ZELIENOPLE — A Zelienople Rotary Club member was honored recently by President Barack Obama for his volunteerism and dedicated work to help others in need around the world.

Rotarian Tom Grant received the President's Volunteer Service Award for his work as an ambassador with ShelterBox USA.

The nonprofit humanitarian relief group assembles and distributes plastic boxes filled with disaster relief supplies for victims of earthquakes, hurricanes, floods, tsunamis, war, etc.

Each box contains a durable tent large enough to house an extended family, along with a stove, blankets, water filtration system and other essentials. It costs about $1,000 to fill a box.

“Your volunteer service demonstrates the kind of commitment to your community that moves America a step closer to its great promise,” Obama wrote in his congratulatory letter that accompanied the award.

“Thank you for your devotion to service and for doing all you can to shape a better tomorrow for our great nation.”

“It (the award) came as a great shock. I didn't know anything about it,” Grant said.

He decided to get involved as an ambassador of ShelterBox in 2011, following a presentation by another ambassador for ShelterBox.

Grant has been a member of the Zelienople Rotary since June 2005, having served previously as chair of the club's scholarship committee.

A former world cultures educator for 34 years, having the ability to help people around the world in need appealed to him, he said.

Being diagnosed with polio at age 17, Grant also was behind the Rotary Club International's mission to eradicate polio worldwide.

Since becoming an ambassador for ShelterBox, Grant has traveled to dozens of Rotary Clubs, civic and community organizations to conduct presentations urging them to donate money to fund the boxes.

He also set up booths at community festivals, including Horse Trading Days, the Country Fall Festival, and the Zelienople Rotary's annual pancake breakfast.

ShelterBox, with its headquarters in England and its U.S. base in Florida, has responded to more than 212 disasters in 90 countries. Last year, 5,900 ShelterBoxes were sent to 12 countries.

For Hurricane Sandy, 6,000 blankets, 4,800 children's activity packs, 7,800 hats, 1,000 pairs of gloves, 1,700 scarves and 151 full ShelterBoxes were sent.

So far this year, ShelterBoxes have been sent to Lebanon and Jordan to aid refugees from the conflict in Syria, to aid flood victims in Mozambique, Australia and Uganda, and to aid others dealing with natural disasters in the Solomon Islands, Tasmania, Madagascar and Myanmar.

Ambassadors such as Grant are the face of ShelterBox in their communities. They make contact with organizations including service clubs, religious, professional and youth groups, and introduce them to the ShelterBox mission.

The group guideline for the ambassadors is to make at least two presentations per month.

Ambassadors display the ShelterBox equipment at community festivals, hold fundraisers and help raise awareness throughout their assigned communities.

Last year, Grant made 41 presentations to groups throughout Western Pennsylvania. He was the third-most-active ambassador in the country, according to ShelterBox statistics.

Grant estimates that through his efforts, funds have been raised for about 15 ShelterBoxes.

Several high school seniors have used the ShelterBox program as part of their required senior projects. They have raised money to fund the boxes, he said.

Donations from Zelienople Rotary and the community alone have enabled the group to buy and ship four boxes, including one that was recently shipped to the Philippines to aid Typhoon Bopha victims.

“The whole Rotary Club has been very supportive,” said Grant, who added that a number of his fellow Rotarians have helped with his efforts.

Although fundraisers cannot choose where the boxes go, groups are given a tracking number that is placed on the box to see which country their efforts have helped.

More information on ShelterBox USA and its efforts can be found at: www.shelterboxusa.org.