With a donation from Intellipure, ShelterBox staff members and volunteers handed out almost 1,000 compact air filters over the weekend to address concerns over poor air quality in the Eaton Fire zone.
Medical experts report unhealthy indoor air can lead to such infirmities as respiratory issues, and eye and throat irritation.
Sandra and Jose Valenzuela, owners of the Altadena Grocery Outlet, worked with ShelterBox and other agencies to distribute goods and information in their parking lot.
Rotary District 5300, including the Altadena Rotary Club, organized the event, vetting the recipients’ identifications and addresses.
Some recipients, such as Bernice Brunswick, 89, who lost her home of 52 years in the fire, cried openly when a purifier was put in their car.
“It means a lot,” she said through her tears. “It means everything when you know there are people out there who will help you when you need it most.”
Los Angeles firefighter Jake Salcedo also lost his home in the Eaton Fire, as did his in-laws.
“All these essentials really help out everybody, all the things we lost,” Salcedo said.
Kerri Murray, president of ShelterBox USA, which is based in Santa Barbara, helped to unpack and hand out filters to residents affected by the Eaton Fire.
“ShelterBox USA has remained committed to providing displaced families with vital supplies through a series of organized community distributions,” said Murray.
“ShelterBox USA staff and volunteers ,including from Santa Barbara and LA County, provided hundreds of families air purifiers from Intellipure, and new comforters to provide relief to people who face a long road to recovery,” she said “We are grateful for supporters who make this important work possible.”
In addition to donating the filters, Intellipure paid for shipping the supplies.
“Intellipure is committed to supporting communities in need, especially those affected by natural disasters,” said Dan Phalen, HealthWay CEO. “We hope this donation of air purifiers will provide much-needed relief to Altadena residents and help improve their indoor air quality.”
Since its founding in 2000, ShelterBox has helped nearly 3 million people in 100 countries by providing emergency shelter following earthquakes, volcanoes, floods, hurricanes, cyclones, tsunamis, and during conflicts.
ShelterBox delivers durable tents, repair kits, cookware, water filters and carriers, solar lights, and other essential survival tools.
ShelterBox is an official Project Partner of Rotary International.