PRESS RELEASE
The Salvation Army Prepares For National Emergency
National Commander Declares Hurricane Irene a National Disaster
August 26, 2011 – In advance of Hurricane Irene, Commissioner William Roberts, the National Commander of The Salvation Army, today declared a national disaster, which puts all units on alert status throughout the United States. All divisions of The Salvation Army stand ready to assist by preparing staff, equipment and supplies to support impacted areas along the East Coast. The Salvation Army will provide food, drinks and spiritual and emotional care to emergency responders and survivors in impacted areas between the Carolinas and New England.
“While it is customary to declare such an event a ‘national’ disaster after the hurricane has reached land, I am taking the step to make that declaration today in consideration of various logistical decisions that must be made,” said Commissioner Roberts. “As The Salvation Army now moves into strategic positions that will put us directly at the point of need, we are praying for God’s mercy upon all of those who will be caught in the direct path of this very large storm.”
The Salvation Army has already begun to serve those affected by Hurricane Irene in Puerto Rico by providing support to the homeless, sick and disabled. Nearly 800,000 residents of Puerto Rico are without power and Salvation Army shelters continue to be available in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. Croix . In the Bahamas, an emergency operations center has been established in Kingston. The Salvation Army has begun initial distribution of food and water supplies. There is also a plan in place to ship Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and bottled water to the Turks and Caicos later this week.
Salvation Army locations across the United States have mobile feeding units on standby – these units are able to provide hundreds of thousands of meals per day if needed. In the Carolinas specifically, the Army has 30 mobile canteens able to provide in excess of 45,000 meals when operating at full capacity. An Incident Command Team has been established in Charlotte, NC and will deploy to the Carolina coast once the storm passes.
The Salvation Army is asking residents of the entire East Coast, from the Carolinas to New England, to be prepared with an emergency disaster plan and heed all evacuation orders from public officials. Critical decisions need to be made ahead of time, before the storm makes landfall.
Monetary donations:
•Click here to make a donation by credit card.
• Cell phone users may text the word STORM to 80888. A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your cell phone bill. For terms, see www.igfn.org/t.
• Checks made out to The Salvation Army may be sent to 2445 Prior Ave., Roseville, MN 55113. Be sure to designate your gift "Hurricane Irene".
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.
The Salvation Army serves in more than 100 countries and provides both immediate emergency assistance and long-term recovery help in the event of any disaster. Funds for The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services come from corporate and private donations given specifically for disaster relief. To volunteer with The Salvation Army call 651-746-3400. Click below to make an online donation.
