• Jennifer Dodd

Salvation Army Expands Service Hours and Locations in OK Tornado Relief

June 4, 2013, 1:00 p.m. (Moore, OK ) – As Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) relief efforts continue in the areas around Oklahoma City, an additional Multi-Agency Relief Center (MARC) is being set up to serve the survivors of the May 31 events in El Reno at Jenx Simmons Field House at 214 N. Country Club Rd.

The Salvation Army will begin providing relief services (financial assistance to tornado survivors, Salvation Army Family Stores clothing vouchers to tornado and flooding survivors, and referrals for other services) in that location today. 

To better serve community needs, including survivors who have return to work, The Salvation Army has extended the hours of operation for the Relief Center in the Plaza Mayor at the Crossroads location (formerly Crossroads Mall) from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

As one of the nation’s largest federally recognized emergency disaster services agencies, providing relief to 1-2 million disaster survivors and first responders each year in the United States, The Salvation Army is well-versed in transitioning personnel and resources form initial relief operations—such as providing food, hydration, and initial emotional and spiritual care—to long-term recovery operations that help disaster survivors to re-establish their households and daily lives.

In Oklahoma, Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services teams have been serving and ministering to survivors of the May tornadoes that decimated multiple communities around the Oklahoma City area since May 19. Following a new spate of storms on May 31, The Salvation Army has expanded EDS operations to include new service areas and provisions. Including providing residents still without power at their homes with bottled water and food boxes until their power is restored via the Tornado Relief Center at the Plaza Mayor at the Crossroads (in the former JC Penney storefront).

These relief operations will continue, as the Army’s first aim is to meet the basic needs of both survivors and first responders:

• Material Comfort
• Physical Comfort
• Spiritual and Emotional Support

Salvation Army EDS staff and volunteers act as a means of expressing God’s love to those in need. The need following these May tornadoes and flooding is great—and will not be met overnight. We’ve already begun, in the few, short weeks since the initial storms, to see that Oklahomans’ unmet needs are changing—and our services are and will continue to change in response.

The Salvation Army expects to announce our long-term recovery plan in the near future. We understand that because so many Oklahomans have lost their homes, their cars, their businesses, their jobs, we will experience increased requests for all types of financial and material assistance, not only in the next few months but also through the holidays and into the new year.

UPDATES:
For the latest updates on The Salvation Army’s response to this disaster, there are many options to follow:

• disaster.SalvationArmyUSA.org
• www.salvationarmyaok.org
• Blog.SalvationArmyUSA.org
• www.youtube.com/salarmyeds
• http://salvationarmytoday.org

Since May 19, 2013, The Salvation Army has provided 44,878 meals, 63,678 drinks, and 55,867 snacks, 22 Canteens (mobile feeding units), 3,668 Clean-up and 5,052 Comfort (hygiene) kits, and prayer with 7,218 persons. More than 12,084 hours have been logged by volunteers, employees and officers.

Updates by Location
The Salvation Army will continue to provide relief services for tornado and flooding survivors and those impacted by power outages indefinitely. Food, hydration, emotional and spiritual care and other supplies are being provided to residents of the heavily impacted areas including:
Canadian County (El Reno, Mustang, Union City) Cleveland County (Little Axe), Lincoln County (Carney), Pottawatomie County (Shawnee and surrounding area), Henryetta, and Moore.

Overall, The Salvation Army has provided food and hydration, as well other items including:

• Clean-up Supplies
• Hygiene Products
• Household Goods
• Financial Assistance to Tornado Survivors
• Salvation Army Family Stores Clothing Vouchers to Tornado and Flooding Survivors

MARCs (Multi-Agency Resource Centers)
Hours:  Doors Open at 9:00 a.m.
The Salvation Army is providing:

• Financial Assistance to Tornado Survivors
• Salvation Army Family Stores Clothing Vouchers to Tornado and Flooding Survivors
• Referrals for Other Services

NEW - Canadian County :
El Reno: Jenx Simmons Field House
214 N. Country Club Rd
El Reno, OK

Lincoln County:
Carney: Carney High School – Rooms 5, 6, 7
  304 S. Carney Road
  Carney, OK

Pottawatomie County:
Shawnee: Gordon Cooper Vo-Tech (Sky Labs 1 & 2 and Dining Facility)
  1 John C. Bruton Boulevard
  Shawnee, OK
  I-40 and Highway 18

Cleveland County:
Little Axe: Little Axe Elementary School
  2000 168th Avenue NE
  Norman, OK (Highway 9 and 168th)

Moore: Westmoore High School
  12613 S. Western Ave.
  Moore, OK
 
IN KIND EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE (Bulk Distribution) of In-Kind Gifts
At this location, The Salvation Army is providing water, food, hygiene items, and clean-up kits for anyone affected by the recent tornadoes and flooding.

Plaza Mayor at the Crossroads:
Distribution 11:00 a.m. until 8:00 p.m.
  7000 Crossroads Boulevard
  Oklahoma City, OK
  (Located on SE Corner of mall in former JC Penney store)
Directions: Use I-240 entrance. Drive behind the AMC Theatre and park at the JC Penney Entrance.

FIXED FEEDING LOCATIONS

• Westmoore High School MARC (Multi-Agency Recovery Center) at 12613 S. Western Ave., Oklahoma City.
• Little Axe Elementary at 2000 168th Avenue NE, Norman (Highway 9 and 168th).
• Plaza Mayor at the Crossroads Relief Distribution Center at 7000 Crossroads Boulevard, Oklahoma City.

ROVING FEEDING FROM CANTEENS:
At 10 a.m. Salvation Army canteens began patrolling the following areas, offering food and hydration as well as spiritual and emotional care by trained counselors: Moore, Southeast and Southwest 59th Street areas of Oklahoma City, Midwest City, Dell City, Henryetta, Union City, El Reno, and Mustang.

Nationally:

The Salvation Army maintains a fleet of disaster vehicles and supply warehouses across the United States to enable speedy mobilization.

There are more than 300 emergency response vehicles in the eastern and southern United States alone and nearly 600 units nationwide.

These units are able to serve thousands of meals and drinks per day when operating at full capacity.

In addition to food, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care, The Salvation Army is also prepared to provide:

• Clean-up Kits (containing brooms, mops, buckets and cleaning supplies)
• Hygiene Kits
• Household Goods
• Financial Assistance to Tornado Survivors
• Salvation Army Family Stores Clothing Vouchers to Tornado and Flood Survivors

DONATIONS:
Monetary donations are the most critical need as supplies and personnel move into the areas of greatest need.

· Donors are encouraged to give online at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org or by calling
1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).
· You can also text the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone; to confirm your gift, respond with the word “Yes.”*
· Checks may be made out to:
The Salvation Army Disaster Relief
PO BOX 2536
Oklahoma City, OK 73102
Please designate “Oklahoma May Tornadoes” on all checks.

Your donations make a real difference.
· 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.

In-Kind:
The Salvation Army cannot accept unsolicited in kind donations for the Oklahoma tornado relief operation.
· Corporations, foundations and others interested in donating to The Salvation Army response effort should contact Lanita Lloyd at Lanita_Lloyd@uss.salvationarmy.org or 404-728-1300 ext. 10680.
· Due to the high expense and time demands associated with delivering your gently used household goods and clothing (gifts-in-kind), The Salvation Army cannot guarantee that any individual gifts-in-kind donated will be sent to the disaster area. In times 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 visit www.satruck.org.

VOLUNTEERS:
Those interested in volunteering with The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services should register at www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.
· Please note that disaster service training is a prerequisite for volunteering in a disaster zone and not all registered volunteers will be called on to serve.
· There are some direct-service volunteer opportunities available with The Salvation Army’s Oklahoma tornado response. Individuals or groups interested in helping provide assistance to Oklahomans affected by these storms may view and register for available opportunities by visiting www.VolunteerCentralOklahoma.org. Under “Find Volunteer Opportunities,” search for “Salvation Army Disaster.” You can reach our Volunteer Coordinator at 405-620-2027 or SalArmyOKTornadoVolunteer@gmail.com.

###

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 a broad 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.

*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 T-Mobile. 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.