Every year hundreds and thousands of families across the world lose everything when disasters strike. Through no fault of their own and often with no warning, families lose their homes, their possessions and their livelihoods. Every day they are faced with a battle for survival and our mission is to help them.
We provide emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies for families around the world who are affected by disasters at the time when they need it the most. Our Founder, Tom Henderson OBE, saw the humanitarian response in most disasters was in the form of food and medicine. Little or no assistance was being given in terms of safe, secure shelter to help families survive the first days, weeks and months as they try to rebuild their lives. ShelterBox was created to fill this void.
Since our inception in 2000, we have responded to earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, landslides, typhoons and conflict, delivering emergency humanitarian aid to families in need on every continent.
From the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami to the 2010 Haiti earthquake, we have responded to some of the largest disasters the modern world has ever known. Alongside this, we have also helped many thousands of people affected by disasters that you do not see in the media. Simply put, if there is an unmet need for emergency shelter, we will do everything we can to meet it.
The ShelterBox solution in disaster response is as simple as it is effective. We deliver the essentials a family needs to survive in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Each large, green ShelterBox is tailored to a disaster but typically contains a disaster relief tent for an extended family, blankets, water storage and purification equipment, cooking utensils, a stove, a basic tool kit, a children’s activity pack and other vital items.
We pride ourselves on our ability to respond instantly to disasters and to do this we rely on a global network of volunteers. ShelterBoxes are delivered by highly trained, volunteer ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) members. These men and women, from all walks of life, give their time freely to help make the difference to the lives of others. Their passion, dedication and belief allow us to bring hope to countless families in need every year.
We rely on public donations and could not operate without the generosity of people the world over. The cost of a box is $1,500 including delivery direct to those who need it.
Our supporters constantly go the extra mile to help make a difference to the lives of families who survive disasters. We have had fundraisers climb Mount Kilimanjaro, row the Atlantic, cross India in a Tuk Tuk and even cycle 10,000 miles on a tandem. Every box we send out bears its own unique number so our donors can see where their box has gone.
We are now firmly established at the forefront of disaster relief and our work constantly earns the respect of outside agencies. If there is one thing we have learnt, it is that the next disaster is just around the corner. We need to ensure we are always ready to respond, no matter the disaster, no matter the location. With your help, we will be ready.
