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Released 29 August 2011
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Alexandria,
Virginia (August 29, 2011) –
Salvation Army damage assessment teams throughout North Carolina, Virginia,
Maryland and Delaware are still receiving significant requests for mass care
after widespread power outages, downed power lines and trees and localized
flooding caused by Hurricane Irene. There continue to be thousands of evacuees
housed in shelters across the region, especially those living in low lying
areas prone to storm surge, as well as several senior centers. Most of The
Salvation Army’s current response is focused on mass feeding of evacuees as
well as fire, rescue, police and other emergency response personnel.
“The initial damage reports are leaving us cautiously
optimistic that there has not been widespread structural damage or injuries,”
said Major George Hood, National Community Relations Secretary in the U.S. “But flooding remains a problem,
particularly in New England, and there is a
significant response ongoing. It is critical that we provide the base of
support for damage assessment teams, rescue personnel and survivors to ensure
everyone weathers the fallout from this storm safely.”
Dozens of canteens are on the move throughout the East
Coast, heading to shelter locations and in support of roving emergency
responders. A sampling of the response so far:
· The Salvation
Army has already served some 15,000
meals to first responders and evacuees in New Jersey.
· Nearly 14,000 meals, snacks and drinks have
been served in Greenville, Washington,
Elizabeth City
and Morehead City
in the Carolinas.
· In Norfolk and Spotsylvania
Counties, VA, The
Salvation Army has already served more than 6,400 meals, snacks and drinks and provided lodging to 265 people.
· More than 5,000 meals, snacks and drinks have
been served at multiple shelter locations throughout Maryland
and West Virginia.
· In Connecticut, The
Salvation Army has served hundreds of
meals to evacuees at shelters as well as to first responders.
· The Salvation
Army is feeding at numerous shelter
facilities throughout Massachusetts and
other parts of New England.
In total, The Salvation Army has 370 canteens and five
mobile feeding kitchens along the eastern seaboard. Collectively, these units
can provide several hundred thousand meals per day when operating at full
capacity. Also, The Salvation Army is
standing up a broad range of services, in coordination with local, state and
federal governments, including supporting shelter operations and evacuations.
The most critical need right now is for monetary
donations, which 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 preparation and response to Hurricane
Irene, 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 and date 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.
Donations of used Household
Goods and Clothing:
Due to the high expense and time demands associated with
delivering your gently-used household goods and clothing (gifts-in-kind), The
Salvation cannot guarantee that any individual gifts-in-kind donated now will
be sent to the disaster area. In time of disaster, our stores fill these needs
from existing, pre-sorted stock. By continuing to donate gently-used household
goods to your local Salvation Army store, you not only help your community, you
help us prepare for future disaster relief needs. To find your nearest drop-off
location, please go to www.satruck.org.
Your donations make a
real difference.
A $10
donation feeds a disaster survivor for one day.
A $30
donation provides one food box, containing staple foods for a family of four,
or one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and other
cleaning supplies
A
$100 donation can serve snacks and drinks for 125 survivors and emergency
personnel at the scene of a disaster
A
$250 donation can provide one hot meal to 100 people or keep a hydration
station operational for 24 hours
A
$500 donation keeps a Salvation Army canteen (mobile feeding unit) fully
operational for one day
About The Salvation Army:
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the
universal Christian church established 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 the broadest 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 spent is
used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more
information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
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