Ready to Respond
As Michele Smith was ringing the bell in December at a Red Kettle in Sullivan County, a woman she had never met walked up to her and said, “You will never know what it meant to me to be handed that cup of chili that first day.”
Michele knew immediately what the woman meant and thought back on the spring of 2023 when Sullivan County was hit hard by a terrible tornado. Amidst the wreckage and confusion, Salvation Army volunteers like Michele jumped into action, putting their training to use and serving their community.
Within an hour of the tornado touching down, Michele and her team of trained Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) volunteers had a shelter set up. In the first days of the response, these dedicated volunteers served over 6,700 meals to people who had lost their homes, their jobs, and their loved ones.
Michele explained how the team had prepared for a situation just like this, one they hoped they would never have to encounter. “We had had hours and hours of training, and talking and planning.” To serve on The Salvation Army’s EDS response teams, there are a variety of trainings available to help equip staff and volunteers and ensure they know disaster protocol. They learn how to safely conduct mass feedings, maneuver in unstable environments, and care for vulnerable populations impacted by emergencies.
EDS is at the core of who The Salvation Army is and what it stands for. Although Indiana may not face the annual threat of raging wildfires or horrifying hurricanes, the state has seen its fair share of tornadoes and floods that destroy homes, businesses, and lives.
A year after the Sullivan County tornado, another touched down across the state in Randolph County. Although no one lost their lives in this tragedy, the town of Winchester experienced the loss of homes, commercial properties, and many vehicles. Major Mike McKee and Bert Williams, with the The Salvation Army Indiana Division’s EDS team, made their way to Randolph County to assist local volunteers.
Using a mobile canteen, the EDS team helped to deliver food prepared at a local church to those without power, food, or access to the church. With the 13 mobile canteens spread across the state, EDS teams have the equipment needed to effectively deliver food and hydration to homes and emergency personnel after disaster strikes.
The importance of The Salvation Army having a presence in every zip code in Indiana is never clearer than when a disaster strikes. Because of the presence in Sullivan and Randolph counties, those who had been impacted by these storms had a team ready to respond and care for their immediate needs. Those in need had someone to offer help, not only right after the disaster struck but as the lasting effects continued.
“The key to emergency response is having the equipment, which we do, keep training your people, which we do trainings quite often, and to coordinate with other people,” explained Major McKee. This is what allows The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services to be effective across the whole state, and how hope can be offered, sometimes in the form of a cup of chili, on a devastating day.