The Salvation Army Providing Community Meals Through the Weekend in Bell County
Temple, Texas (May 24, 2024) – The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services team from Bell County will be feeding meals and offering water through the weekend to those in need. There are still 20,000 residents affected by electrical outages in Temple alone. Power crews are working through the heat and humidity and expect to get most of the community up and running by late Saturday.
The Salvation Army, in cooperation with the City of Temple Emergency Management team, is coordinating efforts in the hardest hit areas. The Salvation Army will be serving lunch and dinner again on Saturday, May 25, and lunch on Sunday, May 26 at their location at 419 W. Avenue G, Temple, Texas. Today, staff served 370 meals and are expecting to see more need through the weekend.
On Friday, the mobile feeding unit roved in affected neighborhoods and passed out food and water to residents working on their roofs and yards during the heat of the day. With the temperature reaching 95 degrees, with a heat index of 107, cold bottles of water and a bite to eat proved to be a great relief to many.
“We are praying for our community and those affected by this disaster. We took the mobile kitchen through parts of the city today and met with neighbors still without power,” said Lt. Jacobs Gilliam, Commanding Officer of the Bell County Salvation Army. “One woman, who was grateful to receive a lunch and cold bottle of water, explained how in the past The Salvation Army had helped her father, who was one of twelve children, and kept them all fed and helped them out of poverty. She donates to The Salvation Army every month, and today was unexpectedly on the receiving end of that support and generosity.”
Community and agency collaboration is particularly important during times of disaster response along with the coordination of services. The Salvation Army in Bell County is currently accepting donations of cases of water and non-perishable food that will be utilized by several agencies working together in the relief efforts.
“The H.E.B Regional Manager dropped off snack packs and food to The Salvation Army shelter today after hearing that we were feeding the community,” said Gilliam. “Relationships like this matter every day, but especially in times of disaster. We love to see this wonderful community come together and work hand in hand to help our neighbors.”
The Salvation Army will remain in ongoing dialogue with the Bell County Emergency Operations Center to determine ongoing services for those affected by the storm and power outages.
Please follow our FB page for locations and updates on our services at https://www.facebook.com/SalArmyBellCounty. To donate go to www.salvationarmybellcounty.org.
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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 a broad 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.