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Released 26 March 2009
Salvation Army Serving in Rural Flood-Affected
Areas
Relief Efforts Continue in
Fargo/Moorhead
March 25, 2009 – The
Salvation Army continues to help communities and families throughout
North
Dakota and
Minnesota by providing support
through meals, water, housing, and clean up kits, as the
National Weather Service has predicted uncharacteristic river levels for
surrounding areas.
The Salvation Army of Fargo—with the conjoined
help of
over 300 volunteers, employees, and officers—is working in collaboration
with
the Red Cross to meet the needs of the community as they respond to the
flooding of the Red River Valley.
Salvation Army volunteers in Fargo have put in over 2,200 hours of service in an attempt to prevent the predicted
mass devastation due to flooding.
Beyond the Fargo/Moorhead area, The Salvation Army is
also providing support to rural communities who are affected by flooding.
On Tuesday evening in Wahpeton, ND, The Salvation Army
supplied food and water to the volunteers who feverishly worked to repair a
breach in the dike, which threatened to cause a break in the levee. By
9:30 that night the situation was
under
control.
In Beulah, ND, The Salvation Army has been serving
meals to approximately 60 people each day with the help of local churches. Some
homes have been flooded with up to four feet of water, but 10 families have
already been able to return to their homes.
Brian Skaar, a North Dakota Service Representative,
said that The Salvation Army has been busy serving meals to volunteers working
tirelessly to fill and place sandbags, as well as helping families who have
been evacuated.
Skaar told of one family he worked with that was
particularly distraught over the thought of leaving their pets while being
evacuated from their home: “One of their kids even said he would sleep in
the
animal shelter if he had to so that he wouldn’t have to leave his dog
alone.”
Skaar was able to counsel and pray with the family and ultimately found the
family housing that would allow them to bring their pets with them. “They
were
overjoyed.”
The Salvation Army will continue to remain in affected
areas as the flooding increases and offer assistance to those in need. Please call
1-800-SAL-ARMY,
or go to www.salvationarmyusa.org to
donate or get the latest relief updates.