The Salvation Army Fed over 400 after 6 School Buses Crash

After a chain collision that damaged six school buses in I-20, injuring nearly 50 students, The Salvation Army in Covington immediately responded and fed over 400 people:

• 60 fed at the Covington Housing Authority
• 275 Burke Co. Student and Faculty fed at Eastside High School
• 27 Burke Co. Students fed at Newton Medical Center

While one of the drivers was air-lifted to the hospital, there were no life-threatening injuries.  Some of the injured students were taken to Newton Medical Center in Covington.

The community shows gratitude towards The Salvation Army for responding from the beginning, meeting the physical and emotional needs of those injured, those affected in the crash and first-responders.

To learn more about The Salvation Army in Georgia, please visit www.salvationarmygeorgia.org or find us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesalvationarmygeorgia

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Salvation Army Georgia Sends Team to Pennsylvania to Assist Continued Flood Relief Efforts

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Emergency Disaster Service Teams Meet Immediate Needs in Wilkes-Barre

Norcross, GA– The Salvation Army Georgia Division has assembled a team of 47 people who are on ground in Pennsylvania to provide continued assistance to the city of Wilkes-Barre.   It is an area that has been under water due to flooding since Tropical Storm Lee hit the Northeast corner of Pennsylvania. Georgia’s Emergency & Disaster Services (EDS) Team will serve a two-week deployment starting September 17 and will end September 30.  Thus far The Salvation Army of Wilkes-Barre has served over 17,000 meals, over 18,000 drinks and 1,133 clean-up kits to residents who have been affected by the floods.

Major Jim Arrowood, The Salvation Army of  Georgia’s Divisional Commander, said “In Georgia we are blessed by having Salvation Army officers, professional staff and volunteers who are passionate about reaching out to those who are in need. Our friends in Pennsylvania needed our help. We were called upon, and immediately responded by sending 47 from Georgia into action. I know that those representing will have a tremendous impact on those who are suffering.”

Salvation Army officers and staff will come from the all around the state including the Metro Atlanta Area Command, Central Georgia, Southern Georgia and the Northern area of the state.  Relief efforts will extend throughout the impacted region of Northeast Pennsylvania. In the aftermath of the storm, Salvation Army officers and staff will continue to focus on immediate needs providing food, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care to impacted individuals and families.

Major Jim Smith, Director of The Salvation Army Emergency & Disaster Services in Georgia, prays that sharing in this relief effort will bring renewal to the Wilkes-Barre community and those who serve them.  He says, “We ask that everyone pray that our team’s work is blessed and for their safe travel and return as they leave behind family, friends, and their jobs to serve this noble cause.”

The best way to help survivors and relief workers is to make a financial contribution. Monetary donations allow disaster responders to immediately meet the specific needs of disaster survivors.

The Salvation Army asks people who want to help those affected by Tropical Storm Lee to visit www.salvationarmyusa.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).  Checks may be made out to The Salvation Army Disaster Relief, and mailed to Disaster Gift Processing Center, PO BOX 1959 Atlanta, GA 30301.  Please designate 2011 Hurricane Season on all checks. 

• A $10 donation feeds a disaster survivor for one day
• A $30 donation provides one food box, containing staple foods for a family of four, or one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and other cleaning supplies
• A $100 donation can serve snacks and drinks for 125 survivors and emergency personnel at the scene of a disaster
• A $250 donation can provide one hot meal to 100 people or keep a hydration station operational for 24 hours
• A $500 donation keeps a Salvation Army canteen (mobile feeding unit) fully operational for one day

At this point, in-kind donations are not being accepted.  Used clothing and used furniture are seldom required during an incident.  However, these gifts are vitally important in supporting the day-to-day work of your local Salvation Army. Please consider giving these items to your local Salvation Army Family Store or dial 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825).

For the latest emergency disaster services news, please visit  www.salvationarmygeorgia.org, www.facebook.com/thesalvationarmygeorgia, and follow us on Twitter@tsageorgia.

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(Photos by: Shane Autrey, PIO)

Disaster Response Teams Gather to Plan for the Upcoming Week – Strategy, Food Safety, and Emotional Care in Focus

Wyoming Valley, PA (September 19, 2011): This morning 40 volunteers, cooks, staff and Officers quietly gathered at The Salvation Army’s building on Pennsylvania Avenue in Wilkes-Barre, anxiously waiting for orders on where each would be deployed for the day. Maj. Ed Binnix, Incident Commander of the Emergency Disaster Response Unit, called the morning update meeting with team leaders to strategize for the next 48 hours.(Photo by:Shane Autrey)

Capt. Douglas McClure from Albany, GA led canteen operations meeting with the 40 volunteers, making sure everyone knew of updates on location assignments, food safety policy and updates on community information.
Finally, Maj. Kerns, Emotional and Spiritual Care Chief from Atlanta, GA, led the inspirational devotion before everyone broke to pack their mobile feeding units and drive out to assigned locations around the Valley. His message was one of hope and direction to each person and crew working in the field, reminding them that “they are the front lines!”
In addition to feeding and distribution clean up kits, 7 trained Emotional Spiritual Care Officers are out in the field, providing a caring ear and spiritual comfort to those affected and people helping clean up. Everyone is encouraged to remind those affected by the disaster that “brighter days will come soon!”
Today (Monday – September 19, 2011) Mobile Disaster Response & Feeding Canteens are being deployed to West Nanticoke, roaming around Shickshinny and Macanoqua, in Plainsville, roaming in Harding and Falls in Southeast Wyoming County, and Mehoopany/Meshoppen/Tunkhannock in Wyoming County.
The most critical need right now is for monetary donations, which can be made online at www.salvationarmygeorgia.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY. For more information on The Salvation Army’s response, please visit, www.facebook.com/thesalvationarmygeorgia.
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MEDIA CONTACT:
Shane A. Autrey
Public Information Officer, Wyoming Valley Incident Command
e: Shane_Autrey@uss.salvationarmy.org

Salvation Army reinforcements arrive

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By Elizabeth Skrapits (Staff Writer)
Source: citizensvoice.com

To help cope with the scope of the damage in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lee, the Salvation Army has brought in reinforcements.

Local members of the nonprofit, faith-based organization have been on the ground since the flood on Sept. 8-9, and this weekend about 40 more arrived from Georgia to lend a hand.

“The Salvation Army is fully committed to this process,” said Capt. Doug McClure of Albany, Ga. “We’re not going away any time soon.”

Transition is in the works from immediate response to longer-term assistance, according to Salvation Army Public Information Officer Shane Autry of Norcross, Ga.

The organization is providing food in the form of hot meals and boxes of groceries; cleanup kits that include mops, brooms, gloves, bleach and cleaner; other supplies including drinking water and ice; gift cards and vouchers for the Salvation Army thrift stores; and emotional and spiritual support.

“Salvation Army doesn’t focus on disasters,” McClure said. “Salvation Army focuses on hope and relief after disasters.”

To supplement the permanent Salvation Army Citadel at 17 S. Pennsylvania Ave. in Wilkes-Barre, a temporary command center and warehouse has been established in an industrial building at 1110 Hanover St. in Hanover Township which formerly housed Thales Broadcast & Multimedia.

Use of the building was donated by businessman and real estate developer Robert Mericle, who gained notoriety in the wake of Luzerne County’s worst corruption scandal.

According to prosecutors, Mericle paid about $2.1 million to former county judges Mark A. Ciavarella Jr. and Michael T. Conahan to help him get a contract to construct two for-profit juvenile detention centers, and he now faces up to three years in prison after pleading guilty to withholding information from federal agents.

Mericle sent crews to help shore up the levee in Forty Fort during the flood and has since been providing equipment and employees to assist with cleanup in ravaged areas of Jenkins Township and Duryea.

“All of our contributions to the flood relief effort have been completely voluntary,” Jim Cummings, vice president of marketing for Mericle Commercial Real Estate Services, stated in an email. “We have no intention to seek reimbursement and never did.”

 

Members of the Salvation Army appreciate Mericle’s latest generosity: “He really helped us out,” Autrey said.

The Hanover Township building is being used as a staging area and warehouse, for items to be shipped, stored and sorted. They will be distributed through the Wilkes-Barre citadel, where Autrey said long-term case management will be set up.

McClure said there are six mobile canteen units, some of which have been brought up from the southern states, that are being deployed to flood-destroyed areas like Shickshinny and parts of Wyoming County.

This week the Salvation Army will seek community volunteers to help pack 2,500 boxes of food to distribute to flood victims, Maj. Ed Binnix said.

For people who want to donate, cleaning supplies are most needed, he said. They can be dropped off at the citadel on Pennsylvania Avenue, but clothing and furniture must be taken to the Salvation Army thrift shops on Sans Souci Parkway in Hanover Township or Kidder Street in Wilkes-Barre.

“They’re equipped to move large amounts of clothing,” Binnix said, adding, “Because of the nature of this, we need really good, usable furniture.”

“People will be restoring their whole houses,” Autrey said.

eskrapits@citizensvoice.com, 570-821-2072
Read more: http://citizensvoice.com/news/salvation-army-reinforcements-arrive-1.1205356#ixzz1YQhHttcw

 

SALVATION ARMY COMMEMORATES 10th ANNIVERSARY OF SEPTEMBER 11th

Memorial Services and Ceremonies Nationwide Honor Those Lost During Attacks

(Alexandria, VA) September 11, 2011 – The Salvation Army will host a variety of events, including a support center for members of the 9/11 community in New York City during the 10^th anniversary of September 11^th. The Salvation Army will remember and honor the victims and heroes of the terrorist attacks and their loved ones through memorial services and events in New York City and Washington, DC, as well as in other cities across the country. Community members in these cities and others are invited to attend the ceremonies and 9/11 Day of Service activities with The Salvation Army. Events include memorial services, remembrance ceremonies, candlelight vigils, parades and food drives.

 

In partnership with the Mental Health Association of New York City, The Salvation Army will host a support center for members of the 9/11 community starting at 7:30am EST. 9/11 survivors, displaced residents, first responders and volunteers from all agencies, as well as families of victims not attending the World Trade Center ceremony are invited. The “Family Support Center” will feature live streaming of the national memorial service in a press-free environment. Refreshments will be served and supportive services, including child care, mental-health services and massage therapy will be available to all who attend.

 

“In New York City and across the country, today is about honoring the victims of the tragic terrorist attacks that impacted an entire nation ten years ago,” said Major George Hood, National Community Relations Secretary for The Salvation Army. “Through a variety of partnerships, ceremonies and community activities across the country, The Salvation Army is welcoming the heroes, families and community members of 9/11 through its doors, to not only remember, but to look forward beyond the loss.”

 

Events at the Centennial Memorial Temple in New York City will be open to the public and feature The Salvation Army New York Staff Band and guest speakers including Dr. Charles Stanley, senior pastor of the First Baptist Church Atlanta in Atlanta, GA, and founder and president of In Touch Ministries.

 

The Salvation Army in Washington, DC will host a Disaster Response Volunteer Training on September 10 in Fairfax, VA. The Army will also participate in the Mayor’s “Tribute to Service – Honoring the Victims, Survivors, and Heroes of 9/11” at Freedom Plaza from 1- 4:00 pm. The memorial serves as an opportunity for members of the community to give back to their neighbors as they did following the attacks of 9/11 ten years ago.

 

“The American people have come a long way since September 11. People emerged from the tragedy a more unified nation more willing to help their neighbors in times of great need,” said Major Hood. “On this National Day of Service, The Salvation Army will carry on that tradition and continue to help people who are less fortunate.”

 

Salvation Army locations across the country will take part in various programs and events to commemorate the 10^th anniversary. Other cities in which The Salvation Army will honor the memory of the victims, survivors and heroes of 9/11 include:

 

 

• Albert Lea, MN: The Salvation Army will participate in events throughout the day and a remembrance ceremony at the Moose Lodge by the Legion Color Guard at 5:30pm CST.
• Anchorage, AK: The Anchorage Salvation Army Corps is planning a service of remembrance on September 11 at 6:00pm AKDT.
• Denver, CO: Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Service (EDS) volunteers will march in the 9/11 remembrance parade in Denver with the local FEMA partners, Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper and Mayor Michael B. Hancock.
• Grand Rapids, MI: The Salvation Army will host a day-long remembrance in partnership with the Boy Scouts and other local, state and national organizations for a series of family events at the Gerald R. Ford museum and the Cathedral of Saint Andrew.
• Kenai, AK: The Kenai Ministerial Alliance is coordinating a moment of silence for all member churches at 11:10am AKDT.  The Salvation Army Corps Community Center in Kenai will show 9/11 videos before and after.
• Los Angeles, CA: The Salvation Army will conduct a 9/11 Remembrance Service at the Corps Center in the afternoon and will host a Ceremony of Remembrance & Appreciation at Rose Hills Memorial Park, at 7pm PST.
• Minneapolis, MN: The Salvation Army will participate in the “Mass of Thanksgiving & Remembrance” at the Cathedral of Saint Paul starting at 4:30pm CST, with a civic commemoration and Memorial Mass at 5:00pm CST.
• Rochester, MN: Mayor Ardell Bredewill honor The Salvation Army with a special award for their services at 12pm CST.
• Sacramento, CA: The Salvation Army will partner with The Fish (Christian Radio) and Fox 40 (affiliate) for a shoe drive to benefit clients of the Army’s rehabilitation centers.
• Salt Lake City, UT: The Salvation Army will host an appreciation event for neighborhood firefighters and police officers.
• Santa Rosa, CA: The Santa Rosa Corps will host a Food Drive and Root Beer Float Social at the Oakmont retirement from noon to 3pm PST on 9/11.  The Army is also working with local churches on a one day food drive that day.
• San Francisco, CA: The Salvation Army will participate in a morning prayer at Crissy Field in Golden Gate National Recreation Area, hosted by the San Francisco Interfaith Council at 5:47am PST, and a remembrance at Golden Gate Park with the San Francisco Interfaith Council and the San Francisco Opera at 1:30pm. The Opera will perform Mozart’s Requiem, with readings of prayers and passages between each piece.
• Wichita Falls, TX: The Salvation Army will dedicate its morning Holiness Meeting in honor of those who lost loved ones on 9/11. The service will include a candlelight vigil.

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About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.

The Salvation Army Continues Meeting Needs on East Coast

Emergency Disaster Service Teams Meet Immediate Needs Across NC and VA
Norcross, GA (August 28, 2011) – The Salvation Army personnel throughout eastern and coastal NC and VA are responding to Hurricane Irene the day after the storm slammed the East Coast. Currently, The Salvation Army has 31 mobile feeding kitchen canteens throughout NC and 4 units in VA.  The response throughout NC is being supported by 5 mobile feeding kitchen canteens from GA and 2 from the Salvation Army’s united commands of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi.  Salvation Army feeding units from Georgia are serving in Greenville, New Bern and Washington NC.

Major Willis Howell, Divisional Command for The Salvation Army of North and South Carolina, states “With Carolina blue skies above head, Salvation Army feeding teams are serving throughout the states of NC and VA.  Thousands of our neighbors are still hurting and in need, without electricity and in need of food and water.  The Salvation Army will remain in service until the needs have been met.”

Relief efforts will extend throughout the impacted region. In the short-term aftermath of the storm, Salvation Army officers and staff will continue to focus on immediate needs providing food, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care to impacted individuals and families.

Through Saturday, August 27, The Salvation Army has served 15,105 meals, snacks and drinks, provided 150 people with shelter, given emotional and spiritual care to 905 individuals and logged 510 volunteer hours.  Through Friday, August 26, The Salvation Army Tidewater Area Command and surrounding Salvation Army centers had provided lodging for 137 people, fed 254 meals and logged nearly 100 volunteer hours.  In North Carolina, The Salvation Army has prepared to feed 90,000 individuals.  The Hurricane Irene command center for the coordination of Operations and Response is located at 2718 South Memorial Drive in Greenville NC (no public services provided at this address).

Salvation Army mobile feeding units are currently positioned in the following areas:

• · Elizabeth City, NC (Home Canteen) Support mobile feeding units from Greensboro, Florence SC, Charleston SC, Baton Rouge LA, Columbus LA,
  · Greenville, NC (Home Canteen) Support mobile feeding units from Georgetown SC, Charlotte, Atlanta GA
  · Goldsboro, NC (Home Canteen) Support mobile feeding units from Jackson MS
  · Jacksonville, NC (Home Canteen) Support mobile feeding units from Sumter SC
  · Kinston, NC (Home Canteen) Support mobile feeding units from Columbia SC
  · Morehead City, NC (Home Canteen) Support mobile feeding units from Waynesville, Winston Salem, Fayetteville, Lafayette LA, Conway SC
  · New Bern, NC (Home Canteen) Support mobile feeding units from Beaufort SC, Vidalia GA, Dublin GA
  · Rocky Mount, NC (Home Canteen) Support mobile feeding units from Anderson SC, Raleigh
  · Washington, NC (Home Canteen) Support mobile feeding units from Greenville SC, Gainesville GA, EBC GA, New Orleans LA, Sanford FL, St. Petersburg, FL
  · Wilmington, NC (Home Canteen)

The best way to help survivors and relief workers is to make a financial contribution. Monetary donations allow disaster responders to immediately meet the specific needs of disaster survivors.

The Salvation Army asks people who want to help those affected by Hurricane Irene to visit www.salvationarmygeorgia.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).  Donors may also contribute $10 via their phone bill by text messaging the word STORM to 80888, and confirming the donation with the word, “Yes.”   Checks may be made out to The Salvation Army Disaster Relief, PO BOX 1959 Atlanta, GA 30301.  Please designate Hurricane 2011 on all checks.

• · A $10 donation feeds a disaster survivor for one day
  · A $30 donation provides one food box, containing staple foods for a family of four, or one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and other cleaning supplies
  · A $100 donation can serve snacks and drinks for 125 survivors and emergency personnel at the scene of a disaster
  · A $250 donation can provide one hot meal to 100 people or keep a hydration station operational for 24 hours
  · A $500 donation keeps a Salvation Army canteen (mobile feeding unit) fully operational for one day

At this point, in-kind donations are not being accepted.  Used clothing and used furniture are seldom required during an incident.  However, these gifts are vitally important in supporting the day-to-day work of your local Salvation Army. Please consider giving these items to your local Salvation Army Family Store or dial 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825).

For the latest emergency disaster services news, please visit www.salvationarmygeorgia.org,
www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and follow the EDS team on Twitter @SalArmyEDS and @tsageorgia.

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About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmygeorgia.org.

 

The Salvation Army Georgia Division Assisting Hurricane Irene Impact

 Resources and Manpower Serving Affected Areas on Coast and Inland

Norcross, GA (August 28, 2011) – Five Salvation Army mobile canteens (kitchens on wheels) from Georgia have traveled to North Carolina early Saturday, August 27, 2011 and three Salvation Army mobile canteens were deployed early Sunday morning to help assist with the aftermath of Hurricane Irene in North and South Carolina.  Each canteen is capable of serving more than 1,000 meals each day.

The teams from Georgia (Atlanta, Augusta, Convington, Dublin, Elberton, Gainesville, Savannah and Vidalia) will stage in Charlotte and will be dispatched August 28 and 29. As The Salvation Army along with local and federal agencies assess the damage and need, canteens could be assigned to North Carolina, Virginia or Maryland.

Once damage reports have been received and local needs have been determined, disaster teams will serve throughout the impacted region.  In the short-term aftermath of the storm, Salvation Army pastors and staff will focus primarily on immediate needs providing food, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care to impacted individuals and families. The Salvation Army asks people who want to help those affected by Hurricane Irene to visit www.salvationarmygeorgia.com or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY )1-800-725-2769).  Donors may also contribute $10 via their phone bill by test messaging the word STORM to 80888, and confirming the donation with the word, “YES.” Checks may be made out to The Salvation Army Disaster Relief, PO BOX 1959 Atlanta, GA 30301.  Please designate “Hurricane 2011” on all checks.

• A $10 donation feeds a disaster survivor for one day
• A $30 donation provides one food box, containing staple foods for a family of four, or one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and other cleaning supplies
• A $100 donation can serve snacks and drinks for 125 survivors and emergency personnel at the scene of a disaster
• A $250 donation can provide one hot meal to 100 people or keep a hydration station operational for 24 hours
• A $500 donation keeps a Salvation Army canteen (mobile feeding unit) fully operational for one day

At this point, in-kind donations are not being accepted.  Used clothing and used furniture are seldom required during an incident.  However, these gifts are vitally important in supporting the day-to-day work of your local Salvation Army. Please consider giving these items to your local Salvation Army Family Store or dial 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825).

For the latest emergency disaster services news, please visit www.salvationarmygeorgia.org and follow the EDS team on Twitter @SalArmyEDS.  Interested parties may also visit www.salvationarmygeorgia.org, @tsageorgia on Twitter or search www.facebook.com/thesalvationarmygeorgia and http://thesalvationarmygeorgiablog.wordpress.com/category/disasters.

The Salvation Army Assists Thousands in Path of Irene

 

Alexandria, Virginia (August 28, 2011) – As Hurricane Irene made landfall on the North Carolina coast yesterday, The Salvation Army was providing food, supplies and spiritual and emotional care to evacuees across the region.  Thousands across eastern North Carolina were being fed and cared for at shelters by Salvation Army feeding teams.  The Salvation Army also has mobile feeding units prepared to aid survivors of the storm throughout the northeast following this morning’s landfall.

“Though the North Carolina coast weathered the storm fairly well, we want to emphasize the seriousness of the storm and our cooperation with local officials and agencies,” said Major George Hood, National Community Relations Secretary for The Salvation Army in the U.S.  “With more than 2.5 million people under evacuation orders The Salvation Army remains committed 24/7 to providing those impacted with the basic services they need to get through this difficult period.”   

The Salvation Army has already served some 15,000 meals to first responders and evacuees in New Jersey and nearly 11,000 meals, food and drinks in Greenville, Washington, Elizabeth City and Morehead City in the Carolinas.  In Norfolk County, VA, The Salvation Army has served nearly 2,000 meals and snacks and provided lodging to 250 people.  Similar activities are taking place up and down the East Coast. In total, The Salvation Army has 370 canteens and five mobile feeding kitchens along the eastern seaboard. Collectively, these units can provide several hundred thousand meals per day when operating at full capacity.  Also, The Salvation Army is standing up a broad range of services, in coordination with local, state and federal governments, including supporting shelter operations and evacuations.

Salvation Army locations in the Caribbean and Bahamas are focused on response and recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Irene.  In addition to helping evacuees cope with the stress and damage of the storm, response units in the U.S. Virgin Isles and Puerto Rico are providing those affected with gift cards to buy food, clothes and other supplies.  In addition, representatives of The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Service Team have are continuing to work with the Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to survey and assess the damage on the islands of Acklins and Mayaguana.

On Thursday, Commissioner William Roberts, the National Commander of The Salvation Army, declared Hurricane Irene a national disaster, which puts all units on alert status throughout the United States.  This placed all divisions of The Salvation Army ready to assist by preparing staff, equipment and supplies to respond to the storm. The Salvation Army is urging all residents in the path of Irene to heed the advice of public officials and prepare with an emergency disaster plan.

The most critical need right now is for monetary donations, which can be made online at www.salvationarmygeorgia.org, by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY or by texting the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone.* For more information on The Salvation Army’s preparation and response to Hurricane Irene, please visit www.salvationarmygeorgia.org, www.twitter.com/tsageorgia,  or  www.facebook.com/thesalvationarmygeorgia.

The Salvation Army Disaster Teams Converge in Staging Areas

Alexandria, Virginia (August 27, 2011) – As Hurricane Irene heads for the eastern seaboard, The Salvation Army is moving personnel and vehicles into strategic staging locations in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. From these locations The Salvation Army will dispatch mobile feeding units to provide food, drinks and spiritual and emotional care to emergency responders and those affected by the storm. Disaster response teams are already on the ground from Florida to Maine, serving first responders, assisting the evacuation of low lying areas, feeding at shelters and providing a broad range of support before Hurricane Irene makes landfall.

“We are taking this hurricane extremely seriously and are working closely with partner agencies to ensure we can provide a strong response to any impacts of the storm,” said Major George Hood, National Community Relations Secretary for The Salvation Army in the U.S. “Our personnel will be working overnight and throughout the weekend to guarantee we can meet the needs.”

In total, The Salvation Army has 370 canteens and five mobile feeding kitchens throughout the region. Collectively, these stations can provide several hundred thousand meals per day when operating at full capacity.  Also, The Salvation Army is standing up a broad range of services, in coordination with local, state and federal governments, including supporting shelter operations and evacuations.

The Salvation Army has already begun to serve those impacted by Hurricane Irene in Puerto Rico by providing support to the homeless, sick and disabled. Several hundred thousand residents of Puerto Rico are currently without power and Salvation Army shelters continue to be available in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. Croix . In the Bahamas, an emergency operations center has been established in Kingston. The Salvation Army has begun initial distribution of food and water supplies. There is also a plan in place to ship Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and bottled water to the Turks and Caicos later this week. In addition, representatives of The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Service Team have been asked to partner with the Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to survey and assess the damage on the islands of Acklins and Mayaguana.

Yesterday, Commissioner William Roberts, the National Commander of The Salvation Army, declared Hurricane Irene a national disaster, which puts all units on alert status throughout the United States.  All divisions of The Salvation Army stand ready to assist by preparing staff, equipment and supplies to support impacted areas along the East Coast. The Salvation Army is asking residents of the entire East Coast, from the Carolinas to New England, to be prepared with an emergency disaster plan and heed all evacuation orders from public officials. Critical decisions need to be made ahead of time, before the storm makes landfall.

The most critical need right now is for monetary donations, which can be made online here, by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY or by texting the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone. For more information on The Salvation Army’s preparation and response to Hurricane Irene, please visit www.salvationarmygeorgia.org, www.facebook.com/thesalvationarmygeorgia or www.twitter.com/tsageorgia

 

 

 

 

 

The Salvation Army Georgia Division Prepares for Hurricane Impact

Media Contact:
Valerie Johnson
Public Information Officer
Georgia Divisional Headquarters
678-735-0480
Valerie_Johnson@uss.salvationarmy.org

Staff and Canteens Ready to Assist Neighboring States When Hurricane Irene Strikes

Norcross, GA (August 26, 2011) – The Salvation Army Georgia Divisional Emergency Disaster Services (“EDS”) team has alerted all units in the state to be on standby as Hurricane Irene  approaches the coasts of North Carolina and South Carolina.  The Salvation Army Georgia EDS teams, having recently served 13, 463 meals during the April 2011 Tornado Outbreak are ready and prepared to serve Hurricane Irene survivors and other first responders when called.  Currently, The Salvation Army Georgia Division has 24 canteens that include one field kitchen unit to be notified to stock and be ready to provide materials as well as emotional and spiritual assistance to survivors.  Mobile kitchen and canteen units are capable of serving 1,500 meals per day.

Once damage reports have been received and local needs have been determined, EDS teams will serve throughout the impacted region.  In the short-term aftermath of the storm, Salvation Army officers and staff will focus primarily on immediate needs providing food, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care to impacted individuals and families.

While forecasts have cleared Georgia for major storm impact, reports point to North and South Carolina for receiving severe storm effects with the possibility of flooding and several tornado warnings.  The Salvation Army’s mobile feeding units (canteens), staff and volunteers are vigilant as they wait in standby mode in anticipation of support for our neighbors.

The best way to help survivors and relief workers is to make a financial contribution. Monetary donations allow disaster responders to immediately meet the specific needs of disaster survivors.

The Salvation Army asks people who want to help those affected by Hurricane Irene to visit www.salvationarmygeorgia.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).  Donors may also contribute $10 via their phone bill by text messaging the word “STORM” to 80888, and confirming the donation with the word, “Yes.”   Checks may be made out to The Salvation Army Disaster Relief and mailed to Disaster Gift Processing Center, PO BOX 1959 Atlanta, GA 30301.  Please designate “2011 Hurricane Season” on all checks. 

• A $10 donation feeds a disaster survivor for one day
• A $30 donation provides one food box, containing staple foods for a family of four, or one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and other cleaning supplies
• A $100 donation can serve snacks and drinks for 125 survivors and emergency personnel at the scene of a disaster
• A $250 donation can provide one hot meal to 100 people or keep a hydration station operational for 24 hours
• A $500 donation keeps a Salvation Army canteen (mobile feeding unit) fully operational for one day

At this point, in-kind donations are not being accepted.  Used clothing and used furniture are seldom required during an incident.  However, these gifts are vitally important in supporting the day-to-day work of your local Salvation Army. Please consider giving these items to your local Salvation Army Family Store or dial 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825).

For the latest emergency disaster services news, please visit www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and follow latest updates on Twitter @SalArmyEDS.  Interested parties may also visit www.salvationarmygeorgia.org,  Facebook at www.facebook.com/thesalvationarmygeorgia, and follow us on Twitter @tsageorgia.

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