• Susan Eustice

Flood Response in South Dakota, Iowa & Nebraska Continues

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The Salvation Army of Siouxland (the region surrounding Sioux City, Iowa) began its emergency response to the Flood of 2011 on Monday, May 30 by deploying one of two mobile feeding units to Dakota Dunes, South Dakota. That unit has been in service next to the Incident Command Post on Dakota Dunes Blvd for the past 17 days, assisting the volunteers, residents, National Guard troops, law enforcement and others, working to build the levees to protect the community. The other canteen has been roving the Iowa and Nebraska portions of Siouxland to provide assistance to those working in Sioux City and all over Dakota County, Nebraska.

Captain Von Vandiver, the commanding officer of the Siouxland Salvation Army said, “This is the largest emergency disaster response by The Salvation Army in Siouxland in more than 20 years, since the 1990 Perry Creek Flood. We have had the opportunity to be of service to literally thousands of folks working to protect Siouxland from this flood in the last two weeks. I am deeply moved by the outpouring of support and incredible energy that we have seen these last two weeks. It will be a long summer, and we will be here every day for the people of Siouxland, and those from all over the country, working to protect the homes, property and lives of our people.”

The Salvation Army Western Division, based in Omaha, NE, is also coordinating plans for disaster relief operations in the Omaha Metro area including Council Bluffs as flood waters continue to rise along the Missouri River. The Omaha and Council Bluffs Salvation Army remain on stand-by for manpower and equipment.

The Omaha Salvation Army has partnered with the Omaha Fire Department, Action News 3, Journal Broadcast Radio, Two Men and A Truck, Mayflower and CBSHOME Real Estate to collect supplies for clean-up kits which will be distributed throughout the Western Division in the coming weeks and months. Items most needed include bottled water, Gatorade, rubber gloves, buckets, disinfectant, brushes, brooms, mops and safety goggles. Donations may be dropped off at any Omaha Fire Station, Action News 3, 10714 Mockingbird Drive; Journal Broadcast Radio, 5030 N 72 Street; The Salvation Army, 3612 Cuming Street; or any of the CBSHOME Real Estate locations below:

• 14769 California Street                 
• 11511 South 42nd Street, STE 106
• 11213 Davenport Street                
• 16949 Lakeside Hills Plaza
• 3506 North 147 Street, Suite 200  
• 3090 Twin Creek Drive, Bellevue
• 12112 Pacific Street                                  
• 13110 West Dodge Road

Note: Donation drop off hours at CBSHOME Real Estate locations:  Monday - Friday, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Saturdays and Sundays, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM.

Monetary Donations:

To donate to The Salvation Army's flood response in South Dakota, Iowa or Nebraska visit www.givesalvationarmy.org , call 800-SAL-ARMY or mail a check to The Salvation Army, 3612 Cuming Street, Omaha NE 68131. Be sure to designate your donation to "Flood Relief."

Donations of Used Household Goods and Clothing:

Due to the high expense and time demands associated with delivering your gently-used household goods and clothing (gifts-in-kind), The Salvation cannot guarantee that any individual gifts-in-kind donated now will be sent to the disaster area. In time of disaster, our stores fill these needs from existing, pre-sorted stock. By continuing to donate gently-used household goods to your local Salvation Army store, you not only help your community, you help us prepare for future disaster relief needs. To find your nearest drop-off location, please go to www.satruck.org.

About The Salvation Army:

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1865. Nearly 30 million Americans 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. About 82 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in nearly 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.