PRESS RELEASE
The Salvation Army Fighting Floods in Fargo, North Dakota
Jamestown Salvation Army on Standby
March 20, 2009 – Tomorrow The Salvation Army of Fargo, N.D. will begin serving food and hydration to hundreds of volunteers building sandbag levees in the Fargo/Moorhead area, where flood waters are expected to reach historic levels in the coming weeks.
Up to 2.5 million sandbags will be used to block neighborhoods from the Red River before it swells above its flood stage of 30 feet.
“When the sandbags show up to the neighborhoods, they must be unloaded and placed immediately,” said Captain Adam Moore, administrator of the Fargo Salvation Army. “That means there’s no time for volunteers to take breaks, or go to restaurants. But through The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services (EDS), we can nourish these people as they perform the critical work needed to save this area from catastrophe.”
To prepare for the floods, on March 7 the Fargo Salvation Army trained 40 local volunteers in EDS response.
“We are planning for the worst and hoping for the best,” Moore said.
To hear more from Captain Adam Moore, adjust your speaker volume and hit the play button next to the questions:
How is The Salvation Army serving?
Why is The Salvation Army's work important?
What if the levies fail?
What can the public do to help?
Meanwhile, 100 miles west of Fargo, Stutsman County officials have placed The Salvation Army of Jamestown, N.D. on standby to help with expected sandbagging efforts in the area.
“Water is already being pumped out of low areas by the airport (here),” said Major Timothy Miller, administrator of the Jamestown Salvation Army.
To help with sandbagging efforts, call FirstLink at 2-1-1.
The Jamestown and Fargo Salvation Army locations are part of The Salvation Army Northern Division, which serves more than 485,000 people in Minnesota and North Dakota. To make a donation, call 800-SAL-ARMY, mail a check to 2445 Prior Ave. N., Roseville, MN 55113 or click below. Please designate your donation as “Floods.”
