Disaster Response
Rotary members and The Rotary Foundation play a unique role in disaster recovery and rebuilding efforts.
ShelterBox
Working closely with our partner ShelterBox and other organizations that specialize in disaster relief, Rotary members lead projects to support every phase of a community's recovery. ShelterBox USA provides emergency shelter, tools, and household supplies to displaced families after a disaster, which enables families to begin to rebuild and recover, transforming despair into hope. The organization was founded in 2000 in the town of Helston, Cornwall, UK by Rotarian and former Royal Navy Search and Rescue Diver Tom Henderson.
Right now, more than 100 million people around the world have lost their homes to disaster and conflict.
War in Ukraine
Rotary responded to the crisis in Ukraine by providing humanitarian aid to regions that supported refugees and others affected by war. Thanks to the generosity of donors around the world, Rotary raised more than $17.4 million that funded 375 grants that provided people with essential support.
In addition, our Southeastern Pennsylvania District’s clubs have raised more than $100,000 for Rotary Poland’s initiatives to help alleviate the suffering of the three million refugees from Ukraine after the war broke out.
Rotarians in Poland and Ukraine responded to the crisis after Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. Polish Rotarians practiced “Service above Self” by opening their wallets, their homes, their cars and their networks to help Ukrainian refugees and people in Ukraine. Funds enabled Rotary Poland to purchase generators and food for residents in Ukraine, and provide temporary modular homes, medical supplies, and supportive infrastructure for refugees resettled in Poland.
