PRESS RELEASE
Hurricane Relief Update from South Texas
October 3, 2008 - The Salvation Army continues to provide disaster relief services in areas of Texas hardest hit by Hurricane Ike, including the greater Houston metro-area; Galveston Island; and the Golden Triangle area of Beaumont, Port Arthur and Orange. Efforts in the Houston and Golden Triangle area are beginning to scale back as power is restored and the cities return to normal. However, coastal areas impacted by Ike continue to need support and the Army is focusing its activities in these areas.
On Thursday (October 2), The Salvation Army has re-deployed personnel and resources out of its Texas City incident command post and base camp to Galveston Island. The transition included moving the Army mobile command center, canteens, sleeping tents, and other equipment over to the island. The Salvation Army, in cooperation with the Southern Baptists and the American Red Cross, has positioned field kitchens at the Lone Star Air Museum on Galveston Island and the three nonprofit organizations are working together to provide food to hurricane survivors and rescue workers. The Salvation Army is supporting 20 feeding sites -- some stationary, some mobile -- on Galveston Island and in Texas City that are providing approximately 15,000 meals per day.
The Salvation Army continues to support an Incident Command Post in Pasadena/Houston. The command has down-sized, but is still supporting six feeding sites, most notably in Seabrook, TX, where a field kitchen, staffed by Southern Baptists, has been deployed. The Incident Command operating in Beaumont is also scaling back and has relocated back to Beaumont disaster warehouse. Three canteens, operating out of Beaumont, will continue to serve coastal communities in the Golden Triangle. Both commands are distributing clean-up kits and food boxes.
Since Ike made landfall, the Salvation Army has served more than 1.7 million meals.
Emotional and Spiritual Care teams are deployed with team members hailing from the U.S., Canada, and Mexico territories.
This weekend marks the start of another rotation of disaster personnel. Staff from the FLA division will be deployed to Beaumont, AOK personnel will be headed to Pasadena, and an Incident Management Assistance Team from the Eastern Territory will be deployed to Galveston island. More than 60 canteens workers from the Eastern Territory, Central Territory, AOK Division, FLA Division, NSC Division, and Kiwanis International are being deployed.
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.
