• Dulcinea Cuellar Kimrey

Emergency Disaster Service Teams Meet Immediate Needs for West Palm Beach

West Palm Beach, FL (29 August 2012) – Salvation Army personnel throughout Palm Beach County are responding to Tropical Storm Isaac which has left significant flooding in its passing. Currently, The Salvation Army has 1 mobile kitchen and a truck unit providing material, emotional, and spiritual assistance to survivors.  Thus far The Salvation Army has provided 411 hot meals and 312 cold drinks to first responders and residents impacted by the storm.

“The Salvation Army is humbled to serve as an instrument of hope to those impacted by this flooding,” said Palm Beach County Area Commander, Major Thomas McWilliams.  “In the past five years, I do not recall a flooding situation of this magnitude and longevity.” 

Relief efforts will extend throughout the impacted region. In the short-term aftermath of the storm, Salvation Army officers and staff will continue to focus on immediate needs providing food, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care to impacted individuals and families.

Salvation Army mobile feeding units are currently positioned in the following areas:

-The Acreage Community Park, 6701 140th Avenue North serving lunch and dinner

-Intersection of Okeechobee Blvd & Seminole Road at in Loxahatchee serving lunch and dinner

“Today as I drove west I was not prepared to see the amount of water covering the streets, roadways no vehicle should pass through with clients walking in water nearly up to their waist.  This is day two with little recidivism and addition rainfall did not help,” stated Tara Holcomb, Public Information Officer for The Salvation Army.

The best way to help survivors and relief workers is to make a financial contribution. Monetary donations allow disaster responders to immediately meet the specific needs of disaster survivors. 

The Salvation Army asks people who want to help those affected by Tropical Storm Isaac to visit www.salvationarmyusa.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).  Donors may also contribute $10 via their phone bill by text messaging the word STORM to 80888, and confirming the donation with the word, “Yes.”   Checks may be made out to The Salvation Army Disaster Relief, 2100 Palm Beach Lakes Blvd, West Palm Beach, FL 33409.  Please designate “2012 Hurricane Relief” on all checks. 

· A $10 donation feeds a disaster survivor for one day
· A $30 donation provides one food box, containing staple foods for a family of four, or one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and other cleaning supplies
· A $100 donation can serve snacks and drinks for 125 survivors and emergency personnel at the scene of a disaster
· A $250 donation can provide one hot meal to 100 people or keep a hydration station operational for 24 hours
· A $500 donation keeps a Salvation Army canteen (mobile feeding unit) fully operational for one day

At this point, in-kind donations are not being accepted.  Used clothing and used furniture are seldom required during an incident.  However, these gifts are vitally important in supporting the day-to-day work of your local Salvation Army. Please consider giving these items to our local Salvation Army Family Store.

For the latest emergency disaster services news, please visit www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and follow the EDS team on Twitter @SalArmyEDS.  Interested parties may also visit www.salvationarmypalmbeachcounty.org and follow us at www.Facebook.com/SalArmyPBCo.

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About The Salvation Army of Palm Beach County
The Salvation Army of Palm Beach County, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1922, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 89 years. Over 19,000 Palm Beach County residents 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 support those services in our local communities. For more information, go to www.salvationarmypalmbeachcounty.org  & www.Facebook.com/SalArmyPBCo