• Dulcinea Cuellar Kimrey

The Salvation Army of Florida sends crews to tornado-ravaged Oklahoma

Sixteen Salvation Army pastors and staff from throughout Florida are traveling to Oklahoma to help those in need in Moore and the surrounding area.

Five Salvation Army emotional and spiritual care providers are expected to leave today (Wednesday). They will be on the ground providing direct comfort to those impacted by the tornado. The officers will join 20 other Salvation Army Emotional and Spiritual Care personnel already in Moore, Oklahoma.

Those Salvation Army officers leaving today are:

• Capt. Kelly Durant, Miami
• Major Marion Durham, Bradenton
• Major Ron Mott, St. Augustine
• Capt. Chris Farrell, Lake Worth
• Lt. Michael Missey, Naples  

The emotional and spiritual care officers’ duties will be to comfort survivors and first responders who may need someone to sit and talk with.

Nine members of Florida’s Incident Command team are deploying Monday. These members will relieve the command team that is currently on the ground in Moore. Members of this team include:

• Major Tom Louden, Fort Myers
• Major Holly Patterson, Ocala
• Jennifer Dodd, Tampa
• Julie Showers, Bradenton 
• Lt. Scott Hoover, Stuart 
• Lance Rocks, Florida Divisional Headquarters 
• Capt. Jim Spencer, Sarasota
• Kathy Clark, Florida Divisional Headquarters
• Lt. Jaime Riefer, Panama City
• Deanna Roush, Florida Divisional Headquarters

 

 

Standard deployment is 14 days. Salvation Army staff and officers deployed to a disaster site may be asked to help serve food off a canteen, provide leadership or act as a liaison between The Salvation Army and other partner agencies.

Since the tornado struck, The Salvation Army has been in Moore helping residents with food, hydration and other basic needs. The Salvation Army in Oklahoma and Arkansas is working with its partner agencies like the Southern Baptist Association and the American Red Cross to prepare and distribute meals and snacks to those affected by the tornado.

As of Wednesday (May 22), The Salvation Army in Oklahoma has provided more than 4,400 meals, 5,800 drinks, 2,500 snacks and has seven canteens in the area helping to serve those in need.

In addition to feeding, The Salvation Army is prepared to provide:

• Clean-up kits containing brooms, mops, buckets and cleaning supplies
• Hygiene kits
• Drinking water
• Shower units
• First-aid supplies
• Emotional/spiritual care

 
The Salvation Army asks people who want to help those affected by this disaster 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 .

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 your local Salvation Army Family Store or dial 1-800-SA-TRUCK (1-800-728-7825).

For the latest emergency disaster services news, please visit www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and follow the EDS team on Twitter @SalArmyEDS.

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.

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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.

*A one time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Message & Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint, and TMobile. By participating you certify that you agree to the terms and conditions, that you are 18 yrs or older, or have parental permission, and have authorization from the account holder. Donations are collected for the benefit of The Salvation Army by the Innovative Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at igfn.org/t. Privacy policy: igfn.org/p. Text STOP to 80888 to stop; Text HELP to 80888 for help."