• Laine Hendricks

Flight 214 Crash Recovery Effort Continues At Assistance Center

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (July 9, 2013):  As the recovery effort for the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash continues, The Salvation Army is maintaining a key supporting role in providing help to responders, survivors and affected families.

The Salvation Army continues to support the family assistance operations coordinated by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and their partners to passengers involved in the accident. Officers and volunteers serve as a vital communication link between Flight 214 passengers and officials, providing Korean-, Cantonese-, and Mandarin-language translation assistance in a variety of capacities.  In addition to facilitating conversation with government officials, Salvation Army volunteers are providing emotional support and translation for ease in communication.  This includes accompanying passengers to hospital and optometry visits to help care for basic health needs, such as replacing prescription eyeglasses, etc.

“Serving as language support is a unique role for a Salvation Army Disaster Services team,” said Major Wayne Froderberg, local Disaster Coordinator for The Salvation Army. “However, the opportunity demonstrates our ability to provide compassion and aid in more than one language.”

Sunday, The Salvation Army set-up a special “Clothing Room” as part of a Family Assistance Center, created to help assess and meet the immediate needs of Flight 214 passengers. The Family Assistance Center – organized by local, state and federal officials and other cooperating agencies –is at an undisclosed location to preserve the privacy of the passengers and their families.

The Clothing Room allows passengers to hand-select clothing items and basic essentials to provide comfort while they are housed in the Bay Area. The room is stocked with brand-new shirts, slacks, sweaters, sweatshirts, socks and basic hygiene items (deodorant, shaving items, toothpaste, etc.).  In addition, The Salvation Army has purchased undergarments to supply in the “clothing room” and has made arrangements to supply luggage for passengers to help manage their belongings.  Clothing and items are also available for youth, in addition to toys and games to help ease the tension of this stressful situation.

“New underwear, socks and hygiene kits are a luxury when you have lost everything,” said Claire Dunmore, Program Coordinator for The Salvation Army.  “What a privilege to be able to provide such basic supplies and know that comfort and relief has been given to so many families and children. We hope some clean clothes and quiet place to rest will bring some comfort to these individuals who have had a very difficult 48 hours.”

The Salvation Army has been providing care to  Asiana Airlines Flight 214 passengers since Saturday.  Teams from around the Bay Area – including San Francisco, Sunnyvale and Oakland – have assembled to provide translation support and emotional care both at San Francisco International Airport and other key locations.  The Salvation Army will continue to support this effort in close coordination with local, state and federal authorities to determine how to best meet the evolving needs of the Flight 214 passengers and their families. 

For more updates on The Salvation Army’s response to this Asiana Flight 214 crash, please visit TSAGoldenState.org, Facebook.com/SalvationArmySF or follow The Salvation Army of San Francisco on Twitter at @SalvationArmySF.

Regarding Donation Inquiries:
While The Salvation Army is very appreciative of the public’s willingness to support the recovery efforts of the Asiana Airlines Flight 214 crash, we are not requesting donations of any kind at this time.  We thank the Bay Area for their generosity and their understanding of this request.

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. For more information, go to www.SalvationArmyUSA.org.