are migrating back to the struggling city.

ShelterBox Response Team volunteer, Per Dahlstrom (CA), described the situation as ‘real misery’.

During his recent trip to Haiti, distributing ShelterBox disaster relief tents, he witnessed the football-pitch sized camps where in five foot by five foot areas families had just a tarpaulin held up with branches to call home. Per said: ‘The conditions were squalid and every time it rains the ground just turns to muck’.

Phenomenal resilience

Heavy rains are now a daily occurrence, washing the streets with litter and posing further risk through the spread of diseases.

Per worked to provide shelter for orphans who were returning to the city as their host families struggled to cope - returning to the only stability they know, the school they attended before the earthquake but those are now just a distant memory.

Tom Henderson, ShelterBox Founder and CEO said: ‘The resilience of the Haitian people is phenomenal but they're still in desperate need of our help. The shelter provided by tarps isn't safe, isn't secure and will not stand up to the heavy winds and rains we can expect in the hurricane season.'

Victoria Australia

Thursday 12th February 2009 - AUSTRALIA: 50 ShelterBoxes were successful delivered to the fire-ravaged Whittlesea area yesterday. Forty boxes were distributed in Kinglake and 10 at the Whittlesea Recovery Centre. ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) volunteers Eb Friedrich (Rotary Club of Woodend) and Mark Mallman (Rotary Club of Whittlesea) were on hand for the distribution. The volunteers were joined by Jenni Heenan, General Manager for ShelterBox's Australian Affiliate office who comments, "When people saw what the ShelterBoxes contain, they could not believe they were being given a tent, blankets, a cooker and other equipment."
The Department of Human Service (DHS), working with the Victoria Police and the Australian Army is assessing further needs - a decision is likely later today. Indications are that ShelterBoxes may be needed in Marysville (where virtually the entire township has disappeared), Flowerdale, Yea, Narbethong and Buxton.

There is a continual need to replenish the ShelterBoxes. If you wish to assist, you can contact your local Rotary club, or go to the ShelterBox website.

http://www.shelterboxaustralia.com.au/library/downloads/DonationFormShelterBox.pdf