District Director – Hal Vincent (Hickory Sunrise)

As of 12/31/09 the District had provided at least 14 new Boxes.  This changed dramatically after the Haitian earthquake which occurred on 1/12/10.  Since that moment, at least 16 more Boxes have been funded, with more support forthcoming from Clubs every day.

Man stands inside tent from Shelterbox deployment in Taiwan

Since June1, SHELTERBOX has provided aid in four countries:

• Sri Lanka received more than 500 boxes to help thousands of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) fleeing the conflict to the north
• 32,000 special school rucksacks were distributed to schoolchildren in Swaziland (AIDS orphans)
• More than 200 ShelterBoxes were sent to people whose homes were destroyed by Cyclone Aila which strick Bangladesh on May 25 (600,000 people have been made homeless)
• In Pakistan, a camp has been set up for 2,500 IDPs fleeing the fighting between the army and militants in the north.
• Taiwan – Typhoon Morakot

Additionally, 250 more heavy duty tents have been provided.  More than 2.4 million Pakistanis have been displaced.

A total of more than 1,000 ten person tents have been erected since the end of May.