The Rotary Club of the Villages is reaching out to those in the Philippines desperate for help in the wake of one of the strongest typhoons ever to hit the nation.
“The disaster is huge and the need is great,” said Ralph Cowell of Rotary Club of the Villages.
The death toll in the Philippines is well over 2,000.
The misery and suffering have been made worse as aid has been slow to reach the survivors.
Rotary International is providing aid through the ShelterBox program, which provides emergency disaster relief across the globe.
“We already have boots on the ground,” Cowell said.
A highly trained response team from ShelterBox was already on the island of Bohol in the Philippines when the typhoon struck. The team had been there delivering aid to 600 families who had been in a recent earthquake, said Erin Holdgate with ShelterBox.
It costs $1,000 to compile each ShelterBox. The boxes weigh more than 100 pounds and include a tent that is used for anywhere from six months to three years, housing up to 10 people at times. The boxes also include thermal blankets, insulated ground sheets, treated mosquito nets, water purification equipment, a wood-burning or multi-fuel stove, pans, utensils, bowls, mugs, water storage containers, a hammer, ax, saw, hoe head, rope, pliers, wire cutters, and drawing books, crayons and pens for children.
Last year, Rotary Club of the Villages hosted a group from the Philippines through the Group Study Exchange. (This past week, Rotary Club of the Villages hosted a GSE from the Czech Republic and Slovakia.)
Having known a group from the Philippines changes the dynamic, Cowell.
“For us, it’s personal,” he said.
He encourages Villagers to contribute to the relief effort through the ShelterBox program.
Once there, hit the yellow “Donate Now” button. Money donated there will go directly to those in need in the Philippines.
