PRESS RELEASE
More Minnesota Volunteers Depart for Texas Hurricane Relief
October 6, 2008 - Just when local volunteers thought they were finished being deployed to Texas to help survivors of Hurricanes Ike and Gustav, yet another call came: The Salvation Army needs more people...stat.
On Oct. 6, six Salvation Army volunteers from Minnesota departed for the coastal communities of Galveston Island and Texas City (located 30 miles southeast of Houston), where the The Salvation Army is providing about 15,000 meals a day.
The new group of volunteers include: Susan Shcwingerhammer, Dassel; Leann King, Cokato; Frank Powers, Crystal; Darla Bohn, Andover; Marie Putnam, Blaine; and Robert Nelson, Blaine.
Their duties include truck driving, logistics, and operating Salvation Army mobile feeding kitchens (canteens). Their two-week tour ends Oct. 19.
On Oct. 2, The Salvation Army re-deployed personnel and resources from its Texas City incident command post to Galveston Island. The transition included relocating The Salvation Army’s mobile command center, canteens, sleeping tents, and other equipment. The Salvation Army is supporting 20 feeding sites – some stationary, some mobile – on Galveston Island and in Texas City.
On Sept. 24, four other Salvation Army volunteers from Minnesota returned from Texas after serving hurricane survivors 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 crews 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.”
Since Ike made landfall, The Salvation Army has served more than 1.7 million meals.
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.
