2016 Global Community Impact Award Finalist
ShelterBox USA
Tonkinson Financial
Commonwealth Financial Network
Steven Tonkinson values the opportunity to make a difference in the world, not only with his checkbook, but also with his hands in high-risk situations. As a ShelterBox Response Team Member, Steven has participated in ten different international deployments to deliver humanitarian relief in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, coordinating and delivering life-saving equipment in remote, chaotic conditions. In addition to being a disaster first responder, Steven also serves as an ambassador for the organization by raising public awareness and speaking out about ShelterBox’s mission to provide shelter, warmth and dignity to families made homeless by natural and other disasters around the globe. This past January, Steven ran all 26.2 miles of the Miami Marathon with a ShelterBox replica on his back, raising over $20,000 and introducing new audiences to the organization’s mission and how it makes a difference.
Steven has deployed to Mexico in the wake of a major hurricane, to Peru in response to landslides, to the Phillippines following Typhoon Haiyan, to Malawi amidst flooding, and to Haiti multiple times after the historic earthquakes of 2010. In April, he deployed to Fiji following Cyclone Winston, the strongest storm ever recorded to make landfall in the Southern hemisphere. In June, he deployed to Sri Lanka helping landslide victims after the country was hit with heavy rains causing the worst flooding event in 25 years. In each of these challenging scenarios, Steven notes that he is reminded time and again that material possessions mean nothing when compared to one’s family, friends and community.