The Salvation Army USA National Fact Sheet - Hurricane Sandy
For the latest updates on The Salvation Army’s response to this disaster, please visitwww.SalvationArmyUSA.org , Blog.SalvationArmyUSA.org, Twitter and Facebook.
Updates
The Salvation Army has already begun feeding operations at shelters along the East Coast in advance of Hurricane Sandy; Emergency personnel and equipment are on standby for a potentially major response in the coming days.
- The Salvation Army has commenced feeding operations in New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland and elsewhere as Hurricane Sandy is scheduled to make landfall later today.
- Salvation Army assets are on standby from the Carolinas to Maine, ready to deploy as needed and requested by Emergency Management personnel.
- The Salvation Army maintains a fleet of disaster vehicles and supply warehouses across the United States to enable speedy mobilization.
- There are more than 300 emergency response vehicles in the eastern and southern United States alone and nearly 600 units nationwide.
- These units are able to serve thousands of meals and drinks per day when operating at full capacity.
- In addition to food, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care, The Salvation Army is also prepared to provide:
- Clean-up kits containing brooms, mops, buckets and cleaning supplies
- Hygiene kits
- Shower units
- First-aid supplies
- Communications support
Specific Salvation Army mobilization activities to date include:
- In New Jersey, The Salvation Army is serving meals, snacks and drinks at 11 shelters in five counties. A full fleet of emergency response vehicles is ready to deploy if needed. This includes 10 fully-stocked mobile feeding units (canteens), two service vehicles, and one mobile command unit. A canteen is embedded with Task Force 1, the State's official search and rescue team, at Lakehurst Naval Base and may travel with them as they are deployed throughout the state.
- In New York, The Salvation Army is coordinating with the local American Red Cross to providevolunteer support for shelters throughout Suffolk County. Eight canteens are equipped and ready to be deployed from the northern and western parts of the state.
- In Philadelphia, PA, The Salvation Army is working closely with the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management to ready three shelters within the city to help ensure those impacted by Hurricane Sandy will have access to essential services and safety.
- In North Carolina, Salvation Army volunteers worked for 34 hours feeding residents at a shelter in Morehead City. The Salvation Army in New Bern also served evacuees at a local shelter. Eight volunteers and two officers prepared 120 meals.
- In Virginia, The Salvation Army in Hampton Roads has been providing shelter since Saturday evening. A shelter in downtown Norfolk has served 350 meals and distributed 70 hygiene kits so far.
- In Maryland, The Salvation Army of Salisbury served lunch to more than 200 persons at a shelter on Sunday. The Army is also in assisting with sheltering and feeding activities in Annapolis and other parts of the state.
- The Salvation Army encourages all residents of areas in the storm’s path to stay informed of andheed all warnings and evacuation orders. Disaster response professionals recommend having a three-to-five day supply of food and water for each member of your family as well as flashlights, medication and battery powered radios.
Monetary donations are the most critical need as supplies and personnel are mobilized.
- Donors are encouraged to give online at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY(1-800-725-2769).
- You can also text the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone; to confirm your gift, respond with the word “Yes.”*
- Those interested in volunteering should register at www.disaster.salvationar myusa.org. Please note that disaster service training is a prerequisite for volunteering in a disaster zone and not all registered volunteers will be called on to serve.
- At this point, in-kind donations, such as used clothing and used furniture, are not being accepted for hurricane relief. However, these items are vital to supporting the day-to-day work of your local Salvation Army. Please consider giving these items to your local Salvation Army Family Store or dial1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825).
Your donations make a real difference.
- A $10 donation feeds a disaster survivor for one day.
- A $30 donation provides one food box, containing staple foods for a family of four, or one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and other cleaning supplies
- A $100 donation can serve snacks and drinks for 125 survivors and emergency personnel at the scene of a disaster
- A $250 donation can provide one hot meal to 100 people or keep a hydration station operational for 24 hours
- A $500 donation keeps a Salvation Army canteen (mobile feeding unit) fully operational for one day
The Salvation Army is one of the nation’s largest providers of disaster service and responds to hundreds of disasters across the country each year.
- Hurricane Katrina (August 2005): The Salvation Army provided more than 5.6 million meals to survivors and first responders of Hurricane Katrina, and 2.5 million people were assisted with emergency food, casework, emotional and spiritual care.
- Haitian Earthquake (January 2010): The Salvation Army packaged and delivered more than 10 million meals to Haiti, and more than 27,000 survivors were treated at Salvation Army medical facilities. Additionally, The Salvation Army distributed approximately 8,000 hygiene kits.
- U.S. Tornado Outbreak (April & May 2011): The Salvation Army served nearly one million meals and distributed 50,000 hygiene kits, and more than 10,000 people received emotional and spiritual care.
Salvation Army Statements
Major George Hood, National Community Relations & Development Secretary
- “The Salvation Army is mobilized and ready to serve.”
- “Our mobile feeding units and staff are strategically positioned and already beginning to serve at shelter locations throughout the East Coast.”
Major James LaBoessiere, Divisional Commander, Northern New England Division
- “We are taking Hurricane Sandy very seriously and have alerted our personnel to be ready to move quickly to the areas where they are most needed.”
Major Donald Hostetler, Divisonal Commander, Empire State (New York) Division
- “We have assigned staff to serve at our Incident Command Center which will be housed at our division headquarters in Dewitt, New York (outside of Syracuse). We are centrally located in New York and will be able to direct operations whether it is in the east or western part of New York State.”
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go towww.salvationarmyusa.org.
*A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Message & Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and TMobile. By participating you certify that you agree to the terms and conditions, that you are 18 yrs. or older, or have parental permission, and have authorization from the account holder. Donations are collected for the benefit of The Salvation Army by the Innovative Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at igfn.org/t. Privacy policy: igfn.org/p. Text STOP to 80888 to stop; Text HELP to 80888 for help.