Giving the Gift of Survival in a Box

When a natural disaster strikes, who wouldn't appreciate a magical box that arrives to provide shelter and survival items?

That's one of the worthy projects pursued by members of The Rotary Club of West St. Louis County, who encourage everyone to consider donating to the cause.

Called a "ShelterBox," the assortment of survival tools inside contains a 10-person tent with privacy screens, groundmats, fleece blankets, mosquito nets, childrens' activity pack, tool kit, hats, gloves, pans, cooking equipment, bowls, cups, water containers and purification unit and stove — all inside a durable plastic box. The overall goal of the organizing entity ShelterBox USA is to provide enough emergency ShelterBoxes for 500,000 survivors every year.

"A tent that provides for a family of four in the United States actually sleeps and houses 10 to 20 people overseas," said Pearlie Anderson, president of the West County-based Rotary Club.

Anderson and other Rotarians operated an exhibit at the annual St. Louis Home Fires BBQ Bash in Wildwood on Sept. 24-25 to raise awareness of the project and to collect donations for the cause. The total cost of one ShelterBox is $1,000.

Anderson said the West St. Louis County Rotary Club has funded one ShelterBox in the past, but that other St. Louis metropolitan area Rotarians also are raising funds to ensure other ShelterBoxes are provided.

The ShelterBox effort was launched in 1999 after a United Kingdom Rotarian, Tom Henderson, saw a gap in aid provision after natural disasters. He was a Royal Navy search and rescue diver. He noted that while food and medicine immediately were delivered, little or no assistance was given to survivors regarding shelter and protection for making it through the first few days or weeks.

ShelterBox USA is now headquartered in Lakewood Ranch, FL.

Local Rotarian member M. Barry Russell said the ShelterBox program is a wonderful example of how one Rotarian thought to help others in such a practical, meaningful way. He said there are 30,000-plus Rotary clubs worldwide, representing more than 1.2 million members in 200-plus countries.

Russell said each ShelterBox is marked with a unique number, and so can be tracked through the organization's website.

The Rotary Club of West St. Louis County meetings are every Tuesday for lunch from 12:10 p.m. to 1:15 p.m. at Salem Methodist Church, 14825 Manchester Rd. in Ballwin. Click here for meeting updates.

Donations for the Rotary's ShelterBox mission can be mailed to: The Rotary Club of West St. Louis County, P.O. Box 1431, Ballwin, MO  63022.

Other organizations supported by these Rotary Club members are:

• R.I. Polio Plus
• Circle of Concern
• Caring Solutions
• Ballwin Parks
• Cataract Eye Surgery in India
• Award Scholarships
• Businesspersons Between Jobs
• Civil War Museum
• Ronald McDonald Houses