Warwick Rotarians aid disaster relief efforts

Cash and shelter box containing survival essentials headed to Haiti WARWICK, N.Y. - “I think it’s great that our club has sponsored a Shelter Box for Haiti.” Those remarks are from Eric Heffler, a Warwick Rotary officer and an executive with Mercy Corps which is on the job in Haiti. “Prior to this disaster, Haiti was actually not one of Mercy Corp’s 40 countries,” said Heffler. “But it sure is now. We are setting up to become a major force for rescue, recovery and rebuilding in Haiti.” Members of Mercy’s emergency assessment team arrived in Port-Au-Prince by helicopter from the Dominican Republic soon after the deadly earthquake. Mercy Corps’ “A-team” planned and managed recent disaster responses such as with the China and Pakistani earthquakes, Hurricane Katrina and the Asian Tsunami of five years ago. Fund raising has been amazing, said Heffler. More than $4 million was received in just four days. At one point donations were pouring into the mercycorps.org so fast that it temporarily crashed the Web site. Warwick Rotarians donated $1,000 to Mercy Corps to assist in emergency relief efforts. Local Rotarians also donated cash and $1,000 to purchase a shelter box of disaster-specific items for Haiti. Shelter boxes include a weatherproof 10-person tent and other survival essentials including thermal blankets and insulated ground sheets, mosquito nets, a multi-fuel stove and cooking utensils, water containers and water purification kits, a basic tool kit and a children’s activity kit. Larry Palant of the Suffern, N.Y., Rotary Club said as of last Saturday 930 shelter boxes were en route to Haiti from the United States while another 1,000 were being packed by Shelter Box’s team of volunteers. Virgin Atlantic Airlines is supporting the relief effort by flying hundreds of the shelter boxes from the England to Miami on their planes free of charge. “It is nice to know that our Rotary Club has actually helped the relief effort from two different directions with our donations to Mercy Corps and Shelter Box USA,” said Warwick Rotary Treasurer Lisette Cuba.