Emergency Disaster Services
When The Salvation Army initiates a disaster relief operation, the first aim is to meet the basic needs of those who have been affected, both survivors and first responders (such as firefighters). Even at this level, The Salvation Army's workers are ministering in that they serve as a means of expressing God's love. The Salvation Army's goals are to offer:
- Physical comfort
- Material comfort
- Emotional comfort and
- Spiritual comfort
The Salvation Army provides help as an outgrowth of faith and as an act of obedience to God, but no service is withheld because of a recipient's beliefs. If disaster relief recipients ask for prayer or spiritual counseling, The Salvation Army can provide these.
The Salvation Army provides numerous disaster relief services. Each disaster creates its own unique circumstances. The Salvation Army's disaster response is community based, varying from place to place based upon the community's situation and the magnitude of the disaster.
In a disaster, The Salvation Army has the ability to provide both immediate emergency assistance and long-term recovery help. Emergency response services are activated on short notice according to an agreed-upon notification procedure, while long-term recovery is strategically planned in response to the situation, through working and partnering and many other community entities.
- salvationarmyusa.org