Salvation Army Consolidating Service and Increasing Meals in Houston, Texas

Dallas, Texas (July 14, 2024) – The Salvation Army is consolidating service to one base camp location, almost a week after Hurricane Beryl hammered the Texas coastline and Houston area. The Baptist kitchen and operations in Wharton is scheduled to close on Sunday, with feeding operations continuing from a second kitchen located at The Salvation Army Disaster Warehouse in Houston.

As power is steadily restored across the region, The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services team has continued to monitor and assess community needs and service areas. A field kitchen, operated by the Southern Baptist Texas Convention disaster response has been based at New Faith Church in Wharton since Tuesday, July 9, producing meals for distribution by Salvation Army teams in Brazoria, Matagorda, and Wharton counties. This kitchen will close on Sunday with ongoing feeding operations in the region being supported from the base camp, and Texans on Mission (TBM) kitchen, in Houston. The Houston kitchen has increased food production to 10,000 meals a day.

“We are so grateful to New Faith Church in Wharton for supporting the work of The Salvation Army and allowing us to set up the field kitchen and base camp at their church, said Kathleen Kouns, Long Term Recovery Program Manager for The Salvation Army in Texas. “We have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the church and from the moment we asked about a location for a base camp, they have been so supportive.”

In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri and freezing temperatures hit Texas causing significant strain on the electric grid, leading to extensive power outages, frozen equipment, and infrastructure failures. The Salvation Army partnered with the Just Keep Livin Foundation to provide financial assistance and specifically property repairs to individuals and families without power and damage to their homes. DeWanda White, with New Faith Church, was instrumental in identifying clients in Wharton and the surrounding area to receive assistance from The Salvation Army.

“Once we realized a second base camp for operations was necessary in Southeast Texas, we reached out to New Faith Church. It was all very last minute, but within just two hours everything was agreed for our team to set up at the church,” said Kouns. “They invited our staff and volunteers to stay overnight in the church, opened their kitchen, and couldn’t have been more helpful and accommodating. Thank you, New Faith Church and Pastor Felicia Matthews for your ongoing partnership with The Salvation Army and service to your community.”

Twenty-two mobile feeding units and trained disaster teams, including the recent arrivals from Jackson, Biloxi, Birmingham, and Baton Rouge, supported 26 service locations on Saturday. Feeding operations on Sunday will take place in the following locations:

• Shephard Community Center, 10251Main Street, Shephard
• Ollies Bargain Outlet, 1711 East Houston Street, Cleveland
•  Plum Grove Community Center, 1680 County Road 2549, Cleveland
•  New Mt Calvary Baptist Church, 6051 Vasser Rd, Houston
• Bayland Community Center, 6400 Bissonnet Street, Houston
• Almendarez Community Center, 10918 Bentley Street, Houston
• Houston Refinery, 751 95th Street, Houston
• Shady Village Manufactured Home, 2304 Wichita Street, Pasadena
• Wichita Mobile Home Park, 2201 Wichita Street, Pasadena
• Jack Hartle Building, 318 San Jacinto Street, Liberty
• Independence Hall Apartments, 6 Burress St, Houston
• Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 4812 Bennington Street, Houston
• County Shelters in Conroe
• Salvation Army Northwest Corps, 12507 Windfern Road, Houston
• 20730 Idle Glenn Roadway, New Caney (Neighborhood)
• 3641 Texas Hwy 150, New Waverly
• Patton Village City Hall, 16940 Main Street, Splendora
• 12922 Becklin Lane, Houston
• Kennedy Elementary School, 10200 Huntington Place Drive, Houston
• Coldspring VFD, 20 Hill Ave, Coldspring
• Brazoria County - Roaming in Freeport and Lake Jackson 
• Matagorda County - Palacios PD 405 Commerce St, Palacios
• Wharton County - Wharton Civic Center, 1924 N Fulton St, Wharton
• Brazoria County - Holiday Lakes Government Office, 195 N Texas Ave, Holiday Lakes and West Columbia City Hall 512 E Brazos Ave, West Columbia
• Brazoria Fire Department, 202 N Brooks St, Brazoria

Link to map of serving locations: https://batchgeo.com/map/015dffc8f79da4f1d2d58e9bb3f25cdd

The Salvation Army has served 46,663 meals, 42,157 drinks, 7,418 snacks, 192 cases of MREs and made 7,256 Emotional and Spiritual Care contacts since service began on Tuesday, July 9 in affected communities across Houston and SE Texas.

For the latest information please go to www.disaster.salvationarmy.org and watch for regular updates on our social media pages at www.facebook.com/salvationarmytexas/ and www.twitter.com/salarmytx. To make a donation go to www.helpsalvationarmy.org.