ShelterBox & Rotary
Posted by Sean Paddy
on Oct 13, 2015
MISSON
To rapidly provide emergency shelter and vital aid to stabilise, protect and support communities overwhelmed by disaster and humanitarian crisis.
WHAT IS SHELTERBOX?
ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide.
ShelterBox instantly responds to earthquake, volcano, flood, hurricane, cyclone, tsunami or conflict by delivering boxes of aid. If there are families in need of emergency shelter, ShelterBox will do everything it can to help them rebuild their lives in the aftermath of a disaster.
AID
ShelterBox delivers the essentials people need to begin rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of a disaster. Every time they respond to a natural disaster or humanitarian crisis, they ensure that the aid provided is tailored to the needs of the communities in it is helping.
ShelterBoxes
ShelterBoxes include a range of items designed to help families who have lost their homes and belongings regain a sense of normality. The contents are altered, depending on the disaster, but a ShelterBox typically contains a disaster relief tent for a family of up to 10 people, thermal blankets and groundsheets, water storage and purification equipment, solar lamps, cooking utensils, a basic tool kit, mosquito nets, a children’s activity pack and and other lifesaving equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless.
Shelter kits
Shelter kits contain a selection of materials, including tools, ropes, fixings and heavy-duty tarpaulins, that can be used to make repairs on existing structures and to create emergency shelters too. Being able to provide people with these kits not only means that they can stay close to their homes and communities, but that they also have the tools to start rebuilding other buildings such as schools and clinics. The adaptable shelter kits are particularly useful in some of the most remote parts of the world, as they are very easy to transport and distribute.
ShelterBoxes
ShelterBoxes include a range of items designed to help families who have lost their homes and belongings regain a sense of normality. The contents are altered, depending on the disaster, but a ShelterBox typically contains a disaster relief tent for a family of up to 10 people, thermal blankets and groundsheets, water storage and purification equipment, solar lamps, cooking utensils, a basic tool kit, mosquito nets, a children’s activity pack and and other lifesaving equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless.
Shelter kits
Shelter kits contain a selection of materials, including tools, ropes, fixings and heavy-duty tarpaulins, that can be used to make repairs on existing structures and to create emergency shelters too. Being able to provide people with these kits not only means that they can stay close to their homes and communities, but that they also have the tools to start rebuilding other buildings such as schools and clinics. The adaptable shelter kits are particularly useful in some of the most remote parts of the world, as they are very easy to transport and distribute.
Tents
A range of tents are offered and are each suited to different situations. Most commonly distributes are the ShelterBox distinctive white tents, which have been specifically designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and temperatures. In addition, more compact versions of these tents are sometimes provided, which are smaller to transport, easier to put up and take up less space. They are ideal for responses where space is at a premium or where temporary shelter is required for a shorter amount of time, such as flooding. In certain situations, most frequently when supporting refugees, tents made to the specifications of the United Nations and the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent are supplied. By supplying these tents, ShelterBox is able to work together with other organizations to respond to large-scale crises and ensure that the families we help each receive the same quality of aid. Also, these tents are designed for longer-term use and are therefore most suitable for people who will not be able to return to their own homes in the foreseeable future. ShelterBox has recently added a tent created specifically for cold weather climates to our range of aid. These are quilted, three layer tents that have been designed so that a stove can be safely placed and used inside.
SchoolBoxes
In any disaster a large number of people without shelter will inevitably be children. Schools will often have been destroyed along with homes and other buildings. ShelterBox will, therefore, sometimes include ‘SchoolBoxes' in their aid consignments. These contain essential supplies for teachers, including blackboard paint and chalk, along with school equipment for 50 children.
A range of tents are offered and are each suited to different situations. Most commonly distributes are the ShelterBox distinctive white tents, which have been specifically designed to withstand extreme weather conditions and temperatures. In addition, more compact versions of these tents are sometimes provided, which are smaller to transport, easier to put up and take up less space. They are ideal for responses where space is at a premium or where temporary shelter is required for a shorter amount of time, such as flooding. In certain situations, most frequently when supporting refugees, tents made to the specifications of the United Nations and the International Federation of the Red Cross and the Red Crescent are supplied. By supplying these tents, ShelterBox is able to work together with other organizations to respond to large-scale crises and ensure that the families we help each receive the same quality of aid. Also, these tents are designed for longer-term use and are therefore most suitable for people who will not be able to return to their own homes in the foreseeable future. ShelterBox has recently added a tent created specifically for cold weather climates to our range of aid. These are quilted, three layer tents that have been designed so that a stove can be safely placed and used inside.
SchoolBoxes
In any disaster a large number of people without shelter will inevitably be children. Schools will often have been destroyed along with homes and other buildings. ShelterBox will, therefore, sometimes include ‘SchoolBoxes' in their aid consignments. These contain essential supplies for teachers, including blackboard paint and chalk, along with school equipment for 50 children.
Additional aid
ShelterBox is constantly evolving as a charity and continues to develop a range of aid items to reflect the different needs for each disaster. Sometimes they supplement their aid with special items, such as tent winterization kits, which include partition walls that help keep heat in, along with insulated sleeping mats that can be stuffed with materials such as straw to create warm mattresses. During other emergencies, they may send out items, such as tents, blankets or water filtration equipment in bulk. It is essential to ShelterBox to always support the needs of those who have survived disasters and this can vary enormously based on the type and scale of a disaster. ShelterBox also does this to maximise donors’ money ensuring that they only send what is really needed and appropriate for the situation and culture.
ShelterBox is constantly evolving as a charity and continues to develop a range of aid items to reflect the different needs for each disaster. Sometimes they supplement their aid with special items, such as tent winterization kits, which include partition walls that help keep heat in, along with insulated sleeping mats that can be stuffed with materials such as straw to create warm mattresses. During other emergencies, they may send out items, such as tents, blankets or water filtration equipment in bulk. It is essential to ShelterBox to always support the needs of those who have survived disasters and this can vary enormously based on the type and scale of a disaster. ShelterBox also does this to maximise donors’ money ensuring that they only send what is really needed and appropriate for the situation and culture.
RESPONSE
Since its inception in 2000, ShelterBox has firmly established itself at the forefront of international disaster relief, providing emergency shelter for the people who need it most on every continent. ShelterBox has tracking systems to monitor weather systems around the globe and anticipate the likely scale of hurricanes and cyclones. In addition, an earthquake alert system gives immediate notice of any seismic activity that could result in a humanitarian disaster. ShelterBox works with international aid agencies and Rotary clubs worldwide who also relay information when they become aware of an urgent need for shelter. ShelterBox aims to get the first shipment of boxes dispatched to a disaster area within 2–3 days where a ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) meets it. ShelterBox tries to get to the disaster as quickly as possible and aims to be one of the first organizations on the ground.
FUNDING & ROTARY
ShelterBox relies entirely on donations to make their work possible. About half of the funds come direct from the UK public, the rest is raised by international affiliates.
The cost of a typical ShelterBox is £490, including delivery direct to those who need it. Each box bears its own unique number so as a donor you can track your box all the way to its recipient country via the website. Highly trained ShelterBox Response Teams distribute boxes on the ground, working closely with local organizations, international aid agencies and Rotary clubs worldwide.
ShelterBox has also recently joined a network of experts who can be called on by the UK Government in times of international crisis, such as famine, floods and earthquakes. The new facility allows organizations with experience in disaster response to access funding within hours, thereby reaching affected people faster and saving more lives. It will mean the best organizations from across the UK can be mobilized in the critical first 72 hours following a disaster.
Public donations continue to be of vital importance to ShelterBox as the new Rapid Response Fund will only be activated in the event of a large-scale crisis.
Rotary International signed a temporary agreement with ShelterBox in March 2012 which increases their joint capacity to help families around the world displaced by disaster. The agreement formalizes the twelve-year bond between the two organizations and cements the place of Rotarians around the world at the heart of ShelterBox activities. It is the first time that any organization has become an officially recognised ‘Project Partner’ of Rotary International.
Recently, Rotary International agreed to extend the agreement with ShelterBox for one year through 31 March 2016. Rotary clubs across Great Britain and Ireland raise around £1.5 million each year for the charity and some Rotarians are ShelterBox Response Team members who go out to disaster areas and provide hands-on help during times of need. These disasters can be anything from dealing with the aftermath of tsunamis to helping refugees from war-torn countries who have fled conflict.
Today, ShelterBox, along with Rotarian across Europe, continues its ongoing efforts (since 2011) in providing aid to the thousands of refugees fleeing Syria. See full story here.
For more information on ShelterBox and Rotary, click here.