Haiti Earthquake Appeal

The Rotary Club of Andover Benevolent Fund

Registered Charity No. 253063

The effects on the people of Haiti are truly appalling. Some news reports suggest that over a quarter of the country's 10 million population may need emergency aid.

The Rotary Club of Andover quickly launched an Emergency Appeal to co-ordinate a local response to assist the people affected by helping to provide shelter, pure water and other essentials. Rest assured ALL your donation will help those in need. We have no overheads* and use established Rotary Charities.

Please give generously. So far, you have helped us to raise enough funds to pay for 16 Shelterboxes.

Your donation, large or small, would be much appreciated please Donate Securely On-Line Now or send a cheque to:

• Rotarian John Stewart
• International Chairman
• Rotary Club of Andover
• 63 Conholt Road
• Andover
• SP10 2HS

(Please make cheques payable to "The Rotary Club of Andover").

This appeal is to raise money to buy ShelterBoxes to provide emergency relief. A ShelterBox Response Team ('SRT') was quckly in Port au Prince, the capital of Haiti. A Shelterbox Logistics Team is also in Miami with another in the Dominican Republic, to assist with co-ordination of the exceptional logistical difficulties in the region.

6,800 ShelterBoxes have arrived and are being put to immediate and urgent use with a further 1,200 Shelterboxes committed to the disaster area. Warehouse volunteers in the UK contunue to work tirelessly packing boxes. This is a total commitment so far of 8,000 boxes (enough to supply shelter and equipment for up to 80,000 people).

Mark Pearson is an experienced Shelterbox Response Team member and was deployed to Haiti immediately news of the disaster broke. He was also one of the first on the ground after the Indian Ocean Tsunami. Mark reported: ‘This is worse than the tsunami. It’s utter chaos at the airport. Buildings have been completely destroyed, the hospital has been destroyed. It’s a full scale emergency, there’s so much destruction.'

The Response Team have been working tirelessly in Haiti. One of the first projects was to set up a ShelterBox camp for up to 1,000 people on the Henfrasa sports field in Delmas, Port au Prince, Haiti, providing emergency shelter for the most in need and the most vulnerable.

The ongoing need to fund Shelterboxes is urgent. People really are desperate for your support. PLEASE HELP.

Thank you for your support.

*Should you choose to donate to this appeal on-line, the Charities Aid Foundation charge a small handling fee which is deducted from your donation. This is to cover card handling fees and the CAF carry out all the admin for us if you are able to GiftAid your donation.. Thank you.

The Shelter Box

Each Shelter Box will provide shelter and warmth for up to ten people for a prolonged period and consists of a high quality ten man tunnel tent, sleeping bags, water purification, cooking utensils and other useful equipment. Each Box costs us £490.

This video is from Time magazine's correspondents in Haiti and details ShelterBox's work: