EMERGENCY RESPONSE TO POWER OUTAGE 2023
THE SALVATION ARMY SERVED THOSE IN NEED DURING THE POWER OUTAGE
The Salvation Army of Vermilion County served 330 households with 380 sack lunches and 140 snack bags; more than 500 meals served to families in Vermilion County and cold beverages and snacks to more than 90 first responders and city workers in both counties. These efforts not only helped local families, but also those working tirelessly to restore power.
Thanks to the 70 volunteers who gathered from two counties, C-U Canteen Run Team, Captains Kenyon & Melissa Sivels, Salvation Army Emergency Response Director, Lt. Katherine Reid and daughter Cassidy, EMA Directors from both counties, Danville’s Police Chief, Danville’s First church of the Nazarene, and Salvation Army Advisory Board Members and staff.
Nearly 40 volunteers from Champaign County gathered at The Red Shield Center early Saturday morning to organize, unpack, assemble, and load sack lunches for distribution.
More than 35 volunteers worked in the heat at The Danville Salvation Army Corps, to organize a drive-thru food distribution to distribute well over 400 lunch items to those in need from neighborhoods without power, resources, and in some instances, transportation.
A few volunteers drove around hard-hit neighborhoods spreading the word and passing out fliers, including Danville's Police Chief Yates and his wife, who provided rides back to The Salvation Army for food pick up. Our prayer is that every volunteer experienced joy and felt God’s healing hand while serving our neighbors in need.
“It’s a testament to the importance of emergency disaster response, the need for mobile food units and the funds to possess them locally, but also, a demonstration of how neighboring counties are willing to help one another during times of crisis” said Melissa Wilhelm, EDS Coordinator for The Salvation Army.
We are prayerful for more local support for the continued development of The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Response efforts based on the increasingly severe weather. The Salvation Army continues to raise funds, offer EDS Training, and recruit volunteers to keep up with the demands of what the organization has been called to do during times of disaster.