( CNN ) -- After a deadly earthquake and tsunami struck Japan last Friday , response team members from ShelterBox were on the ground within 24 hours . The organization , founded by 2008 CNN Hero Tom Henderson , provides emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies to families affected by disasters . These essentials come in a large , green box that shares the organization 's name . With an initial 600 ShelterBoxes en route to thousands of survivors in northern Japan , Henderson 's group is doing whatever it can to help a country in crisis . Henderson spoke with CNN 's Allie Torgan about nuclear fears and his group 's ongoing efforts in Japan . CNN : How did you mobilize your team into action when you heard about the earthquake ? Tom Henderson : Within minutes , we were moving . We look at our resources , what we 've got available , where our teams are around the world and how quickly we can get people on the ground . We 're fortunate that we 've got boxes positioned in different parts of the world and we 've got our response team members around the world . Within an hour , we were looking at our people going , `` Go jump on an airplane , group together in Tokyo , and let 's get this thing moving . '' We had our first people on the ground within 24 hours . There are boxes leaving every day in different numbers . We 've got people monitoring our team on the ground minute by minute . CNN : How are fears of nuclear catastrophe affecting ground operations ? Henderson : Every disaster 's unusual , this particularly so because of the nuclear problem that 's unfolding . We 're monitoring it hour by hour , and we 've got some world experts advising us on what 's happening . We do n't want to put people in harm 's way . We have to take advice from the experts and , of course , there 's an exclusion zone , so we 're not operating in that exclusion zone . Unfortunately , that exclusion zone does encompass a lot of the most-devastated areas . But there 's other work that 's going on , more assessments that are being done and operational things we put in place . Of course , working with the local community , we want to find out ( who are ) the most needy people . CNN : Reports are out saying that millions of households throughout Japan have no access to safe drinking water . How will ShelterBox address this and other needs ? Henderson : Clean water is becoming a problem , as will food very shortly . In every one of our boxes , we have what we call a family life straw . It 's a water-cleaning device , and it will clean enough water for 10 people for 12 months . You simply pour the dirty water in . It 's a mechanical device -- a filter system that has very clever silver chloride filters and iodine -- and it gives out clean water . That 's included in every one of our boxes . As a situation unfolds and the detail comes back , we coordinate with the local community and find out exactly what is useful . There 's always different ( items ) in the boxes . The box itself is usually useful . The tent , which is now universally known as one of the best aid tents in the world , is designed to keep people warm when it 's cold and cool when it 's hot . And ( there are ) state-of-the-art blankets because it 's very cold . CNN : You and your teams have been working nonstop for the last week . What keeps you going ? Henderson : What keeps us going is very simple . It is that desperate need to help people as quickly as we can . And that 's infectious in our organization . There are over a million people in our tents now in over 60 countries around the world in the most difficult conditions . We do n't need any motivation -- the motivation is needy people . We rest between disasters . For more information , visit the ShelterBox website at www.shelterbox.org .
ShelterBox , a disaster relief organization , responded quickly to the catastrophe in Henderson . The group delivered emergency shelter and lifesaving supplies to 600 of survivors . CNN was founded by every day CNN Hero Allie Torgan . Tsunami aid and relief : How you can help .