Local Salvation Army Officers Head to Texas to Assist in Hurricane Harvey Relief
The Salvation Army Anticipates it to be the Largest and Longest
Emergency Response Effort in the History of the Organization in America
Lynchburg and Roanoke, VA – A team of Salvation Army personnel from Virginia and the Washington, D.C., area is preparing to leave for Texas on September 8, 2017, to help the people affected by Hurricane Harvey. Captain Trey Jones of the Greater Lynchburg Corps and Captain Monica Seiler of the Roanoke Corps will be serving in Texas for two weeks.
The Salvation Army is responding to the catastrophic flooding in the Houston area and providing relief to first responders and survivors. Since Hurricane Harvey will likely impact more people than Hurricane Katrina, The Salvation Army is establishing multiple staging areas throughout Texas including Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Victoria, Arlington and Houston to coordinate relief efforts.
Captain Jones and Captain Seiler are part of The Salvation Army's national network of trained disaster staff and volunteers that has been deployed to Texas to provide food boxes, bottled water, cleanup kits and comfort kits, in addition to emotional and spiritual care. Staff and volunteers are also serving at emergency shelters and staffing emergency operations and logistics centers.
The Salvation Army has deployed dozens of mobile feeding units that can provide up to 1,500 meals per day each, along with field kitchens that each serve up to 15,000 meals per day. As of Tuesday evening, August 29, 18,483 meals, 17,204 snacks, and 16,640 drinks have been provided.
Due to the size of the population impacted by Hurricane Harvey, The Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services Team anticipates this to be the largest and longest emergency response in the history of the organization in America.
To support The Salvation Army's disaster relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY, text STORM to 51555 or give online at www.helpsalvationarmy.org. Donations may also be sent by mail to The Salvation Army, PO Box 1959, Atlanta, GA 30301. Please designate “Hurricane Harvey” on all checks.
For the latest information please go to www.disaster.salvationarmy.org and watch for regular updates on our social media pages at www.facebook.com/salvationarmytexas/ and www.twitter.com/salarmytx. To access photo and video resources related to The Salvation Army Hurricane Harvey relief efforts please go to www.salvationarmysouth.org/harvey.
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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 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.