Delivering Hot Meals and Prayer to Texas Communities After Hurricane Beryl
The Salvation Army has delivered hot meals to thousands of hungry Texans in communities impacted by Hurricane Beryl in and around Houston. Large-scale Salvation Army feeding operations provided much-needed food and relief to residents left without power and dealing with the intense summer heat after the storm made landfall on July 8.
In the days immediately following the storm, sixteen mobile feeding units were loaded with food and stocked with water and ice before heading out to begin meal distribution around lunchtime in multiple locations in Houston, Pasadena, Cleveland, Liberty, Wharton, West Columbia and more. Hot meals were prepared by onsite field kitchens operated by Southern Baptist partners, loaded onto Salvation Army mobile feeding units, and delivered into communities by trained disaster staff and volunteers.
“The fact that so many people have been without power makes this a particularly challenging situation. Not only are they unable to cook food, but they also can’t keep anything refrigerated and have lost everything in their freezers,” said Alvin Migues, emergency disaster services director for The Salvation Army in Texas. “Add to that frustration the extreme heat and humidity and you have very difficult circumstances. The Salvation Army team is working tremendously hard to get warm, nutritious food out to those in need, along with a cold bottle of water, a smile, an encouraging word and a prayer.”
A long-standing partnership between The Salvation Army and the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief has continued to make a difference throughout this disaster response, delivering relief to thousands of people in crisis.
Two Baptist kitchens deployed to work alongside The Salvation Army teams: the Southern Baptist Texas Convention (SBTC) kitchen in Wharton, and The Texans on Mission (TBM) team in Houston. Each kitchen, staffed entirely by Baptist volunteers and team members, can produce up to 10,000 meals each day for delivery from Salvation Army mobile feeding units.
“We are so appreciative of our Southern Baptist partners who, for more than fifteen years, have worked with The Salvation Army to prepare and cook food for daily distribution during disasters of all kinds. Hurricane Beryl has left more than 1.6 million households without power, resulting in a massive need for meals,” Migues said. “Utilizing two kitchens in this way will double the number and reach of hot meals to those in need across the affected area.”
Access to the over 150 miles of affected area was particularly challenging after Hurricane Beryl caused widespread flooding and downed trees. The SBTC kitchen in Wharton was up and running in time to produce hot meals on Tuesday, July 9, for distribution, while the TBM kitchen team, located at The Salvation Army’s Disaster Warehouse in Houston, set up on Tuesday and provided its first meals on Wednesday morning. Walmart generously donated 26 pallets of water on July 9 to support ongoing response efforts.
“Our brothers and sisters from the Southern Baptist team have seamlessly integrated with our Salvation Army staff. It’s a relationship that works and greatly enhances our disaster service efforts,” said Migues. “The food produced is excellent, and we constantly receive great reports and feedback from storm survivors enjoying what might be their first hot meal for a couple of days.”
Trained Salvation Army staff and volunteers deploy for up to 14 days at a time during a disaster response. Dedicated Emotional and Spiritual Care staff are an integral part of the team, and their specific job is to listen and pray with those who come for assistance. “Our staff and volunteers are experienced at working under difficult conditions. They are committed to helping individuals and families experiencing crisis and are ready to listen and pray with anyone they meet,” said Migues.
Mobile feeding units and trained disaster teams from San Antonio, New Braunfels, Victoria, Kerrville, Granbury, Bryan/College Station, Conroe, Freeport, Beeville, Lubbock, Texas City, and Wichita Falls deployed to the Houston area. Additional response units and many trained disaster volunteers from the neighboring Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi Division of The Salvation Army provided additional support.