Years in Elmhurst: 47
Family: Wife, Sue; daughter Sarah, 19; and son Eric, 16
Education: Bachelor of Science in industrial technology for graphic arts from Illinois State University, 1984. York High School, class of 1980.
Elmhurst resident Mark Dyer doesn’t know when they’ll call, or where he’ll need to go, but he does know he’ll have to be there within 48 hours.
Since becoming certified earlier this year, Dyer has answered the call twice for ShelterBox, an international disaster relief organization. He now gets to relax after spending October in Agadez, Niger, aiding victims of flash flooding.
“The riverbeds went from being totally dry to being ankle- or neck-deep in 12 hours,” Dyer said. “Their buildings were made of mud brick. When the water hit, the buildings collapsed on themselves.”
The largest city in northern Niger, Agadez is in the middle of the Sahara Desert, Dyer said. Because of its location within the vast desert, Niger is one of the world’s poorest nations and claims the world’s highest infant mortality rate, with 1 in 4 newborns dying before their second birthday, according to Dyer.
“It’s definitely a different way of life that makes you appreciate everything here in the States,” Dyer said.
Dyer said ShelterBox, an arm of Rotary International, distributes boxes full of equipment for a group of 10 to live on for up to six months. The organization is 100 percent donor-funded.
“We want to identify the most at-risk due to loss of life due to the exposure to elements: women with children, the elderly, handicapped, people living with illness. They’re the first on the priority list in that district,” he said. “Then we get a list back from the village elders and we check every one of those names and check their property and make sure they’re not just relatives of the tribal chiefs or political favors.”
Dyer, who “semi-retired” two years ago to make his commitment to ShelterBox, said his family has been supportive of his work with the organization.
“My family’s amazing,” he said. “My kids are older and pretty self-sufficient at this point, and before I started training two years ago, we sat down and talked about it.”
Dyer also completed a relief trip to Somalia this year.
For more information on ShelterBox, visit www.shelterbox.org.
Notable
Elmhurst resident Mark Dyer recently returned from his second relief trip with ShelterBox in Agadez, Niger.
"able
“The pictures (from Agadez) look more like an earthquake zone than a flood.”
Philosophy
“We really never have enough to help everybody, but we try to do the best we can with what we have available to help those most in need.”
Favorites
Part of the world: Australia
Book: “Don’t Stop the Carnival” by Herman Wouk
Cubs or Sox: Sox
Person you admire: Mother
