Posted by Melissa Lair, Manager of Fundraising and Development

Dear Rotarians in Rotary District 7070:

As we begin a new year, I want to start with a heartfelt thank you.

This past year was incredibly hard for so many families around the world. Conflict, climate disasters, and displacement forced millions of people from their homes, often with little warning and nowhere safe to go. In the middle of all that uncertainty, one thing was clear. People like you stepped forward.

Because of you, families found shelter and relief during immensely challenging circumstances, from Jamaica to Chad, Cameroon, the Philippines, Gaza, and so many places in between. Your generosity became life-saving support, bringing safety, dignity, and hope to people who had lost nearly everything......

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Photo: ShelterKits and aid items being used in Zion, in the Cornwall county of Jamaica following Hurricane Melissa.
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Photo: Together with local partners FACE and Rotary, ShelterBox Operations Philippines distributed aid items following Typhoon Bualoi.
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Photo: Zara and her daughters in front of their new semi-durable home in Chad after fleeing devastating conflict.

Because of you, thousands of people were able to take their first steps toward recovery.

 

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to hear a brief message from Sir Ian Mckellan! see the video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_Ql2sPuLFw

Winter can be a joyful time for many. A chance to curl up by the fire, to be with family, to rest and relax.

However, winter can be a bleak time for many others around the world, especially those displaced by conflict or disaster.

But in the words of Sir Ian McKellen, “the smallest act can change the course of the future”.

As we look ahead, the need is still great, and so is our commitment. With your continued partnership, ShelterBox will be ready to respond wherever disaster strikes, bringing shelter and hope when it is needed most.

From all of us at ShelterBox Canada, and from the families whose lives you helped change, thank you. It is an incredible privilege to do this work alongside you.
 

With gratitude,

Marissa Lair

Manager of Fundraising and Development

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Deployment Updates

To see a full list of our responses, please see our website. 

Bangladesh- Fire

ShelterBox and Uttaran (our national partner) will support thousands of people with shelter, bedding and kitchen sets, or cash assistance after fire swept through the Korail slum in Dhaka on 25 November 2025, destroying around 1,500 homes and leaving thousands of people homeless. 

Burkina Faso - Conflict 

Our next project (7) will support thousands of people (900 households) in regions with high numbers of internally displaced people – Boucle du Mouhoun and Centre-Nord. Each shelter will have a concrete base for better protection from rain, flooding, and wildlife. Community members can earn cash by helping to build them

Cameroon- Conflict

Distributions of emergency shelter kits and household items are continuing.
A rise in attacks by armed groups and abductions are impacting how we work in affected areas to keep people safe

Chad - Conflict 

Project 3 – our emergency project in eastern Chad is now complete, supporting almost 10,000 people in in Marassabre camp, Wadi Fira

Jamaica - Hurricane Melissa

Working with Food for the Poor and Rotary in Jamaica, we’ve supported 10,000 people with shelter and other essential items like blankets, mosquito nets, water carriers, and solar lights. We’ve carried out 21 distributions across four parishes - Westmoreland, Hanover, St James and St Elizabeth – many of them hard-to-reach, mountainous areas.

Philippines - Typhoon Bualoi and Cebu Earthquake 

The Rotary Club of Cebu and ShelterBox have completed distributions to people across four of the worst affected areas after Typhoon Kalmaegi. Monitoring is underway for Typhoon Bualoi and Cebu earthquake responses.

 

ShelterBox Trust and Rotary International are official Project Partners in disaster relief. ShelterBox and the ShelterBox Canada affiliate are registered charities, independent of Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation. ShelterBox Canada's charitable number is 846283208 RR0001

ShelterBox Canada | 200 - 2010 Winston Park Drive | Oakville, ON L6H 5R7 CA