In the wake of the recent spate of Hurricane s in the Caribbean and as announced at our Annual Provincial meeting on September 30th the Province pledged to donate £1000, via the The Mark Benevolent Fund, to the Mark District of South & East Caribbean to assist with the hurricane relief effort. Due to this widespread generosity the MBF decided to collate all the donations under the one, very successful, ShelterBox Appeal banner.
“He gives twice who gives promptly” is the mantra of The Mark Benevolent Fund. The charity came into existence in 1868 on the suggestion of the Reverend George Raymond Portal, Grand Master of the Mark. His views on charity were far more radical and progressive than the general thinking of the time. He felt that for charity to be effective it had to be disbursed swiftly and without bureaucratic formalities. As you can see, the ShelterBox charity shares this basic tenet.
ShelterBox is a charity that believe in shelter as a human right â that shelter from the chaos of disaster and conflict is vital. Their sturdy green ShelterBoxes are designed to help people who have lost everything. 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. The contents differ depending on the disaster and the climate, but items such as solar lights, water storage and purification equipment, thermal blankets and cooking utensils help start the process of creating a home.
For more information visit www.shelterbox.org