ANNUAL REPORT
2015
PROVIDING EMERGENCY SHELTER TO COMMUNITIES DEVASTATED BY DISASTER AND CRISIS:
NEPAL EARTHQUAKE, MALAWI FLOODS, SYRIAN CONFLICT, VANUATU CYCLONE + MORE
“By preparing every day for the worst day ever, ShelterBox delivers lifesaving shelter and supplies fast and efficiently.” John Keane Board Chair & Volunteer, ShelterBox USA
2015 BOARD OF DIRECTORS CHAIR John Keane VICE CHAIR Theresa Mohan TREASURER Jim Carriere SECRETARY Mark Midyett IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR Bill Decker Gary Olsen Bruce Heller Kathryn Sweeney Louis Turpin Worst flooding in Paraguay in 50 years
TABLE OF CONTENTS 2 3 5 6 7 11 12 13 14 15 17 18
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The Mission of Shelter ShelterBox Deployments 2015 Deployment Highlights Nepal Earthquake Stories From The Field The ShelterBox Aid The ShelterBox Response 2015 Financial Data Global Partners ShelterBox Champions LuminAid + Shark Tank The Power of Generosity
THE VISION A world where everyone affected by disaster has access to shelter and the basic equipment they need to survive and live in dignity and safety. THE MISSION To deliver humanitarian aid in the form of equipment and materials that provide shelter, warmth and dignity to people affected by natural or other disasters worldwide. THE RESULTS ShelterBox provided 30,000 families in 2015 with emergency shelter and essential supplies.
The Mission of Shelter Dear ShelterBox supporters, Kerri Murray
I was delighted to have been appointed President of ShelterBox USA in 2015. I am passionate about the lifesaving work that this organization provides and the extraordinary volunteers around the world who make it happen. ShelterBox is preparing every day for the worst day ever and responding with emergency shelter to families who have lost everything in disaster and crisis situations.
With your generous support in 2015, ShelterBox delivered lifesaving supplies to nearly 30,000 families devastated by 22 natural disasters or humanitarian crises in 18 locations around the world. In addition to the massive response to both the Nepal earthquakes and the Syrian conflict, ShelterBox was able to distribute aid to many other disasters all over the world. From cyclone Pam which devastated Vanuatu to people who lost their homes in the conflict in Gaza, the ShelterBox Response Teams (SRT) leveraged pre-positioned aid to respond efficiently and effectively across the globe. A special thanks to our selfless volunteers, from the Board of Directors to our ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) members to our Ambassadors and Rotary Liaisons - all of whom offer their time and energy to uphold the mission of providing displaced families with emergency shelter. In addition, our strong bonds with Rotary and Rotaract were instrumental in enabling ShelterBox to respond effectively, reaching thousands of vulnerable families in need of shelter. By working with Rotary and other partner organizations in disasters, we were able to distribute to many remote communities, garnering logistical help in moving teams and aid, and in understanding what communities needed most. In 2016 we will extend the project partnership with Rotary International, enabling ShelterBox to expand its reach and impact, serving more communities in need of assistance.
Volunteer Bill Tobin
SRT Mark Dyer
A woman in Nepal receives a ShelterKit containing tools and tarps
By supporting ShelterBox with charitable donations, volunteering, or helping to spread awareness on social media, you directly helped to provide shelter and hope to disaster survivors globally in 2015. As a privately funded nonprofit organization, ShelterBox relies on charitable support to fulfill its lifesaving mission. We are determined to expand the reach and impact, gearing up for growth to meet the challenges ahead. Your support ensures that families around the world overwhelmed by disaster and conflict have the shelter and resources to begin to rebuild their lives again. I am humbled by your participation and request your continued involvement. The need for the work of ShelterBox is continuous and only matched by our collective desire to make a greater impact. Thank you! President, ShelterBox USA
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2015 Deployments Previous Deployments
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Deployment Map
2016
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ShelterBox provided shelter for nearly 30,000 families in 18 different locations around the world. 9 CONFLICT ZONES • 6 FLOODS • 2 EARTHQUAKES • 2 CYCLONES 1 VOLCANO • 1 HEAVY STORM • 1 EBOLA OUTBREAK
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2015 Deployment Highlights SYRIAN REFUGEE CRISIS: YEAR 3 3,111 families were helped in Syria during the multi-faceted conflict utilizing six disaster aid partners. ShelterBox was one of the first organizations to send teams and emergency shelter to Lesbos, Greece to assist municipalities overwhelmed by the influx of refugees. Additional aid and monitoring was also provided to families in Iraqi Kurdistan (pictured).
NEPAL: EARTHQUAKE ShelterBox responded to the 7.8 magnitude Nepal earthquake which occurred on April 25, 2015. On May 12, a second earthquake of 7.3 magnitude hit and, just like the first disaster two weeks earlier, this quake could be felt as far away as Delhi. It was the most powerful disaster to strike Nepal since the 1934 Nepal-Bihar earthquake. 2.8 million people were reported to be in need of humanitarian assistance. This disaster was ShelterBox’s largest deployment in 2015.
VANUATU: CYCLONE PAM About 90% of all buildings were destroyed or damaged when Cyclone Pam hit the island nation of Vanuatu. Kalib, her husband and children were forced into a storm drain pipe and waited for the cyclone to pass (pictured). ShelterBox worked with aid organization CARE International to distribute 1,000 ShelterKits, as well as additional tarps, blankets and mosquito nets to local communities.
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Nepal Earthquake SHELTERBOX’S BIGGEST RESPONSE IN 2015
Remote communities reached by helicopter
Hundreds of thousands of people were made homeless with entire villages flattened. Centuries-old buildings were destroyed at UNESCO World Heritage sites in the Kathmandu Valley and continued aftershocks occurred throughout the region. The original earthquake triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest, killing at least 19, making it the deadliest day on the mountain in history.
“The ground under us moved so violently that it was like being in a boat rolling around in a large sea, it lasted for over a minute ... then another aftershock,” said ShelterBox Response Team member Peter Pearce. Families in remote areas, who completely lost their homes, were provided with tents, while ShelterKits were distributed to people living in urban areas. The kits, which contain tarpaulins, rope and essential tools for building, were used to help clear rubble, to make temporary shelters and to repair damaged homes.
ShelterKits offer tools and temporary shelter
ShelterBox already had 72 ShelterBoxes in Kathmandu from a flooding response in 2014 when the earthquake struck. These tents were used as outdoor clinic space in four Kathmandu hospitals (pictured right), and in Chautara. ShelterBox established partnerships with fellow aid agencies Handicap International (HI), the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and the Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development, (ACTED), to ensure that aid reached as many communities as possible. The ShelterBox teams worked within the NGO cluster system, trying to stay ahead of the imminent threat of monsoon season.
ShelterBox Tents used as hospital space
SHELTERBOX’S IMPACT BY THE NUMBERS: • 72 ShelterBoxes • 500 UN-spec tents • 2,726 ShelterKits provided enough aid to help support the shelter needs of more than 15,000 families • 9 SchoolBoxes were provided to affected communities. Each SchoolBox contains enough teaching resources for 50 children, including pens, paper, math sets, chalk and a wind-up radio • In total, 22 ShelterBox Response Team members (SRTs) were deployed to Nepal from all over the world: USA, United Kingdom, Canada, New Zealand and Australia Special thanks from earthquake survivor
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Stories From The Field: As the New Year began, the ShelterBox team was already busy working in Malaysia, after the worst monsoon flooding in 50 years wreaked havoc. Many homes were destroyed outright, while others were picked up by the floodwaters and dropped again – sometimes on other houses. With the full support of the Malaysian Prime Minister, our teams were able to reach some of the country’s most isolated communities. We provided shelter for more than 1,000 families in the state of Kelantan, and the highland jungles of Pahang.
Shelter was a critical need in areas of Gaza
Our winterized tents in the DPRK house a stove
The plume of the Calbuco Volcano in Chile
As spring arrived, a shipment of ShelterBox aid reached Gaza and was distributed to people who had lost their homes to the 50-day war. It took six months of patient planning and negotiations, but we were able to provide shelter in safe parts of the countryside to 500 families. Our teams continued to work in challenging environments, supplying aid to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) after a succession of severe storms caused massive destruction in four of the country’s provinces. As building materials are scarce, and winters are long and harsh in the DPRK, we provided families with equipment designed for their environment, consisting of a triple layered quilted tent that is designed to safely house a stove. We also provided stoves for each family, along with room dividers to create privacy and keep in warmth, mattresses and a host of other essentials to help families return to normal routines. In Chile, the country was hit by two natural disasters. In the Atacama region, usually one of the driest habitats in the world, seven years’ worth of rain fell in just 24 hours, causing vast damage to homes, buildings and infrastructure. At a similar time, the Calbuco Volcano in the south of the country, erupted several times, causing flows of mud and debris to damage everything in their path, while ash clouds have traveled hundreds of miles, burying houses in as much as 10 inches of ash. In total, we provided 1,500 ShelterKits to families in Chile, to help them rebuild their homes and restore community buildings. In 2014 we responded to flooding in Niger. As a result of the connections we made there, we were once again called upon to support families in the country in 2015. However, this time the need for shelter was not caused by a natural disaster such as flooding, but by conflict in neighboring Nigeria from the extremist group Boko Haram.
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A family with their tent in Niger
Deployments Around the World Boko Haram violence not only forced people to flee across the border to Niger in the north, but Cameroon in the east. As there appears to be no let up in attacks, we are continuing to support communities in Niger and a refugee camp in the Extreme North region of Cameroon to ensure that families have somewhere safe to heal from the memory of villages being ransacked and burnt. Elsewhere in Africa, we were called upon to support refugees escaping violence brought about by elections in Burundi. Around 250,000 people fled the country, and around a quarter of them moved to Nyarugusu camp in Tanzania – one of the biggest refugee camps in the world. We supported the camp to extend its capacity by providing shelter for 1,000 families.
Shelter and dignity for refugees in Cameroon
While our response to conflicts around the world continues to grow, one crisis is never far from our minds. We have been responding to the plight of families caught up in the Syrian conflict for more than three years now, and 2015 was no exception. As the conflict has changed and evolved, so too has our response. Some families can be displaced as many as six or seven times when fighting frontlines move, so we have sent ShelterKits to families in both Syria and Iraq in situations where tents aren’t appropriate. These bespoke ShelterKits differ depending on the landscape and terrain, but they can help create a shelter out of any existing structure and can be easily reused again and again.
School packets for children in Syria
Just as we have adapted our range of aid to fit the demands of the crisis, we have been adaptable in our approach. In 2015, the numbers of people risking their lives to reach Europe by sea rose to record levels. Many of these people were fleeing the conflict in Iraq and Syria. While some never completed the journey, thousands of people arrived on the shores of Greek islands with few belongings and nowhere to shelter. Islands like Lesbos were overwhelmed. We worked on the island of Lesbos to provide temporary accommodation for families in need of shelter. While the ShelterBox tents were often only used for a few days at a time before families were able to continue their journeys, they provided a moment of respite. Families were able to take a pause in their long and uncertain journeys to rest and recuperate in a safe space.
Shelter solutions for families in Syria
A family gets brief respite in Greece
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In the African country of Malawi, the rains continued for weeks, forcing more than 230,000 people to flee for their lives. The floodwaters not only devastated homes and crops, but spread deadly diseases like malaria and left people susceptible to crocodile attacks. The floods made it difficult for our teams to reach the most vulnerable of communities, but they persevered to provide assistance to families in three different districts. Each came with their own challenges, from flooded plains to narrow mountain paths, but in total we were able to support more than 2,000 families. Read more about Malawi on page 17.
The ShelterBox Aid ShelterBox provides different types of shelter and emergency supplies based on the unique needs of each response effort. The aid that ShelterBox provides includes: SHELTERKIT Our ShelterKits contain tools, ropes, nails, screws, wire and heavy-duty tarps, that can be used to build emergency shelters, repair damaged buildings and create the foundations for new homes. We customize kits to suit the needs of each community. Depending on the situation, we often add a mixture of other essentials, such as solar lights, water containers or even corrugated iron to make resilient roofing. SCHOOLBOX ShelterBox will occasionally include a SchoolBox in aid consignments upon hearing that a school or schools have been destroyed. Each contains blackboard paint, chalk, and a windup radio, as well as school equipment for 50 children. Note: SchoolBoxes are sent only as part of an overall aid consignment and are paid for through general funds. SHELTERBOX Our iconic green ShelterBoxes are filled with practical tools and utensils that help to create the framework for everyday life. Each contains a family-sized tent that provides a safe space to recover from physical and emotional trauma. The contents differ depending on the disaster and the climate, but items such as solar lights, water storage and purification equipment, thermal blankets and cooking utensils help start the process of creating a home. Additionally, ShelterBox may send palletized aid in cases where specific aid items are critically needed.
Learn more at ShelterBoxUSA.org/kit 11
The ShelterBox Response Response is determined feasible,
LOGISTICS
We transport ShelterBoxes, ShelterKits, and other essential aid into disaster zones in the safest and most effective way possible, by road, sea or air. We count on aid pre-positioned in locations around the world so we can instantly respond as needed. Once in-country, SRTs work with community leaders, local authorities, relief agencies and other partners in the field to deliver aid to those who need it most.
transported to the site by any means,
POST-DISASTER EVALUATION
We are committed to measuring and evaluating the impact of our work and improving the quality and effectiveness of our aid. Our monitoring and evaluation process includes post-deployment monitoring missions and feedback from aid recipients.
Your generosity makes this work possible.
PRE-POSITIONED AID + RAPID RESPONSE ShelterBox is preparing every day for the worst day ever by pre-positioning aid in strategic locations around the globe, ensuring fast and efficient deployment of aid when and where it is needed most. Our Operations Team monitors global disasters constantly. Assessments and aid delivery are done by volunteers—our incredible ShelterBox Response Teams (SRTs) who are trained to operate efficiently in the field.
ShelterBox aid is moved as close as possible,
DISTRIBUTING AID
ShelterBoxes have been delivered by helicopters, trucks, donkey trains, camels and even on the backs of people. SRTs gather local information about those most affected by disaster so emergency aid can be channeled according to the greatest need. We work with the local community to prioritize the most vulnerable.
and delivered to the people who need it most.
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2015 Financial Data Revenue volatility is a fact of life for disaster relief organizations. ShelterBox USA is proud to have maintained a distribution rate of 80.8% of overall revenue despite revenue uncertainty. Grants were awarded to purchase ShelterBoxes, ShelterKits, individual equipment and to subsidize costs associated with deployments. View annual financial statements and 990s at
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# of Disaster Responses
31
25
23
20
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ShelterBoxUSA.org
2 0
2015 EXPENSES BY CATEGORY
2011
Fundraising
General and Administrative
Grants ($ MILLIONS)
2012
2013
2014
2015
5%
9%
2015 GIVING BY CONSTITUENT TYPE Corporations
5%
Youth
2%
Other 1%
Program Services
86%
Rotarians
11%
Rotary Districts/Clubs, Foundation & Rotaract
Foundations
14%
43%
RATIO OF SHELTERBOX VOLUNTEERS Team ShelterBox
30%
Individual Donors
Ambassadors
24%
38%
Rotary Club Liaisons
27%
Team ShelterBox Rotary Club Liaisons ShelterBox Response Team Ambassadors
ShelterBox Response Team members
5%
IN 2015:
5% 3.5%
OUR VOLUNTEERS RAISED $1.9 MILLION 13.1% 78.4%
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SHELTERBOX USA IS A 501(C)(3) NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION IN THE UNITED STATES AND REGISTERED IN THE STATE OF FLORIDA: EIN 20-0471604. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SERVICES BY CALLING TOLL-FREE WITHIN THE STATE (1-800-HELP-FLA OR WWW.800HELPFLA.COM). REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL, OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. GIFTS ARE TAX-DEDUCTIBLE TO THE EXTENT ALLOWED BY LAW.
Global Partners
Since being founded in 2000, ShelterBox has grown from one Rotary Club’s adopted project to Rotary International’s only Project Partner in disaster relief. Rotarians are often the first point of contact for the ShelterBox Response Team when they arrive in a country that has been devastated by a disaster. The awareness and fundraising efforts by Rotarians in the U.S. and around the world make up a large share of donations received by ShelterBox. In turn, ShelterBox acts as a catalyst in encouraging people the world over to become involved with their local Rotary Club and offers multiple youth opportunities for culture exchange and leadership training.
ShelterBoxUSA.org/rotary ShelterBox USA is a not-for-profit, independent of Rotary International or The Rotary Foundation.
AID AGENCIES In order to maximize the timeliness, effectiveness and appropriateness of our response to humanitarian emergencies, we partner with a range of leading international relief agencies and nongovernmental organizations. Some of the agencies we have worked with include the United Nations, The UN Refugee Agency, UNICEF, Hand in Hand for Syria, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, Save the Children, Oxfam, World Vision and the International Organization for Migration.
2015 AID PARTNERS Chile - Chilean Red Cross Society • Habitat for Humanity Nepal, Gaza, Philippines - Agency for Technical Cooperation and Development (ACTED) Niger - Plan Niger Cameroon - International Emergency and Development Aid (IEDA Relief) Colombia - National Unit for Disaster Risk Management in Colombia (UNGRD) Vanuatu - CARE International Madagascar - Madagascan National Bureau of Risk and Disaster Management (known by the French acronym BNGRC)
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ShelterBox Champions Jack Young Jack Young, Rotarian and former member of the ShelterBox USA Board of Directors, raised over $70,000 for disaster relief in 2015. His efforts earned an Ambassador of the Year award as well as a Hall of Fame award for raising over $100K collectively for the organization. As a Past Rotary District Governor and a member of ShelterBox’s Rotary Relations Committee, Jack selflessly endeavors to strengthen the ShelterBox and Rotary partnership while bringing awareness and support to families displaced through disaster.
Todd Finkelstone Todd is a member of the ShelterBox Response Team - volunteers who work in the field to deliver humanitarian aid to the families and communities made vulnerable following a disaster. Todd has been on 12 deployments, most recently to Fiji and several African countries including Cameroon and Niger. A 2015 deployment highlight occurred in Malaysia when Todd and teammate Martin Strutton had the opportunity to meet with Prime Minister Najib Razak (pictured).
Rotary Club of Summit County
When the earthquakes devastated Nepal in April of 2015, the Rotary Club of Summit County in Frisco, Colorado sprang into action. Through the Summit County Rotary Charitable Fund, they donated $46,756.95 to provide emergency shelter to families displaced in Nepal. As the largest disaster of 2015 and, subsequently, ShelterBox’s largest deployment of the year, this gift helped to provide lifesaving equipment, ShelterBox Response Teams, transportation, as well as collaboration with local and international partners.
Latika & Rajiv Jain Charitable Foundation When the Nepal earthquake struck, Rajiv and Latika Jain were moved to help and decided to leverage a $100,000 ShelterBox donation into a matching campaign. Incredibly, the money was matched in just one day but it didn’t stop there. The Jain’s inspiring commitment attracted 236 new ShelterBox donors and 583 total donors resulting in over $304,000 to help families in Nepal.
Crystal Springs Foundation
Thank you to the Crystal Springs Foundation for making a substantial program-related investment for the on-going relief efforts to help Syrian refugees. The generous support from Crystal Springs Foundation enabled essential shelter and desperately needed supplies to reach families displaced by the conflict.
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Recipients of sustainable housing in the Philippines as ShelterBox works with ACTED to develop longterm solutions for displaced families.
Nepal
SRT member and kids in Tanzania
Sunrise in Malawi
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LuminAid + Shark Tank Since 2012, ShelterBox has been including durable and lightweight solar lights, called LuminAids, with deployed ShelterBoxes. In addition to providing safety and security in disaster zones, solar lights can help people work and do basic tasks like cooking and reading. In 2014, LuminAid co-founders Anna Stork and Andrea Sreshta pitched their idea for sustainable and durable solar lanterns to the ABC show Shark Tank and reached a deal with businessman Mark Cuban to expand beyond humanitarian aid to commercial use. The lights are now available online and at retailers around the country. One year later, Mark Cuban and Shark Tank wanted to showcase in a follow-up episode how LuminAid and ShelterBox were making a difference in the world. The founders of LuminAid traveled to the African country of Malawi in November of 2015 where ShelterBox had supported more than 2,000 families in three different districts after devastating floods. Once in-country, the team talked with community members from the village of Katuma. “They praised the LuminAid product for two reasons,” noted ShelterBox Response Team member Alan Monroe, “the first being that the solar light is far safer to use than widely used kerosene. And the other being the local snakes that come out after dark are now easily spotted with the portable light.”
Anna & Andrea in a ShelterBox tent
“We are inspired by the survivors that ShelterBox helps and look forward to continue to bring light to disaster relief,” said Andrea Sreshta. “In a disaster situation, it is the basic human needs that must be critically addressed: Shelter, Water, Food, and Health. The collaboration with LuminAid is important as ShelterBox looks for innovative products that further the mission of providing shelter and essential supplies for people in crisis situations. After a disaster, darkness can be challenging and dangerous. LuminAids are lightweight, fit easily in a ShelterBox, provide up to 16 hours of light on one charge, and give much needed safety and security,” notes ShelterBox USA President, Kerri Murray. “The solar lights are a critical item in the ShelterBoxes, enabling people to work, cook and navigate safely within the community at night.”
SRT Alan Monroe in Malawi
Watch both episodes of Shark Tank right now:
ShelterBoxUSA.org/sharktank 17
Anna and her new LuminAID
The Power of Generosity OUR COMMITMENT TO YOU We are committed to using your donations in the most efficient and effective ways possible. We aim to demonstrate transparency and accountability around how funds are utilized.
LASTING VALUE We are a lean organization that benefits from the tireless efforts of a strong and extensive base of volunteers. This enables us to leverage your donation, ensuring it helps when disaster strikes.
CORPORATE FRIENDS Corporate partners are a crucial contributor to our work. There are many ways companies can support ShelterBox and every donation makes a difference.
Kids in Tanzania
FOUNDATION SUPPORT We are grateful for the participation of foundations and trusts, whose support enables the lifesaving work of ShelterBox to disasters around the world. From local family trusts to large national foundations, every grant makes a difference to affected families. Grants from trusts and foundations help us to prepare for the next disaster, train volunteer response team members, teach young people about disasters, and expand our work globally.
Baby sleeping in the DPRK
THANK YOU!
As an organization that runs on compassion and generosity, we are continually inspired by the support we receive as we deliver shelter, warmth and dignity around the world.
ShelterBoxUSA.org
Young girl in Nepal stands next to her family’s tent
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DISASTER RELIEF DONATE
ShelterBoxUSA.org/donate Donations of any size can be made online, via mail, or by calling 941.907.6036.
BE INVOLVED
ShelterBoxUSA.org/beinvolved Our dedicated volunteers are people of all ages who actively engage their communities and organizations to support the ShelterBox mission. From organizing a read-a-thon to taking on mountain bike challenges, some volunteers find ways to turn their passions and hobbies into successful fundraisers that help disaster survivors worldwide.
JOIN THE CONVERSATION ShelterBoxUSA.org/enews Facebook.com/shelterboxusa Twitter.com/shelterboxus YouTube.com/shelterboxus Flickr.com/shelterbox
SHELTERBOX USA
www.ShelterBoxUSA.org 7359 Merchant Ct. Sarasota, FL 34240 O 941.907.6036 F 941.907.6970 info@shelterboxusa.org