Greetings District Governor Regina,
 
I want to provide you with an update on the ShelterBox response to the earthquakes in Turkey/Syria and invite you to our webinar “Ukraine War at 1 year- A report back and a look ahead.”
 
The outpouring of Rotary support has been heartwarming, and it remains crucial for carrying out our response work. While we are not opening a specific fund, we will honor donations which ask to be restricted to our Turkey/Syria response. However, should the amount raised exceed the amount that we can use there in a timely manner, the difference will be allocated to our general fund. This is no different than disclaimers used by other charitable organizations including The Rotary Foundation.
 
ShelterBox USA is a registered 501c3 charity operated and funded independent of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. At ShelterBox we believe in transparency, our IRS forms, annual reports and independent audit reports are available for viewing and downloading at https://www.shelterboxusa.org/financials/ ShelterBox USA is proud to maintain a 4 star rating at charity navigator https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/200471604
Donate by mail: ShelterBox USA   P.O. Box 5055   Santa Barbara, Ca   93150
 
Turkey/Syria update
Two weeks in and ShelterBox aid has arrived in Turkey and Syria, including essential items such as tents, blankets, mattresses, and winter coats for children, with more on the way. The items will help people survive through this ongoing nightmare, protecting them from the winter weather, preventing the spread of disease, and providing some privacy, as they get back on their feet. ·
 
A well-coordinated response is vital in such a complex and huge crisis. Our emergency response teams are in Gaziantep – a large city in southern Turkey which was affected by the earthquakes. They have visited affected areas, where rescue efforts continue to search for people under the rubble of collapsed buildings. Being based in the city is helping our teams work out what aid people need and how to get it to them. Additional ShelterBox response team members have just arrived in Gaziantep to bolster our response efforts. Having an extra team on the ground means we can be more agile, work more closely with partners and move to different locations as needed as we explore ways to scale up our response. We also have a response team member in Istanbul coordinating with Rotary. ·
 
Our response teams are being supported around the clock by ShelterBox operations HQ in England. This is a hugely complex humanitarian response spanning two countries. Getting aid into Turkey and Syria is complicated but we are used to working in challenging environments. Our response teams have been developing partnerships, meeting with Rotary, and scaling up our work with existing partners from our Syria response. Planning has centered around the logistical challenges of the response and working out how each organization can add value over the coming days, weeks, and months.
 
Staff members at local NGOs, or their family and friends, have been badly affected by the earthquakes and so those organizations are regrouping to respond as effectively as possible.
 
In Syria, the border crossing we have used for years to move aid into northern Syria was disrupted by the earthquakes, but it has reopened. Two additional border crossings have also been open that were previously shut, to help with the international aid effort and getting much-needed supplies to people. Providing cash assistance could be an important element in this response too – giving people who have been left with nothing the flexibility to get what they need. At ShelterBox, the way we work means that our response will focus on where the biggest emergency shelter gaps are and what essential items are needed over the coming days, weeks, and months.
 
“Ukraine War at 1 year- A report back and a look ahead.”
February 28, 2023    9AM PT – Noon ET
Register here
Registration (gotowebinar.com)
Open for all in District 6840 to attend.
On 24 Feb 2022, Russia launched a major military operation in Ukraine, representing a significant escalation of the conflict, which has been ongoing in the east of the country since 2014. By the end of 2022, close to 8 million Ukrainians have been recorded as refugees across Europe, and almost 6 million have been displaced within Ukraine. To date, we've provided more than 37,000 affected people displaced within Ukraine and refugees in Moldova with life-saving aid. As the bitter winter months continue, we're distributing essential items to around 30,000 more people to help them survive. ShelterBox has been responding since March 2022 with basic items like thermal blankets, clothing, stoves and firewood, and emergency repair kits to help people fix damaged roofs, seal windows and doors, keep the heat in, and make homes watertight.
Join ShelterBox USA President Kerri Murray, a member of Montecito Rotary Club D5240, as she hosts this exclusive update on our projects supporting families affected by the war in Ukraine. We will also provide updates on Turkey and Syria.
 
Thank you,
Bill

ShelterBox USA
Bill Tobin
Rotary Relations Manager

d: 1 (805) 203-8668
m: (916) 616-6973
w: www.shelterboxusa.org
 
 
Member, Rotary Club of El Dorado Hills Ca. D5180