Lawrence Central Rotary Donates Shelterbox

In July of 2011, the Lawrence Central Rotary Club elected to begin a fund drive to raise $1000 to purchase a Shelter Box from ShelterBox USA. George Brenner and Lynn O’Neal, MD were the first contributors to the fund.

Over the course of the the year, at each weekly club meeting, a raffle was held to raise funds for the Shelter Box drive.

The winner of each raffle was allowed to donate her or his winnings to the fund. Thanks to the winners who donated their profits back to the club, we were able to raise approximately $80 per month.

Lawrence Central Rotary looks forward to monitoring the location and use of our shelter box and we hope our small contribution will help a family to survive during a time of crisis.

If you are unaware, ShelterBox is an international aid organization that provides emergency shelter and life-saving equipment following disasters such as earthquake, volcano, flood, hurricane, cyclone, tsunami or conflict.

More than a decade ago, ShelterBox founder, Tom Henderson asked himself what his family would need to survive if they lost their home. His question became a quest to provide a compact, universal tool kit to families displaced by disasters. ShelterBox would afford dignity, self-sufficiency and most importantly, human survival in the chaotic weeks following an earthquake, tsunami, landslide, flood or other disaster.

The top priority of many aid organizations is to provide food, water and medical care to help people survive the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Without protection from the elements, survivors are at a higher risk as they await nourishment or medical attention. We recognized that little or no assistance was given in terms of proper shelter to help them through the first few days, weeks and months as they tried to rebuild their lives. In response, ShelterBox developed a solution to help disaster survivors during the critical period following a disaster but preceding reconstruction.

Each box supplies an extended family with a tent and life-saving equipment to use while they are displaced or homeless. The contents are tailored depending on the nature and location of the disaster, with great care taken sourcing every item to ensure it is robust enough to be of lasting value.

The donation amount to sponsor each box is $1,000, which includes 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 web site.

Highly trained ShelterBox Response Teams distribute boxes on the ground, working closely with local organizations, international aid agencies and a global network of volunteers.

Since its inception in 2000, ShelterBox has firmly established itself at the forefront of international disaster relief, providing emergency shelter for people who need it most following more than 180 disasters in over 80 countries.

They rely on public donations and could not operate without the generosity of people the world over. Shelterbox’s supporters constantly go the extra mile to help make a difference to the lives of families who survive disasters.