More than 85 million people worldwide have been made homeless by natural disaster and conflict. That’s more than every resident of California, Texas, South Carolina and North Carolina combined. ShelterBox offers survival tools for displaced families in their time of need. ShelterBox: Transforming Despair into Hope ShelterBox specializes in mobile shelters and supplies for emergency relief efforts. The UK-based organization has provided vital aid in 21 countries. In 2017, more than 162,000 people received ShelterBox assistance. Each aid experience is customized for the needs of the recipients. Emergency packages may include tents, building supplies, fresh water, solar lights, mosquito nets, and blankets. School kits help to mend the learning gap caused when access to education is interrupted. ShelterBox supplies empower recipients in a variety of ways: • 82% of surveyed beneficiaries said that they felt safer in the shelter they repaired or rebuilt using aid provided by ShelterBox. • 85% of surveyed beneficiaries agreed that receiving aid from ShelterBox meant they were warmer at night. • 88% of surveyed beneficiaries said that they had more privacy for themselves and their family after they had received aid from ShelterBox. Yardi + ShelterBox ShelterBox USA recently hosted a Lunch & Learn session with corporate sponsor, Yardi. The Yardi Santa Barbara office broke the Lunch & Learn attendance record with 45 attendees. Lunch and Learn featured a presentation by ShelterBox President Kerri Murray. Attendees received an overview of one of the organization’s popular innovations, The Standard Relief Tent. This waterproof tent protects its inhabitants from UV rays, winds up to 100kmh, and heavy rainfall. Inhabitants stay dry, even when exterior standing water levels reach up to six inches. While keeping the elements out, the tent maintains comfortable conditions inside. A unique ventilation system creates a 10-degree temperature...

The devastating earthquake that struck Nepal Saturday has prompted rapid international response to aid the millions of people affected. Thousands of people were killed, with the death toll changing daily, and up to 8 million Nepalese are estimated to be impacted. Shelterbox USA, a disaster support non-profit that is rooted in Rotary volunteerism, immediately dispatched a team to Nepal upon learning of the quake. They will establish a plan for distribution of ShelterBox kits, which allow people to “shelter in place” by providing necessary supplies. Shelterbox kits include a tent, water purification system, solar lamp, blankets, and other basic needs supplies to help people who have been left with nothing after a disaster. Yardi was contributed to Shelterbox in the past, including after Typhoon Haiyan in 2013. Often, the organization will seek to distribute its relief efforts in rural, hard to reach areas far from the more accessible urban centers, which are plentiful in the mountainous country of Nepal. Shelterbox was prepared in advance for a Nepal response effort, with prepositioned tents ready to go in case of an emergency. Yardi employees and corporate charitable giving program will combine to contribute funds in support of Shelterbox’s Nepalese efforts. The company supports more than 80 non-profit organizations and worthy causes each calendar year. ** Just two months ago, Yardi CSD manager Terry Kelly and his wife Pam took the trip of a lifetime to Nepal, where they assisted with a two-day medical outreach organized by Project for a Village. It was a powerful experience in an remote agricultural area with limited health care resources, Kelly recalled. Kelly said that the epicenter of the earthquake was located close to the foothill valley where the medical team had gone to work with local residents. The 7.8-magnitude quake,...