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Rossland Rotary Club provides ShelterBoxes to communities in need

Rossland’s Rotary Club has once again stepped up to help provide shelter for those affected by disasters and humanitarian crisis.
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A ShelterBox and its contents on display in downtown Trail.

Rossland’s Rotary Club has once again stepped up to help provide shelter for those affected by disasters and humanitarian crisis.

So far this year, the Rossland Rotary Club has sponsored two ShelterBoxes, which are supplied to communities affected by natural disaster and humanitarian crisis. ShelterBox is a charity that began in 2000 when the Rotary Club of Helston-Lizard in Cornwall, England adopted the initiative as a millennium project.

“A typical ShelterBox contains a high-tech family tent, blankets, cooking utensils, water purification equipment, solar light, a basic tool kit, mosquito net and a children’s activity pack,” according to shelterboxcanada.org.

The contents of each ShelterBox are chosen to suit the circumstances, and boxes can be adapted to suit cold climates.

Though the ShelterBoxes are meant to provide temporary relief for about a month, one Rossland Rotary member says sometimes they end up serving families long term.

“A lot of the shelters get used for years; like for three years you’ll have an entire family living in one of these tents,” says Rotarian Dan Kroeker, whose family supports ShelterBox as its charity of choice.

Last year, with help from the community, the Rossland Rotary Club achieved ShelterBox Hero status by supplying seven boxes for Nepal following the earthquake in April. One more box this year ($12,000) will ensure that the club is once again a ShelterBox Hero.