• Dulcinea Cuellar Kimrey

The Salvation Army Expands Service As Flood Waters Recede

Lutz, Fla. (June  27, 2012) – The Salvation Army continues to feed and distribute clean-up and personal hygiene kits to residents displaced by Tropical Storm Debby. Salvation Army canteens (kitchens on wheels) have fed residents in Wakulla, Suwannee and Citrus counties. Salvation Army volunteers and staff are working in conjunction with the American Red Cross and local emergency managers to make sure residents in local shelters are being properly hydrated and fed.

On Tuesday, The Salvation Army distributed more than 1,000 clean up kits to residents.

Along with partnering with the Red Cross, The Salvation Army expects to serve meals in Live Oak, Lake City and Citrus county today (June 27).

“We wouldn’t want to be anywhere else right now,” said Lt. Preston Lewis, Salvation Army corps officer for The Salvation Army in Gainesville.

Lewis is stationed with a Salvation Army canteen from Jacksonville at a shelter in Live Oak, Fla. He said they expect to serve 400 meals this afternoon, with more people estimated.

“Some people have never had their homes destroyed by water or a flood,” he said. “During a disaster like this, we just reassure them that everything is going to be OK.”

Since Saturday, Tropical Storm Debby has dumped more than 20 inches of rain in some Florida communities, flooding roads, highways and thoroughfares. 

In the short-term aftermath of a storm, Salvation Army officers and staff will focus primarily on the immediate needs of disaster survivors and first-responders, providing food and hydration for impacted individuals and families.

For more information about how The Salvation Army is responding to Tropical Storm Debby and other disasters, please log on to www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org. You can also follow @salarmyeds, @salarmyfla, @salarmyflaeds or search “Salvation Army Florida Division” on Facebook to access the latest information.

The Salvation Army asks people who want to help those affected by disaster to visit www.salvationarmyusa.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY. Monetary donations are needed to meet survivors’ most immediate needs.  A $100 donation can feed a family of four for two days, provide two cases of drinking water and one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and cleaning supplies.

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About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. 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. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to carry out those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.