Kerri Murray, president of the Santa Barbara-based disaster relief agency ShelterBox USA, will talk about the resilience of women and hope in a talk at 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 22 at the Santa Barbara Woman’s Club, 670 Mission Canyon Road.

Tickets are not needed to attend, and there is free on-site parking at the Woman’s Club building, which is adjacent to Rock Nook Park.

ShelterBox delivers dignity and vital supplies, including tents, repair kits, water filters, cookware and solar lights that can charge phones, to people who have lost everything in disaster and conflict, the organization said.

The United Nations reports there are a record 123.5 million forcibly displaced people on the planet.

“In my 10 years leading ShelterBox USA, I’ve seen firsthand the extraordinary power of women, from those rebuilding their lives after disaster, to the women in our own community who come together to create lasting change.” Murray said.

“It’s an honor to speak at the Santa Barbara Women’s Club this October and share stories of courage, resilience, and the impact women can have when we lift one another up,” she said.

Murray deployed for ShelterBox to Ukraine and Poland after the Russian invasion; to Morocco after the 2023 earthquake; and to Grenada in 2024 after Hurricane Beryl leveled 90% of the structures on some islands.

Under Murray’s leadership, ShelterBox has a earned a 100% ranking on Charity Navigator and been nominated for the Nobel Peace three times, including in 2025.

Murray received the Martin Luther King Jr. Vision Award from Providence College in February 2024, and an honorary Ph.D from the college in 2025 for her global humanitarian impact.

Before ShelterBox, Murray was vice president of Direct Relief. She is a member of the Montecito Rotary Club and for six years served as board president for GIRLS ROCK Santa Barbara.