PRESS RELEASE
Twin Cities Volunteers Return from
Serving Hurricane Ike Survivors
September 25, 2008 – Four volunteers from the Twin Cities Salvation Army returned yesterday from Texas after serving survivors of Hurricane Ike for two weeks in the small towns of Bridge City and Vidora, located about 60 miles northeast of Houston.
They worked on board Salvation Army mobile kitchens and fed thousands of meals to residents surviving without electricity and other basic necessities. Most of the volunteers’ time was spent in Vidora, where the crew worked 14-hour days and slept on cots in an old postal service building. The building had electricity, but no running water.
"We had to use bottled water," said volunteer Pat Logan of White Bear Lake, who was joined by husband, Jerry Logan. "But (in Bridge City) we had no electricity or water, so I guess it was a luxury."
In Bridge City, a population 10,000 town, only 14 homes escaped water damage, Pat Logan said.
"And many of those homes had 8 to 10 feet of water in them,” she added. "We met two men who came from Colorado with a pickup full of donated supplies. One of the men's mothers lived (in Bridge City) and her home was destroyed. It was particularly painful since in the last year she had lost her husband, a brother and a sister."
Pat Logan said that everyone they served was extremely grateful.
"In one day eight (we) served 2,500 meals," she said. "All we heard was 'The Salvation Army is always there when you need them and we won't forget it.'"
To date, The Salvation Army has served nearly 700,000 meals in Texas in response to the hurricane.
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 or to make a credit card donation, call 651-746-3400 or 1-800-SAL-ARMY. Checks made out to The Salvation Army may be sent to 2445 Prior Ave., Roseville, MN 55113. Click below to make an online donation.
