Hilo, Hawaii, HI [May 21, 2018] – Emergency Disaster Services [EDS] personnel and volunteers from The Salvation Army are supporting those affected by the Puna lava flow with meal coordination, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care at the shelters in Pahoa, Keaau and Puna. In addition, The Salvation Army oversees and staffs a distribution center in Pahoa near the pool parking area that provides essential items to those in need. Hours of operation are Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays from 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Food and bottled water donations continue to be directed to the Food Basket, and clothing and other specific requested donations to The Salvation Army’s three Hawaii Island thrift stores.
Today’s updates:
• VOLUNTEERS – There is a continued need for volunteers to help sort items and staff The Salvation Army’s Distribution Center near the Pahoa Shelter and to help sort clothing and other donations at the The Salvation Army’s thrift stores in Honokaa, Hilo and Kailua-Kona. Visit hawaii.salvationarmy.org and click on the “volunteer” option button on the main page. Current volunteer opportunities can be viewed by entering a local zip code by island.
• DONATION REQUESTS – Current donations requested for the Distribution Center include: blankets, camping chairs, clothing, cots, flashlights, garbage bags (thick-outdoor), laundry detergent (liquid), mats, pillows, single-burner camp stoves, sleeping bags, tarps (thick), and towels. Any of these items, may be dropped off at any of The Salvation Army’s three Hawaii Island thrift stores in Hilo, Honokaa, and Kailua-Kona. Food donations, including bottled water, should be directed to Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s Food Bank, in Hilo and Kailua-Kona.
• MEALS – 9,032 meals were served at the shelters between May 9 and May 20. The Salvation Army continues shelter meal coordination and seeks large volume meal donations from local restaurants and certified kitchens [due to health safety food preparation standards]. Contact The Salvation Army at (808) 756-0306.
The public also may support The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts via the following corporate partnerships:
• Bank of Hawaii – Bank of Hawaii announced that donations to The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts can now be made at any of Bank of Hawaii’s 69 branches across Hawaii, the West Pacific Region and American Samoa.
• Central Pacific Bank – Central Pacific Bank announced its 35 branch locations will be accepting monetary donations to benefit Hawaii disaster relief efforts. Monetary donations will be accepted through May 31, 2018 and will go toward The Salvation Army's EDS efforts in Hawaii, with the opportunity for customers to designate support of either Hawaii Island or Kauai relief and recovery efforts.
• First Hawaiian Bank - Aloha for Hawaii Fund to support The Salvation Army’s relief efforts for the Kilauea Volcano Eruption on the Big Island and recovery efforts for flooding on Kauai and in East Oahu. Donations can now be made at any of First Hawaiian Bank’s 61 branches located in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan.
• Foodland - "Aloha for Puna & Pahoa" Disaster Relief (The Salvation Army). Customers will be able to make monetary donations at all Foodland and Sack N Save stores and Malama Markets in Hawaii in $5, $10 or $20 amounts beginning May 9. Donations will go towards The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts.
• HiLife – Kokua Collection – A percentage of the proceeds from various HiLife clothing items in their Kokua Collection will be donated to Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands division to assist with their relief efforts to victims of recent devastating floods on Oahu and Kauai as well as erupting volcano on Hawaii island. For details, visit https://hilifehawaii.com/collections/kokua
Previously announced contributions to The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts in Hawaii include:Ansaldo Honolulu JV; Bank of Hawaii Foundation; Central Pacific Bank Foundation; Enterprise, Alamo & National Car Rental Hawaii, Hawaiian Airlines; and Kaiser Permanente.
During emergencies, the best way the public can help is to provide monetary donations which allows the delivery of the exact relief supplies a community needs. Plus, The Salvation Army uses one-hundred percent of all donations designated ‘disaster relief’ in support of disaster operations.” Visit hawaii.salvationarmy.org for details.
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About The Salvation Army Disaster Services
The Salvation Army is uniquely positioned to serve those impacted by disasters, however long it takes, because they are there before, during, and after impact. Beyond serving immediate physical needs, they also meet the emotional and spiritual needs that are unique to catastrophic events. The Salvation Army:
• Delivers disaster relief to an average of 382,000 people annually.
• Serves every ZIP code in the United States and touches almost 25 million lives a year.
• Has served survivors of every major national disaster since 1900.
• Remains in communities until needs are met and beyond.
About The Salvation Army – Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division
The Salvation Army – Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division covers the state of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands including Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands and The Federated States of Micronesia. The Division offers a wide variety of programs throughout the islands including: adult day health services; affordable senior housing; at-risk youth services and housing; camp & conference center; family stores; food distribution and feeding programs; homeless services; The Kroc Center – Hawaii’s largest community center; preschools & day care services; social services – emergency assistance; substance abuse treatment; and work therapy & rehabilitation services. For more information, call 808-988-2136, visit hawaii.salvationarmy.org, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
About The Salvation Army