Owners of a recently opened emergency supply company located in Surrey will be donating a percentage of each sale to providing relief to disaster-stricken areas this month.
Chylan Emergency Gear husband-and-wife team Cherise McGee and Dylan Okeymow will take a portion of each transaction and put it towards purchasing ShelterBoxes, which include a family tent, blankets, water-purification devices, a stove and other vital items.
Volunteers with the ShelterBox response team then deliver the boxes to areas such as Guatemala and Mexico, which have both experienced recent earthquakes.
McGee and Okeymow – who started up Chylan Emergency Gear in March – discovered the work done by ShelterBox after attending the Vancouver Preparedness Exhibit, The duo was immediately spurred to sign up to support the organization.
“(ShelterBox) have a fantastic network of volunteers and response teams that work around the globe,” said McGee.
“In under 15 years they have already delivered 127,700 boxes internationally. We immediately signed up as ambassadors for ShelterBox and when working with schools and organizations we present ways on how they can get involved.
“It’s a natural fit.”
Last week was Emergency Preparedness Week in B.C., which McGee said served as a reminder for everybody to learn more about staying safe in case of an emergency.
“The most common mistake is not understanding the overall importance of preparedness,” she said. “Chylan is about being prepared and being self-reliant. We want to be a part of a movement to increase sustainability, so we started a business in the hope that we can be the change.”
For more information, visit www.getprepared.gc.ca or www.chylan.ca
