There During an Emergency

Aug 6, 2024

Greetings all-

I hope you are enjoying a peaceful summer and vacation time with family and friends. Even in the hottest months of the year, The Salvation Army continues to provide vital assistance to those in need. Your generous donations help us in this work.

Here in Kansas and Western Missouri, the most significant factor that we contend with is the weather. Living and working in “Tornado Alley,” midwesterners are well aware of the power of the weather and the havoc and devastation it can create in a few minutes.

Did you know that in addition to other critical services, The Salvation Army runs a program called Emergency Disaster Services, (EDS) designed to help in the aftermath of devastating situations that impact our neighbors. When disasters occur, our mobile canteens and recovery units respond to render aide to those who are suffering.

As the climate and weather continue to become more unpredictable, we see more and more weather-related emergencies. Storms are getting bigger, happening more frequently and -at times - unusual in their timing.

The recent EF3 tornado in Westmoreland, Kansas on April 30th is a prime example of how EDS works. There were 2 dozen homes destroyed and another 13 heavily damaged, with one fatality and 63 people affected. Our EDS team was on site for days, providing meals and helping folks begin the long journey back to normal. Last year, our EDS team and volunteers were on location a total of 852 hours at disaster events and emergencies where people needed help.

But not just that, hotter summers put pressure on folks suffering from a lack of access to water and cool shelter. When the temperature rises above 90 degrees, our EDS team mobilizes, fanning out across the city in our mobile units to ensure that the homeless population and anyone in distress has water or a cool refuge from the heat. And all of our facilities across Kansas and Western Missouri turn in to cooling centers, providing relief in dangerous conditions and life saving care. 

All year round but especially during severe weather season, The Salvation Army is ready 24/7 to mobilize to help neighbors recover after disasters. After hurricanes, tornadoes, floods and emergencies, we are there. We are on site at every local fire, providing food, water and a connection to resources when it matters most.

In the Bible, Psalms 46 verse 1 says, “God is our refuge and our strength, always ready to help in times of trouble.” (NLT) As a church, we believe that we are the hands and feet of Christ, assisting those who need our help, especially in the moment of disaster.

So when bad things happen, you can count on The Salvation Army to be right there doing good.  Won’t you consider helping us in this mission with a generous donation or volunteer support? We never know when the next time, we might be the ones who need this help.


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