THE SALVATION ARMY OFFERING FOOD,
COMFORT, AND HOPE
TO TORNADO SURVIVORS
Emergency Disaster Service (EDS) Teams
Assessing Needs to Best Serve Communities
Alexandria, Virginia (March 4, 2012) – As
communities assess damages and begin to rebuild in the wake of devastating
tornadoes in the Midwest and Southern United States, Salvation Army Emergency
Disaster Services (EDS) teams across the region are continuing to provide aid
to impacted areas. With more severe weather forecasted for the region,
including possible snow in some of the hardest-hit regions, The Salvation Army
is on standby to respond as needed.
The Salvation Army completed its first full day of operations in Clark and Washington Counties, Ind., in response to the area’s deadly tornadoes, and feeding operations will continue today. Salvation Army teams in Henryville, Ind., are serving 800 meals per day to tornado survivors and emergency personnel, and additional teams are prepared to serve 600 meals in the small town of Marysville, Ind., which was nearly completely destroyed by the tornadoes. In addition, EDS teams from New Albany, Ind., were deployed following several powerful tornadoes in the Southern Indiana region and have provided food for hundreds of survivors and emergency responders.
Salvation Army units in Decatur, Florence and Huntsville are continuing to provide aid to impacted areas of Alabama following Friday’s severe weather outbreak. A mobile feeding unit is providing food and beverages in Athens, Ala., while two mobile feeding units are providing food, drinks, and spiritual and emotional care in Madison County.
In addition, a Salvation Army EDS team based in Ashland, Ky., is providing aid to affected areas of Morgan County and coordinating with local Emergency Management officials to minister to the needs of first responders and survivors. Salvation Army canteens, or mobile feeding units, are providing food and beverages in the area, and additional canteens from Danville, Ala., and Murfreesboro, Ten., are expected on-site to provide additional support.
A team of Salvation Army social workers in Harveyville, Kan. are also continuing to provide aid to tornado survivors to help with immediate needs such as food, clothing, medicine, shelter, bedding and baby products. Salvation Army EDS teams have provided meals, snacks and drinks to nearly 2,000 people in the area, and will continue to operate mass feeding operations through the weekend.
The Salvation Army also continues to provide needed assistance to those in the Branson, Mo. area that were affected by Wednesday’s damaging storms. Hundreds of meals have been distributed through The Salvation Army’s mobile feeding unit, and emotional and spiritual counseling is available to those in need.
Monetary donations to go directly toward relief efforts can be made online at www.SalvationArmyUSA.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 continued response, please visit http://blog.salvationarmyusa.org/, www.facebook.com/salvationarmyusa or www.twitter.com/salvationarmyus.
* A one‐time donation of $10 will be billed to your mobile phone bill. Messaging & data rates may apply. Donations are collected for The Salvation Army by mobilecause.com. Reply STOP to 80888 to stop. Reply HELP to 80888 for help. For terms, see www.igfn.org/t.