Thank you Will Underwood for inviting Fellow Rotarian Doug Hausknecht, from the Rotary Club of Akron and Ambassador to ShelterBox USA, to talk to us about ShelterBox. In 2000, the idea for ShelterBox was hit upon by the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard in Cornwall, UK, when Rotary encouraged members to come up with projects to mark the Millennium. Twenty six years later, ShelterBox is one of the largest disaster response organizations in the world. They have supported over 3 million people in around 100 countries.
Twenty six years ago, the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard saw a need for shelter after a disaster struck. They envisioned being able to support families by quickly deploying the bare necessities needed to survive following a disaster: shelter, cooking supplies, water purification, blankets, and more. Thus, what we have known for 20+ years as the ShelterBox was born. One package aids a family's journey to recovery. Over the years, ShelterBox has evolved and realized that the Box does not fit all needs. Now they conduct a needs assessment prior to deployment, to ensure they are providing needed materials.
On average ShelterBox can deploy worldwide to any disaster within 24-48 hours. For more information on ShelterBox visit shelterboxusa.org
If a club of 40 members can come up with such an impactful project that turns into its own charitable organization. What could a club of 110 members do?
COCODa SUN and Water Coference:
This will be the fourth Sun and Water Conference. Will Underwood and I attended the first one, and I have been able to attend the past two virtually. We have the option to attend in person or virtually again this year. The Conference will be held on October 3, 2026. If you are interested in attending (virtually or in person), visit https://cocoda.org/event/sun-water-conference/ to sign up. I will be attending virtually. If you have any questions feel free to call me at 330-322-2474.
Yours in Rotary Service,
Larry Lohman