ShelterBox USA Reps pictured here following their presentation to Rotary Club of West Springfield in September.  Left to right — Peter Klock, PDG Robert F. L. MacDonald, Speaker Coordinator, Alan R. Goodhind, Sue Klock and West Springfield Rotary President Derek Benton

Peter Klock displays contents of a box.

ShelterBox and tent.

ShelterBox USA Update

 East Hartford Rotarians Peter and Sue Klock have been busy pitching the ShelterBox tent, in a continuing effort to raise funds for this club-level disaster-relief project. As the  ShelterBox motto suggests “The Need Exists . . .The Need Persists.” 

As area representatives for ShelterBox USA since the summer of 2005, the Klocks have experienced positive responses from many clubs in District 7890, and especially appreciate the support of PDGs Dick Borden, Sue Atkins and Karen Andrews during that time, as well as DG Jim.  District recognition of a club’s donating ShelterBoxes as counting toward the Presidential Citation is significant.  Clubs should also consider applying for a District Simplified Grant to help fund a box.

Sue says: “Right now, we are reinforcing the message of ongoing need — ShelterBox is continually replacing inventory, to be ready to pack area-appropriate boxes when a request is made by a Rotary Club or disaster relief agency.  Also, boxes are continually being designated for the effort to provide relief for families displaced by ethnic strife in Africa, A Million for Africa, which is spearheaded by ShelterBox in cooperation with UNICEF and the UN High Command for Refugees.”  The AIDS epidemic in Africa has also created a desperate need for boxes for orphanages in Somalia, Swaziland and other countries.  The goal is to provide 100,000 boxes over the next several years to give these people shelter, hope and dignity.

Each box costs $1000, including delivery anywhere in the world — see information on contents at www.shelterboxusa.org and information on most recent shipments at www.shelterbox.org. Contact Peter, pppy@aol.com, for information about funding a box, to schedule a club visit, or request a DVD.

The Background of ShelterBox 

The ShelterBox motto is "The Need Exists, The Need Persists".  The need has been demonstrated in recent months when we have witnessed appalling disasters here at home with hurricanes pummeling our southeastern states and now the after-effects of the devastating earthquake in Pakistan.  The Klocks first became aware of and interested in ShelterBox USA at the time of last December's tsunami. Frank Collins, FRIVP and currently RI's delegate to the UN, is a member of the East Hartford Club and stepped up to the podium at their first meeting for 2005 to describe a number of ways for Rotarians to help alleviate post-tsunami suffering. Hearing that ShelterBox relief was on the ground before the International Red Cross was impressive; hearing that ShelterBoxes were dispensed and shared fairly under the watchful eye of local Rotarians was especially appealing. The Klocks opted to follow Frank's suggestion. A few months later, at June's RI Convention, Peter and Sue met Executive Director Beth Palmer and her husband, Gerry, at the ShelterBox USA display in the House of Friendship. There they became convinced to put their energies into this effort and offered to become regional representatives.

ShelterBox is the brainchild of Rotarian Tom Henderson of Helston-Lizard Club in Cornwall, England.  In 2002, while visiting friends in Florida, Tom met Jerry and Danise Hearn of the Lakewood Ranch (FL) Rotary Club.  The Hearns were impressed by Tom's idea, and created ShelterBox USA, with the Lakewood Ranch Club becoming the primary administrator for ShelterBox in this country.. An ingenious but simple and flexible approach to providing housing, bedding and clean water for areas ravaged by natural and man-made disasters, ShelterBox has been so effective, clubs in Australia and Canada also have established branches. ShelterBox Japan has joined this global, grassroots, Rotary effort. It's important to note the global emphasis. 

The typical shelter box, designed for TEN people, includes bedding, cooking aids, tools, and a clean water kit in a sturdy box which can be used on site for anything from a baby crib to an eating table. These boxes are flexible - boxes going to Africa might not contain ponchos, whereas boxes for Katrina area held two tents, ponchos but no cook stove since most users were being provided meals by agencies such as Red Cross and the Salvation Army.