 A team of trained Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) volunteers departed from Indianapolis on Saturday, March 23, as part of the coordinated response to historic flooding in parts of the Midwest. The EDS team transported a Central Indiana-based mobile feeding unit to assist with feeding flood victims, first responders, and workers in the most affected areas. The Salvation Army's initial emergency response is expected to last through April, then transition to a long-term recovery stage to assist individuals and households with specific financial and material needs.
The Indiana team consists of Noblesville resident Bill Shaw and three experienced EDS volunteers based out of New Albany: Allen Jones, Daniel Downs, and James McCormick. Members of this EDS team have experience volunteering with many Salvation Army responses, including flooding in Evansville, tornadoes in Henryville and Joplin, and deployments to hurricane responses for Andrew, Rita, Katrina, and Harvey. The mobile feeding unit, commonly referred to as a "canteen," was donated to The Salvation Army by FedEx in 2015. This canteen is capable of serving up to 5,000 meals every day and can reach residents and workers who are unable to go to feeding centers or shelters. It is also used to distribute flood kits and connect residents with Salvation Army resources. The Salvation Army has set up a large Disaster Resource Center in Omaha, NE and has been providing meals, flood clean-up kits, and emotional and spiritual care to the communities of eastern Nebraska and western Iowa. Historic flooding of the Platte River has overrun The Salvation Army Gene Eppley Camp, which is a total loss. The camp was expected to serve 3,400 people this year, including many area children and families in need. More information about the local response can be found at centralusa.salvationarmy.org/western/allnews. "The Salvation Army is uniquely situated to serve in times of disaster. We are already serving these communities through our shelters, feeding programs, community centers, and social service programs. It's just a matter of switching gears and going into disaster response mode. In large-scale disasters like this, we respond quickly with local units, then call on neighboring states to bring in fresh equipment, supplies, and teams. Now is the time for Indiana to step up and keep this response going at one hundred percent." - Major Bob Webster, Divisional Commander for The Salvation Army Indiana Division
 The Indiana EDS team departed from The Salvation Army's Disaster Training Facility at 4020 Georgetown Road in Indianapolis and arrived in Omaha, Nebraska that evening. Their deployment will extend through April 5. Updates will be posted on The Salvation Army Indiana Division's EDS Facebook page.
The crew is currently delivering food prepared at the Omaha Kroc Center to distribution tents set up in affected neighborhoods. Mud and high water has made maneuvering around some neighborhoods impossible, so these distribution points are being used to get food and hydration to residents and workers. Numbers are expected to increase as flood waters recede and people return to homes. Donations to The Salvation Army's flood relief efforts in Nebraska and Iowa can be made online by visiting salarmyomaha.org. One hundred percent of monetary donations designated for disaster relief will go toward those relief efforts. | 