From: Ron D. Burton R.I. President, 2013-14 ron.burton@rotary.org
Dear fellow Rotarians:
As we all know, on November 8th the worst recorded storm to make
landfall flattened entire coastal towns and villages in the
Philippines. Thousands of people were killed and hundreds of
thousands more are struggling to survive without access to food,
water, and shelter.
I know we all want to help. I am urging our clubs to take action
to provide emergency aid now and begin planning for the future
when we can help rebuild homes, schools, and businesses. While
Rotary is not an emergency disaster-relief organization, we are
in the business of helping people in need. Every one of our six
areas of focus is affected when disasters of this size occur.
I saw first-hand the difference Rotarians can make after one of
the deadliest tornadoes on record tore through communities in my
home state of Oklahoma. The widespread destruction was
heartbreaking. Almost immediately after the storm, Rotarians were
out in force cleaning debris, collecting food and water, and
comforting families who lost everything. The Rotary clubs in the
affected areas showed perseverance and strength. We helped pick
up the pieces and build them back up.
What really moved me was the support and compassion from clubs
around the world. In the face of calamity, we were not alone.
Rotary’s collective spirit is the essence of how we Engage Rotary
and Change Lives.
Rotary partner ShelterBox has committed aid for thousands of
families in the form of emergency shelter and other relief
assistance. They were already in the Philippines when the typhoon
hit providing aid to families who lost homes in the 7.1 magnitude
earthquake that struck the Philippines in September.
Such disasters are the reason why we entered into our partnership
with ShelterBox. On Friday, I visited their website and sponsored
a ShelterBox to help a family in need, and I encourage you to do
the same if you’re able to do so – any level of support will help
to change lives for the better. The organization welcomes help
from Rotary members to identify need and provide support. You can
contact them at rotaryrequest@shelterbox.org.
We have more than 21,000 Rotary members in the Philippines. The
hardest hit areas include Districts 3860, 3850, and 3830. We are
working with our governors in the affected areas to determine
what type of support will be most effective, and we will continue
to provide updates on www.rotary.org.
I know I can count on Rotarians around the world to come to the
aid of our friends in the Philippines. If you have any questions
about how you can help, please write to relief@rotary.org.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Ron Burton