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Santa Barbara, CA -- ShelterBox USA President Kerri Murray, who has propelled the locally based disaster relief agency to tremendous growth and recognition in a decade at the helm, will talk about the resilience of women and hope in a conversation open to the public.

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 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."

Murray herself 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 levelled 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. Kerri received the Martin Luther King Jr. Vision Award from Providence College in February 2024 and an honorary PhD from the College in 2025 for her global humanitarian impact. Prior to ShelterBox, Kerri was vice president of Direct Relief. Kerri is a proud member of the Montecito Rotary Club and for six years served as board president for GIRLS ROCK Santa Barbara.