• Philip Burn

The Salvation Army Supporting Memorial Services in West, Texas

Dallas, TX (April 25, 2013) – The Salvation Army has been asked to support the Memorial services of those who tragically lost their lives as a result of the fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas. A canteen and staff from The Salvation Army in San Angelo will be onsite at each Memorial service providing refreshment and emotional and spiritual support to the families and friends at this very difficult time.

Six Salvation Army Disaster Canteens (mobile kitchens) continue to serve in West, including the Dallas Fort Worth Catering Truck which is moving between affected neighborhoods assisting residents. After a full week of service The Salvation Army has served 5,439 meals, 5,854 drinks, and 3,285 snacks. We are so grateful to our committed Officers, staff and volunteers who have so far given a combined total of 3,155 hours of service.

The Salvation Army warehouse in Waco has received a steady flow of donations and is now housing all of the overflow donations from the City of West, which currently stands at 20 truckloads, the majority of which is clothing. These donations will be sorted and distributed to residents in West over the coming days.

More than 120 families have met with The Salvation Army case workers at the Joint Assistance Center and all received gift cards to assist with their immediate needs. The Salvation Army is also providing assistance to those who have lost employment at the fertilizer plant, nursing home, and other businesses directly affected by the disaster.

It is anticipated that The Salvation Army feeding operations will continue at least through the weekend, possibly scaling down to three units at the beginning of next week. Major Shannon Winters (McKinney) and Major LeighAnn Craddock (Dallas Temple) will remain in West providing emotional and spiritual counseling through Friday. The Majors have prayed with more than 260 individuals and families this week.

News was received yesterday that Dallas Cowboys owner, Jerry Jones, has made a $100,000 gift to The Salvation Army’s disaster relief efforts in West, through his family’s charitable organization. The Dallas Cowboys and Jones family are great friends and partners of The Salvation Army, and indeed Charlotte Anderson Jones is the current National Advisory Board Chair. The Jones family said that they hope their gift will inspire others to support The Salvation Army’s relief work in West.

The best way to support the ongoing relief work in West is by making a financial donation. This can be made in the following ways:
• MAIL – please send checks to The Salvation Army, PO Box 36607, Dallas, TX 75235
• PHONE at 1-800-SAL-ARMY
• ONLINE at www.salvationarmytexas.org

For more information about The Salvation Army’s disaster response effort, please go to www.Facebook.com/SalvationArmyTexas, www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org, or www.salvationarmytexas.org.

###

About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 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 The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.