Rotarians, public called to help disaster victims through ShelterBox

Sep. 17--ENID, Okla. -- Providing shelter and food for victims of the world's worst disasters was the topic at Enid Rotary Club on Monday, during a presentation on the nonprofit group ShelterBox.

ShelterBox was founded in 2000 in Cornwall, England, by Rotary Club International to "transform despair into hope" by providing "emergency shelter and tools for families robbed of their homes by disaster," according to the group's website.

Jack Werner, a member of Rotary Club of South Oklahoma City and a representative for ShelterBox in Oklahoma and parts of Texas and New Mexico, talked Monday about the nonprofit's efforts to bring life-sustaining supplies to some of the estimated 85 million people around the world left homeless by natural disaster and conflict, according to ShelterBox figures.

Werner said he first heard of ShelterBox's work five years ago at a Rotary convention in Santa Fe, N.M. Donated funds are used to stock large green totes with tents, food, water purifiers, tools and other supplies, which are then delivered by trained volunteers to disaster sites around the globe.

"It's basically everything a family of four would need, right now, to survive for two weeks," Werner said.

He said many items from the ShelterBox kits, such as solar-powered lanterns, tools and tents, can be found in use years after the disaster for which they were distributed. And, each shipment of boxes is specifically designed for the climate and circumstances of the disaster.

"They really put a lot of time, energy and professional thought into how they load these boxes," Werner said.

The project and its efforts to help those in need stuck with Werner, but he soon found ShelterBox didn't have a presence among Rotary clubs in Oklahoma.

When he attended another Rotary convention in Atlanta, Ga., two years ago, Werner sought to remedy that. He signed up to represent ShelterBox, and now travels the region, speaking to Rotary clubs and drumming up support for the organization's work.

Each box of supplies costs ShelterBox about $1,000 to provide and deliver to the field, and the organization is asking each of Rotary Club International's more-than 32,000 clubs to make a $3,000 commitment over the next three years.

But, Rotary's commitment to the supply boxes doesn't end when the boxes are packed and shipped. Volunteer Rotarians, on specially-trained ShelterBox Response Teams (SRT), accompany each shipment until it is delivered directly to those in need.

"From donkeys, to people's backs, to boats and trucks, ShelterBox delivers these all over the world," Werner said.

Competition to serve as an SRT volunteer is brisk, and physically demanding, Werner said.

Volunteers complete a year of online training and interviews before a small number are invited for an intense two-week training course in England. In 2018, Werner said about 350 people began the training process to serve on SRT missions. ShelterBox invited 20 to complete the training in England and serve on deployment missions.

Each SRT volunteer is expected to serve for at least one year, and complete at least two three-week deployments to a disaster zone.

Other, less-rigorous volunteer opportunities also are available, supporting and raising awareness for ShelterBox operations.

ShelterBox currently is evaluating the damage in the Bahamas from Hurricane Dorian, and any areas where ShelterBox services may be beneficial.

For more information on ShelterBox, including ways to donate or volunteer, visit https://www.shelterbox.org.

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