Often deployed at short notice to remote corners of the globe, our ShelterBox Response Team (SRT) volunteers work tirelessly to deliver on-the-ground aid to people hit by natural and man-made disasters.
> Find out more about the Selection Process
Our SRT volunteers come from all walks of life, with the first teams deployed following the Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004. Since then, our SRTs have delivered ShelterBoxes to disaster victims all over Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and the Americas.
Applying to become an SRT is not a decision to be taken lightly. Deploying with our aid into remote and chaotic environments is not for the faint-hearted. Conditions in the field can be very basic and SRTs may be operating within days of a disaster that has killed huge numbers of people. Apart from the human tragedy, the infrastructure of the affected area may be in ruins and communications with home limited.
What do we look for in new SRT volunteers?
Our teams must be totally self-sufficient – capable of operating without adding to the burden of the people we are there to help. SRT volunteers therefore need to be:
- Fit
- Hard working
- Resourceful
- Good communicators
- Able to make the right decisions when under pressure
Given the nature of the work and the level of responsibility expected of SRTs, we are committed to providing a high level of training and ongoing support for those who choose to volunteer for us. To this end, we prefer to recruit SRT members from the pool of volunteers who are already aware of our humanitarian work and have demonstrated some prior commitment to ShelterBox.
In Canada, this most often means that SRT applicants get involved as a ShelterBox Canada Ambassador.
Our Ambassadors play a vital role in raising awareness and funds for ShelterBox Canada through speaking engagements, fundraising events and other activities. Follow this link or call us at 647-352-1930 (or toll free 1-855-875-4661) to learn more about our Ambassador volunteer program.
