Sadly, we’re no strangers to natural disasters, and we’ve been particularly hard-hit by them over the last few weeks. Hurricanes, earthquakes, flooding ? the news is full of frightening scenes of people scrambling to safety and searching for their family and friends. Whole towns and neighborhoods have been flattened, and their water supplies and utilities have been ripped out.

ShelterBox tailors its response to every kind of emergency, providing aid that helps families rebuild both their homes and their lives. While the immediate need for shelter, food, and clean water is obviously foremost in any response, the organization stresses that “[it knows] that a home is much more than bricks and mortar or tarpaulin and tent pegs: [its] kits and boxes contain the items that help transform shelter into a home.” This level of investment in the future is empowering, and it gives people hope that they’ll be able to rebuild and recover after a disaster.
“Our sturdy green ShelterBoxes are designed to help people who have lost everything,” the team says. “They are filled with practical tools and utensils that help to create the framework for everyday life. Each contains a family-sized tent that protects people from the elements and provides a safe space in which people can start to recover from physical and emotional trauma.”

Beyond that, the contents differ depending on the type of disaster involved. The local climate is also a fa...