• Danielle Eickenhorst

Salvation Army Partners With HOPE Station

To get all the latest details on The Salvation Army's partnership with HOPE Station, CLICK HERE or check out the The HOPE Center FaceBook page.

In an effort to turn a disaster into a new beginning, The Salvation Army has partnered with HOPE Station to host a 5-week campaign at The Salvation Army Oasis located at the former Salvation Army thrift store site at 26th and S. Main Street, which was demolished by the tornado in Joplin.

HOPE Station has coordinated with The Salvation Army to set up a stage in Joplin. Events will be held at the location over the 5-week period. There will be a KIDS Station with donated toys and games; a REBUILD Station; and a photography and video recording station to capture lost family photos and to allow the community a chance to share their stories.

On the main stage, stories of hope and healing will be shared through music, art and storytelling, by athletes, business owners, and public speakers, 7 am to 9 pm, daily through July 4, 2011. National recording artists have committed to playing at HOPE Station, and will be announced at a later date.

The Salvation Army has partnered with HOPE Station to help the population of Joplin to begin the process of healing, and to fuel their future with hope.  10,000 shirts will be donated to Joplin residents. These interactive writable t-shirts allow people to express their vision of hope for their future.  See what people have written on their shirts in the FaceBook photo gallery!

The HOPE Station event will be part of the larger Salvation Army Oasis in the parking lot at 26th and Main Street, which is a central hub providing meals, rest, ministerial support and other services to those in need of refuge.

People interested in sharing their story, performing, donating or participating in the event should come to an informational meeting at The Salvation Army tent at 6:30 p.m. tomorrow, Wednesday, June 1, 2011 at 26th & Main Street.

DONATING TO JOPLIN EFFORT:

Immediate help can be given by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY or by going to www.SalvationArmyUSA.org to make a donation by credit card. Checks may be mailed to The
Salvation Army, PO Box 21787, St. Louis, MO 63109. Please designate the gift “Joplin Tornado.” Cell phone users may also text the word JOPLIN to 80888 to make a $10 donation

At this time, in-kind donations are not being accepted as financial donations better allow disaster responders to immediately meet the specific needs of survivors.

The Salvation Army, an international organization, has been supporting those in need without
discrimination for 130 years in Missouri. Nearly 350,000 people throughout Missouri and Southern Illinois receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to carry out those services throughout the region.