The Salvation Army Commits to $900,000 Investment in Tornado Relief
On March 14, more than 12 tornadoes ranging from EF1 to EF3 ripped through dozens of communities in Missouri and southern Illinois. A critical part of the ongoing relief efforts, The Salvation Army's Midland Division is participating in 16 multi-agency resource centers (MARCs) in the region over the course of eight days, from March 25 to April 1. In order to serve and address the ongoing needs of over 3,600 households that experienced damage or total loss, The Salvation Army is committing to a more than $900,000 investment.
This nearly million-dollar spend is indicative of the scale of the disaster and the vast resources needed to provide safety and stability in the region.
"We are not just financially, but also personally invested in the communities we serve," said LaKeysha Fields, Associate Divisional and St. Louis Regional Social Services Director. "When we participate in a MARC, we are witnessing first-hand the unimaginable circumstances people are facing. Our role is to not only address their immediate needs of food, water, shelter, but also to look at long-term recovery. From property damage to job loss to the emotional and mental health toll a disaster can take on the community - The Salvation Army is giving hope to those in need."
The Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services team and volunteers had been hosting a training summit in Bourbon, Missouri, the week that the storms occurred. As such, mobile feeding units and volunteers were mobilized quickly and deployed to some of the hardest-hit areas, including Phelps, Franklin, Jefferson, Perry and St. Louis Counties. As of March 19, The Salvation Army had distributed more than 6,600 meals, snacks and bottles of water, and tarps and storage bins and to impacted families and individuals.
"One hundred percent of disaster donations go directly toward helping survivors," said Fields. "We’re going forward in faith, optimistically confident that the public will support us in doing the most good."
Community partners, including Heartland Coca-Cola, have also stepped up to support disaster relief efforts by providing pallets of bottled water. Gray Media set up a fundraising page and is encouraging their television viewers in surrounding markets to give.
The community is encouraged to contribute financially to recovery efforts near and far by donating online at https://salarmy.us/middisaster or by phone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY.
For a full schedule of the MARCs, visit the Missouri State Emergency Management Agency.
MARCs are staffed by trained disaster relief volunteers and employees. For information about becoming an Emergency Disaster Services Volunteer, visit our EDS Volunteer Hub.