Vancouver resident makes second aid trip to Philippines

Felida — Understanding the ongoing need for aid in the typhoon-ravaged Philippines, Vancouver resident John Cordell returned to the Pacific island nation a month after his December deployment with disaster-relief charity ShelterBox. The retired Portland police officer left Jan. 11 to continue his work to help to hundreds of homeless families. Typhoon Bopha, which made landfall on Dec. 3, has reportedly killed nearly 1,000 people and destroyed more than 200,000 homes in the southern Philippines. ShelterBox sends response teams, emergency shelters and other rescue supplies to displaced people in disaster-plagued regions across the world. It was founded in 2000 and has responded to nearly 200 disaster areas. Cordell was joined on this two-week trip by fellow Vancouver resident Bill Woodard. It’s Woodard’s first ShelterBox deployment and Cordell’s 14th. “I find it rewarding,” Cordell said of working with ShelterBox.