In her August 2020 Newsletter, Allison Kingston, Community Fundraising Coordinator, ShelterBox Canada and a Member of the Rotaract Club of Sarnia-Lambton, discusses leadership in Rotary and at Shelterbox and reminds us that after 20 years of existence, ShelterBox continues to evolve and innovate, but one thing that has never changed is that everything they do is guided by the same goal: helping families rebuild after disaster. Each year, Rotary helps us to go further, support more people, and access areas that would otherwise be impossible to reach. Here's more of her newsletter.....
20 YEARS OF LEADERSHIP: 20 Years of Partnership
From the founding members in Helston-Lizard, to our partnership with Rotary International, to the individual Rotarians who passionately support us both personally and through their clubs – the passion, trust, and dedication from Rotarians all around the world, is an important part of ShelterBox’s past, and our future.
In 2000, the idea for ShelterBox was thought up by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard in Cornwall, United Kingdom, when Rotary encouraged members to come up with projects to mark the Millennium. The idea was sparked by watching the news and wanting to do more after seeing that people seemed to be left with nothing after disaster. ShelterBox was launched by the club with the initial hope to help 8 to 10 families a year, with each box containing a family-sized tent, sleeping bags, water purifying tablets, tools, and pots and pans.
In the first year, this group of passionate volunteers took the idea and developed it into something more. They investigated the emergency items people need and worked to understand transport and logistics. They spoke to manufacturers and found a sturdy box. They visited the Rotary International Conference to drum up support and wide-spread passion. That first year, Rotary Clubs alone donated $150,000. The faith shown by the Rotary community led to the first response supporting families affected by the 2001 earthquake in Gujarat, India.
As ShelterBox grew, so did Rotary’s support. In 2012 ShelterBox became recognized as Rotary International’s official project partner in disaster relief. Around 1,000 Rotary members are involved in ShelterBox as volunteers, staff or response team members. Clubs worldwide offer valuable, practical on the ground assistance to help while clubs here in Canada tirelessly raise funds and awareness to help more families after disaster. ShelterBox also has fundraising teams in 15 countries around the world – all founded by Rotary members.
We have continued to evolve and innovate over the past 20 years, but one thing that has never changed is that everything we do is guided by the same goal: helping families rebuild after disaster.
To make sure we do that as effectively as possible, we constantly question what we do. We explore what we could do differently. We ask ourselves how we could be better. We put innovation at the heart of our work, always searching for ways to improve. It’s why we no longer provide aid only in boxes, after families told us they sometimes need larger emergency items that don’t fit in our ShelterBoxes. It’s why we worked with the company that makes our solar-powered lights, after families told us the batteries used to run out too quickly.
Today in 2020, the need for emergency shelter is more urgent than ever, with more than 88 million people living without shelter after disaster or in times of conflict. We must do more. And thanks to the support of Rotarians around the world, we are as determined as our founding Helston-Lizard Rotary members to do just that.
Looking for speakers this Rotary year? We would love to tell your club even more about ShelterBox and the impact Rotarians make. Request a speaker: https://www.shelterboxcanada.org/actiontoolkit/request-a-speaker/
ShelterBox Book Club International
Are you a Book Worm or an aspirational one? ShelterBox has launched their Book Club International and wants you to join them! Each month, ShelterBox teams carefully select a compelling story from around the world for book club members to read. You can join the ShelterBox Book Club community on Facebook for interactive discussion, Q&A with authors, highlights from response team members and more! Read along at your own pace and join the discussion online. You’ll participate in discussion about the book and what you’ve just read, but you’ll also get to learn more about the people and places inspired by these books. You’ll hear from different authors about different perspectives and experiences. And you’ll receive firsthand stories from ShelterBox members who’ve travelled around the world, visiting these countries to deliver aid. Read more about how you or your club can volunteer with us: shelterboxcanada.org/actiontoolkit
WHERE WE'RE WORKING NOW:
Read our Current Operations to see more countries your support is working in.
For more information about ShelterBox and to learn more about where we are responding, visit us at www.shelterboxcanada.org/operations-update
The Rotary Action Toolkit
Are you looking for resources to support your fundraising and awareness activities for ShelterBox? Check out our new Rotary Action Toolkit. The toolkit is designed to provide information and tools you need to support the partnership between Rotary and ShelterBox in your communities. Access resources on how to fundraise, volunteer and access our training centre to use resources used by our ShelterBox Response Team members to help with your Club’s communication, goal setting and more. www.shelterboxcanada.org/actiontoolkit Rotary club presidents around the world have also commented. Ace Robin, President of the Mataram Rotary Club, Indonesia, was caught up in the deadly earthquakes that hit Lombok in 2018. Her home survived, but many around her were destroyed. Through an agreement with the government-led response, Ace’s club was central to bringing ShelterBox aid to Indonesia. Thanks to their support, vulnerable members of the community received vital emergency shelter, including families with elderly relatives, pregnant women or new mothers. Ace said: ‘Working with ShelterBox taught us a lot – they showed us how to build shelter and select families to help. It also gave us a chance to show what Rotary is to local people.’ We are grateful for the incredible support and acts of partnership shown by Rotarians and Rotary clubs around the world. If you would like to learn more about the partnership or how your club can support ShelterBox Canada, please visit our Action Toolkit at www.shelterboxcanada.org/actiontoolkit
Allison Kingston
Community Fundraising Coordinator, ShelterBox Canada
Member of the Rotaract Club of Sarnia-Lambton
Celebrate the Rotary Family:
Host a community event to celebrate the impact of Rotary and ShelterBox’s partnership around the globe. Invite a ShelterBox Volunteer to share stories from the field and learn how your club can become a ShelterBox supporter or volunteer.
GET CONNECTED: Join the conversation :
Did you know that there is a Rotary and ShelterBox Support Group on Facebook? It is a group that brings together Rotarians, ShelterBox Supporters, Staff and ShelterBox Response Teams to discuss all things ShelterBox and Rotary. It is a great place to see the latest operations updates, Rotary deployment information and video content to share with your Rotary Club. If you would like to join the group and conversation, please search for “Rotary and ShelterBox Support Group” on Facebook and ask to join the conversation!
A SHELTERBOX SPEAKER FOR YOUR ROTARY CLUB MEETING:
Looking for speakers this Rotary year? We would love to tell your club even more about ShelterBox and the impact Rotarians make. Request a speaker: https://www.shelterboxcanada.org/actiontoolkit/request-a-speaker/
SHELTERBOX OPERATIONS UPDATE:
JOIN US EVERY TUESDAY ON FACEBOOK FOR LIVE OPERATIONS UPDATES FROM SHELTERBOX HQ. JOIN US LIVE
VOLUNTEER WITH SHELTERBOX:
With the new Rotary year upon us there are so many ways to be the inspiration and make a difference in our communities and around the world. ShelterBox is looking for more dedicated individual across Canada to join our volunteer team. Whatever skills, knowledge or spare time you have, you can play a vital role in ensuring no family goes without shelter. Learn more about our various volunteer roles and how you can get involved in the 2019-20 Rotary year by visiting us at shelterboxcanada.org/volunteer
About ShelterBox Canada: Canada is a registered charity that has been a part of the global ShelterBox network since 2010. We have a team of over 120 volunteers across the country who share their passion with us and help us raise awareness and fundraise across the country. There are ten Canadian ShelterBox Response Team members who work tirelessly with the rest of the International Response Team to deliver aid to families who need it around the world. To learn more about our board and staff click here .
ShelterBox and Rotary are official project partners in international disaster relief. ShelterBox is a registered charity independent of Rotary International and the Rotary Foundation. Since 2012, we have been neighbours, friends and community leaders. Their aim is to create positive, lasting change in communities at home and all over the world.project partners with Rotary International, a global community of 1.2 million. Rotary has supported ShelterBox from the start when a local club championed the simple idea to package up essential shelter items in our now-iconic ShelterBoxes. As ShelterBox grew, so did Rotary support, and we are now international project partners in disaster relief. This partnership has helped us to become who we are today. Our global network of ShelterBox affiliates, which provides all-round assistance, evolved from Rotary relationships.
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E: support@shelterboxcanada.org T: 647.352.1930 www.shelterboxcanada.org
ShelterBox Canada – 159 Jane Street, Office 2, Toronto, ON M6S 3Y8
Is your club interested in having a ShelterBox Presentation at an upcoming meeting? Let us know at support@shelterboxcanada.org