Shelterbox and Rotary Volunteer Packing Day

Cookstoves, sleeping bags, solar lights, battery packs, comforters, and tents heading out. 

Greensboro, North Carolina  — Almost 100 volunteers will sort, pack, and ship desperately needed survival items for people in hurricane-ravaged regions starting at 10 a.m. Thursday, Nov 7.

The shipments will include cook stoves, solar lights, battery packs, durable tents, water filters, zero-degree thermal sleeping bags, and thick comforters.  The collaboration between Rotary and its long-time disaster relief partner ShelterBox USA is focused on what people in 10 counties have said they need now to help survive the dire conditions, including frigid temperatures.

“People are living in damaged homes, or completely homeless, who desperately need immediate aid,” said Kerri Murray, ShelterBox USA President. “They’ve been forgotten as the news cycle focused on other stories.   This recovery is going to take years.”

Where: C.P. Eakes Company, 2012 Fairfax Road Greensboro, NC 27407.  This warehouse is owned by Rotary Zone Director Patrick Eakes.

When: 10 am optimum, best packing visuals will continue until 11:30 am.

Retired Army Colonel Alex “Alpo” Portelli, with vast experience conducting emergency operations for 51 countries in Europe, is leading the response.

“The mountains of Western North Carolina look like a war zone,” said the Rotary District Governor Elect for that region.  “But the people there are resilient and are now rolling up their sleeves to get to work.  We have to help them.”

The 10 counties receiving the supply kits are Avery, Buncombe, Haywood, Henderson, Madison, McDowell, Mitchell, Polk, Transylvania, and Yancey.

Murray and Portelli are excellent at show-and-tell interviews and welcome any news media requests.  Also available for interviews are: Rotary International President Stephanie Urchick, ShelterBox USA Board Chair Dr, Matt Gerber, Rotary International Director Patrick Eakes, and District Governor Connie Molland.