Shelterbox comes to Delphi!
Verne Seehausen, District 6540 Shelterbox contact person &
Charter Member of the Rotary Club of Schererville, came to Tuesday's meeting (6/15/10) from Munster and educated the Club on everything Shelterbox...
...does in connection with Rotary worldwide to help those in need. Seehausen shared stories about what Shelterbox Response Teams go through in getting their boxes to their destinations, what is in a Shelterbox, & how you can contribute as a Club or other organization. Verne even brought a Shelterbox with him (which are hard to find with so much need from all the natural disasters recently!) for us to poke through! The Rotary Club of Delphi even took up a collection to donate to the cause.
ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide.
http://www.shelterboxusa.org/
Want to see pictures? Click on the link above!
ShelterBoxes are sponsored by service clubs, Rotary Clubs, school and church groups, businesses and individuals throughout the USA and around the world.
The standard ShelterBox weighs 110 lbs. and has approximate dimensions of 2'3" x 1'4" x 11". They are sealed and banded for transit and security. Box contents vary depending on the nature of the disaster requiring their use.
Only new equipment is used and is carefully selected for durability, practicality and suitability for where it is needed.
Tough, lightweight and waterproof, the box itself can also have many useful functions from food container to cot. We also continually work with a range of manufacturers to improve the quality and extend the range of equipment that we have available.
A range of equipment is kept in stock. This lets us adjust the contents of the box according to local conditions and what is most urgently needed.
Sometimes, particularly if other resources are available locally and the overwhelming need is for shelter, we will just send tents and pack two in each box.
Each box costs an average of $1,000 including all materials, packing, storage and distribution to individual recipients worldwide.
Shelter
At the heart of every ShelterBox is a disaster relief tent for a family of up to 10 people. It is custom made for ShelterBox by Vango, one of the world's leading tent manufacturers, and is designed to withstand extreme temperatures, high winds and heavy rainfall. Internally, each tent has privacy partitions that allow recipients to divide the space as they see fit.
A smile
A children's pack containing drawing books, crayons and pens. For children who have lost most, if not all,their possessions, these small gifts are treasured.
Warmth and protection
In addition to the tent, there is a range of other survival equipment including thermal blankets and insulated ground sheets, essential in areas where temperatures plummet at nightfall. Where malaria is prevalent mosquito nets are supplied, as well a life saving means of water purification. Water supplies often become contaminated after a major disaster, as infrastructure and sanitation systems are destroyed, this presents a secondary but no less dangerous threat to survivors than the initial disaster itself.
Self sufficiency
A basic tool kit containing a hammer, axe, saw, trenching shovel, hoe head, pliers and wire cutters enables people to improve their immediate environment, by chopping firewood or digging a latrine, for example. Then, when it is possible, to start repairing or rebuilding the home they were forced to leave.
Fit for purpose
Every item is durable, practical and brand new. The box itself is lightweight and waterproof and has been used for a variety of purposes in the past - from water and food storage containers to a cot for a newly born baby.
A heart to the home
Key items are either a wood burning or multi-fuel stove. The multi-fuel stove can burn anything from diesel to old paint. Some boxes also contain our specially designed wood burning Frontier Stove, pictured below. This provides the heart of the new home where water is boiled, food is cooked and families congregate. In addition, there are pans, utensils, bowls, mugs and water storage containers.
Adaptability
We keep a broad range of equipment in stock so we can adapt the contents of a box to a specific disaster. For example, following the Javanese earthquake in 2006, when some resources were available locally or could be salvaged from buildings, the overwhelming need was for shelter - so we just sent tents, packing two in each box.
ShelterBox USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing shelter, warmth, and comfort to survivors of disaster worldwide.
Our organization is supported by individual US citizens and organizations, including Rotary Clubs, other service & community groups, schools, religious groups, businesses, and small private foundations.
ShelterBox is an international disaster relief charity that delivers emergency shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by disaster worldwide.
http://www.shelterboxusa.org/
Want to see pictures? Click on the link above!
ShelterBoxes are sponsored by service clubs, Rotary Clubs, school and church groups, businesses and individuals throughout the USA and around the world.
The standard ShelterBox weighs 110 lbs. and has approximate dimensions of 2'3" x 1'4" x 11". They are sealed and banded for transit and security. Box contents vary depending on the nature of the disaster requiring their use.
Only new equipment is used and is carefully selected for durability, practicality and suitability for where it is needed.
Tough, lightweight and waterproof, the box itself can also have many useful functions from food container to cot. We also continually work with a range of manufacturers to improve the quality and extend the range of equipment that we have available.
A range of equipment is kept in stock. This lets us adjust the contents of the box according to local conditions and what is most urgently needed.
Sometimes, particularly if other resources are available locally and the overwhelming need is for shelter, we will just send tents and pack two in each box.
Each box costs an average of $1,000 including all materials, packing, storage and distribution to individual recipients worldwide.
Shelter
At the heart of every ShelterBox is a disaster relief tent for a family of up to 10 people. It is custom made for ShelterBox by Vango, one of the world's leading tent manufacturers, and is designed to withstand extreme temperatures, high winds and heavy rainfall. Internally, each tent has privacy partitions that allow recipients to divide the space as they see fit.
A smile
A children's pack containing drawing books, crayons and pens. For children who have lost most, if not all,their possessions, these small gifts are treasured.
Warmth and protection
In addition to the tent, there is a range of other survival equipment including thermal blankets and insulated ground sheets, essential in areas where temperatures plummet at nightfall. Where malaria is prevalent mosquito nets are supplied, as well a life saving means of water purification. Water supplies often become contaminated after a major disaster, as infrastructure and sanitation systems are destroyed, this presents a secondary but no less dangerous threat to survivors than the initial disaster itself.
Self sufficiency
A basic tool kit containing a hammer, axe, saw, trenching shovel, hoe head, pliers and wire cutters enables people to improve their immediate environment, by chopping firewood or digging a latrine, for example. Then, when it is possible, to start repairing or rebuilding the home they were forced to leave.
Fit for purpose
Every item is durable, practical and brand new. The box itself is lightweight and waterproof and has been used for a variety of purposes in the past - from water and food storage containers to a cot for a newly born baby.
A heart to the home
Key items are either a wood burning or multi-fuel stove. The multi-fuel stove can burn anything from diesel to old paint. Some boxes also contain our specially designed wood burning Frontier Stove, pictured below. This provides the heart of the new home where water is boiled, food is cooked and families congregate. In addition, there are pans, utensils, bowls, mugs and water storage containers.
Adaptability
We keep a broad range of equipment in stock so we can adapt the contents of a box to a specific disaster. For example, following the Javanese earthquake in 2006, when some resources were available locally or could be salvaged from buildings, the overwhelming need was for shelter - so we just sent tents, packing two in each box.
ShelterBox USA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to providing shelter, warmth, and comfort to survivors of disaster worldwide.
Our organization is supported by individual US citizens and organizations, including Rotary Clubs, other service & community groups, schools, religious groups, businesses, and small private foundations.