St. Martha School & ShelterBox
St. Martha School has raised over $10,000 this year to go towards the purchase of Shelterboxes.
The following information is taken from http://www.shelterbox.org/
Shelterboxes are sponsored by service clubs, (Rotary Clubs), school and church
groups, businesses and individuals, etc. Materials are ordered from a range of
suppliers selected for general use, long-life, quality and price. Shelterboxes
are prepared and packed using all new materials as delivered from manufacturers,
at the Shelterbox warehouse based in Helston, Cornwall. The standard Shelterbox
weighs 110 lbs. and has approximate dimensions 2'3" x 1'4" x 11". They are sealed
and banded for transit and security. Box contents vary depending on the nature
of the disaster requiring their use.
Boxes Are sometimes packed with two 10-person tents in them, (to the exclusion
of some smaller items, to maximize shelter capacity. Some of the selected Box items
that are available for inclusion in the Box are:
• One 49 gallon box (The Shelterbox) initially the container for delivery of the materials listed below. Once delivered, can be used as water tank, food store, cot, table, etc.
• One ten-person tent, including two fabric interior privacy partitions, outer fly-sheet and repair kit. These tents are considered ‘winter suitable’ by international relief standards.
• Vinyl insulated sleeping mats and lightweight thermal blankets. More compact than sleeping bags, these mats and blankets have multiple uses. The blanket can also be fashioned to catch water, as a tarp, etc. while the mat also serves as a ground ‘table’ for meals, or tent rugs.
• One pack of 180 water purification tablets or a water purification kit; and one 5 gallon flat-pack water container (Each tablet will purify a full container of water providing 1,800 gallons of clean drinking water which should be sufficient for a family of ten for up to three months).
• Two 2.1 gallon, collapsible, plastic water carriers.
• One collapsible trenching shovel
• Rope, 164 foot
• Repellant-treated mosquito netting
• Ten PVC Ponchos/ ten HD plastic bags
• Tool kit in canvas bag: hachet, jack-knife, screwdriver, hammer, hoe head etc.
• Multi-fueled cook stove
• Eating utensils: enamel plates/cups
• Children's activity kit-simple school supplies, stickers and coloring book
The contents are under continuous review. A small stock of wind-up radios
(short-wave and FM) has been obtained to substitute a sleeping bag in every
tenth box should such a requirement arise.
For shipping purposes, a large container (40 feet) can accommodate up to 240
Shelterboxes, smaller containers would typically be half the size and quantities.
The purpose of Shelter Box USA, Inc. is to provide victims of disaster with
shelter, by supporting the efforts of the Shelter Box Trust.
-"St. Martha participates because we are a school who highly believes in giving. We try to do all we can to those less fortunate than us. We place ourselves in that situation and feel the need to help. We want to do all we can for the people who need it." - J. Carretta, 7th Grade
- "We participate in Shelterbox because that is who we are. We are the kind of people who want to help those in need. We want to succeed in helping the poor and lonely. We want to act and be disciples of Jesus Christ." - M. Grabowski, 7th Grade
- "Shelterbox is important for St. Martha school because we can help others in need. St. Martha teaches us to show leadership skills and to reach out for tohers in need, and that's what we are doing with this project. We have been doing this for four years, and each year it has been successful." - E. Caldwell, 8th Grade
- Shelterbox is important to St. Martha's because we realize that Shelterboxes are shat is keeping millions of people alive. For many people, without Shelterbox, they wouldn't have anywhere to call home. Shelterbox provides so many things to people that we take for granted." - L. Welford, 6th Grade
