Whew! I am really far behind. As I type this up, we are actually in week 21, so I am going to try to churn out a flurry of entries quickly.
One thing about living in earthquake country: it does tend to make you think about what would happen if (when!) the big one finally hits. Natural disasters are not just for us folks in paradise however, they can and do strike all over the nation and the world. Often they come with no warning, but even a few hours of warning isn't much help when your whole house is leveled (or flooded, or engulfed in flames). In the immediate aftermath of a natural (or unnatural) disaster, people's needs are reduced to the basics: food, water, shelter from the elements. It's providing that last element that ShelterBox specializes in.
Their goal is to deliver a kit that can be used by a family of four to provide basic shelter in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. The standard box contains a tent, tarps and blankets, a small cook stove, a water purification system, a set of hand tools and some small toys for the kids. It's all packaged in a large waterproof box that can be repurposed as well. The contents of this box will be modified and customized for each disaster response with the goal of providing materials that are truly needed on the ground. All told, it costs about $1000 per box to stock and deliver it to the disaster site.
Although I am not donating enough for an entire box this week, I feel confident my donation will at least help stock some of the elements in a box that will brighten the world of someone who is going through a pretty dark time.
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