SHELTERBOX

AUSTRALIA

In the current Rotary year, 2010-2011, ShelterBoxes purchased with funds donated to ShelterBox Australia have been deployed in:

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.

Shelterbox is a global Rotary humanitarian program that provides shelter, comfort and dignity to people affected by natural and other disasters. Since 2001, it has provided the rapid deployment of emergency shelter to more than 800,000 people in over 70 countries. Since it's foundation, many of the 32,000 Rotary Clubs in over 200 countries with in excess of 1.2 million members have adopted and contributed to the project.

Each ShelterBox normally holds a 10-person tent and a range of other equipment, such as:

• Thermal blankets, insulated ground sheets & insecticide treated mosquito nets
• A wood burning stove, or
• A multi-fuel stove that can burn anything from diesel to old paint!
• Cooking pans, utensils, bowls and mugs
• Collapsible water containers and water purification tablets
• Basic tool kit –hammer, axe, saw, pliers, hoe head, trenching shovel, rope etc

• A small, children's pack containing drawing books, crayons, pens etc.

However, a range of equipment is kept in stock. This allows the contents to be adjusted 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.

ShelterBox is delighted to announce a new team is now heading up ShelterBox Australia.

The team is currently based in Adelaide and in the near future will establish an additional office in Sydney.

This year, ShelterBox is celebrating its 10th Anniversary and a decade of delivering emergency disaster relief. The new ShelterBox Australia team will be doing all they can to take the project forward across Australia and to ensure that more people around the world receive help in their hour of need.

ShelterBox Australian Chairman, Tim Klar, said: 'This is a hugely exciting time for ShelterBox and for ShelterBox's presence in Australia.

'Our number one priority is to ensure we can help more people around the world who are in desperate need, largely as a result of the effects of natural disasters.'

Highly-committed ShelterBox Response Team members and Rotary Club and Rotary District appointed Representatives from across Australia, are part of an ever growing global network, ensuring ShelterBox Australia does the most, for the most.

In 2010, donations to ShelterBox from the Australian public have already helped thousands of people around the world, including many families in Haiti.

ShelterBox began as the brainchild of one Rotarian with the support of his Rotary club in year 2000 – ShelterBox has grown to become the largest Rotary Club project in the 100 year history of the organisation.

Rotarian support currently contributes an estimated 50% of ShelterBox donations. Around 5,000 rotary clubs worldwide have supported ShelterBox since it was launched.

Recognising this worldwide support from the Rotary community, ShelterBox was designated as a Global Rotary Club Project in 2009. Logos with this designation will now appear on all ShelterBoxes, tents, blankets and ancillary materials.

In any disaster a large number of victims will inevitably be children. Schools will often have been destroyed along with homes and other buildings.ShelterBox will, therefore, sometimes include blue 'school boxes' in their consignments along with the usual green boxes. These contain essential supplies for teachers, including blackboard paint and chalk, along with school equipment for 50 children.

Depending on the situation, we also sometimes send out – in about one box in 10 – a wind-up, solar-powered radio capable of receiving FM and other transmissions (LW, MW & SW) so that communities can hear broadcasts from local authorities, aid agencies etc.

All equipment is new and 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. Work is continually carried out with a range of manufacturers to improve the quality and extend the range of equipment that is available.

Each box is 23.7" (570mm) wide by 33.2" (842mm) long by 22.4" (602mm) deep – giving a capacity of 40.7gallons (185 litres). Fully packed, a box generally weighs between 110lbs and 130lbs (50 to 60kg).

When disaster strikes, ShelterBox aims to get aid to the affected areas as fast as possible. That means we cannot wait for donations to come in but have to draw immediately on existing resources. We realise people sometimes hear about a disaster in the news and want their donation to go to that particular destination but by then our ShelterBoxes are often already on the way.

This means money raised following one disaster generally ends up being used to replenish stock ready for the next emergency – which could be in a completely different part of the world (we also respond to many major events that never make the headlines but are just as big a disaster for those affected).

ShelterBox has no political or religious affiliation. Our priority is to deliver shelter to the most needy following a disaster.