Submitted by Pam Crouser, Rotary Club of Fernandina
January 5, 2017 10:00 a.m.
The Rotary Club of Fernandina has achieved a milestone of having funded twenty-five ShelterBoxes through Rotary International’s partnership with ShelterBox International. The club first began supporting the ShelterBox effort in 2006. The boxes are deployed to areas throughout the world overwhelmed by disaster or humanitarian crisis.
A representative of ShelterBox International will be the featured speaker at the Club’s January 11 meeting, both in observance of the milestone and to demonstrate the device to the club and interested members of the community. Interested members of the public who would like to see the device can do so at the Florida House Inn Conference Center on 4th Street beginning at 11:30 am on January 11. For an invitation to join our club for lunch and hear the presentation, please call Pam Crouser, President of the Club at (904)616-3501.
A ShelterBox provides the essentials a family needs to begin rebuilding their lives in the aftermath of a natural disaster or humanitarian crisis. They are among the first resources to arrive on site, anywhere in the world, following any kind of disaster.
Each ShelterBox is tailored to the disaster location, but typically contains a durable family-sized disaster relief tent (see photos), thermal blankets and groundsheets, water storage and purification equipment, solar lamps, cooking utensils, a basic tool kit, mosquito nets and a children’s activity pack.
The box, with dimensions of 33” x 24” x 22” has certain standard items and capabilities, with some variations available and tailored to the unique conditions in the area in need. The box, itself, is lightweight and waterproof and useable for multiple purposes, including food or water storage, or as a cot for a small child. Internally, each tent has privacy partitions which are moveable to reflect the user’s needs and is designed to meet extreme conditions in the respective area of deployment. For example, one model is useable in colder climates, with a chimney allowing for a heat source and cooking inside; another model offers mosquito netting for areas where malaria is prevalent. Durable kitchen items include cooking pans, utensils, bowls, mugs and water storage containers. The boxes also contain tool kits to support the affected family in making repairs and beginning the process of rebuilding.
The Rotary Club does so many amazing things not just for our own community, but across the world. Thanks for all that you do!