TEXTILES.ORG
With homes and buildings in ruins, tents and related products played a major role in early recovery efforts following the catastrophic Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti.
Celina Tent Inc., Celina, Ohio, responded within 48 hours to governmental requests for shelters with two 53-foot semi-trailers of tents and related accessories.
“We have had hundreds of calls for tents from many government agencies and non-profit organizations,” says Janice Grieshop of Celina. “They are all in desperate need of tents, but logistics seems [to be] the main issue, and shelter is a lower priority behind water, medicine and food.”
Chattanooga Tent Co., Chattanooga, Tenn., also received a call within two days of the earthquake from a long-time customer in the mission field that wanted to purchase a 60-by-150-foot pole tent to be used as a hospital. The company also donated 21 additional tents to be used as housing, and partnered with Signature Fencing and Flooring Systems on warehouse units.
“The units were installed by crews from both companies as well as using local labor,” Chattanooga Tent Vice President Mike Holland says. “The structures (8,500 square meters) had to meet the normal requirements of warehousing—high sidewall, lighting and flooring that would accommodate the fully loaded tractor trailers. The crew that went was thanked by the local people for their help and efforts. All involved felt like it was a meaningful experience in their lives.”
Anchor Industries Inc. of Evansville, Ind., provided aid through the nonprofit organization Hope for Haiti of Naples, Fla., donating a tractor-trailer full of tent and temporary shelter products valued at more than $150,000, including tent tops that could be used for roof cover or as tarp cover for property or buildings, 10 camp-style tents for families, sidewall that could be hung from a rod or support to close off an area, and tent liners for use as blankets.
“We were fortunate and pleased to be in a position to play a small role in responding to this devastating tragedy,” says Dave Conner, Anchor vice president and chief financial officer.
Shelter Systems of Santa Cruz, Calif., received from the United Nations its largest single order of 3,000 relief dome tents, clearing out the company’s warehouse in Santa Cruz and boosting production in their Georgia manufacturing facility.