• Katie Emer

Salvation Army Continues Relief Efforts in Florida

Pensacola, Fla. (May 3, 2014) – The Salvation Army of Pensacola is continuing with its full-scale disaster relief efforts in Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties, highlighted today by handing out 13 pallets of water and receiving an incredible donation of 25 pallets of food boxes.

TODAY
Six Salvation Army canteens (mobile kitchen/feeding units) were deployed throughout Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties, along with two ATVs (four-wheelers) that were able to get into areas unreachable by vehicle.
Today, the ATVs were able to deliver food and cases of water to residents on Santa Rosa Island, which is still underwater. This was the first time we, or anyone, were able to get onto the island to provide help. The ATVs also continued serving Crescent Lake and Piedmont Road, which have been inaccessible by vehicle because the roads were so heavily damaged.

Below are the areas the canteens concentrated on today:
1. Dogwood Road
2. Crescent Lake
3. Piedmont Road
4. Cypress Ridge Apartments (W Fairfield Dr)
5. Salvation Army Pensacola Corps Emergency Shelter
6. Gulfbreeze

Crews from Panama City, Jacksonville, Melbourne and Ocala have come in to assist with disaster relief and staff the canteens.

We would like to thank Midwest Food Bank for delivering a generous donation of 450 food boxes! Each box is stocked with enough food to sustain a family for two days, along with other toiletries. We’ve already handed out 56 boxes and will continue getting those out to families in need.

Today, we also loaded U-Haul trailers packed full of water cases and handed out 13 pallets worth of water to flood victims across Escambia and Santa Rosa Counties.

The Salvation Army is continuing to offer social service assistance, already handling more than 150 cases of financial, clothing, furniture and food assistance. Flood victims can visit The Salvation Army of Pensacola Corps Community Center (1501 N Q Street) for an assistance interview. Proof of address and ID are requested if available.

The Salvation Army of Pensacola has also opened its gymnasium as a 24-hour emergency shelter, providing food, hydration and lodging for anyone in need of a safe place to sleep and stay. It will remain open through the weekend. A large majority of the guests are homeless that had nowhere else to go when The Waterfront Rescue Mission flooded. Because of the extensive damage to their building, we will continue sheltering their residents as needed.

TOMORROW
The Salvation Army of Pensacola has been asked by the American Red Cross to provide food for their disaster relief services. We are happy to assist our partner agency and will provide 500 meals a day to the American Red Cross to stock their shelter and their two ERVs.

We are encouraging our volunteers, staff and community to spend Sunday morning with family and in worship. We are hosting a 10:30am worship service, followed by lunch, and then we’ll get back to work and deploy the six canteens at 3:30pm to serve dinner in the community.

The Salvation Army is also working with The Waterfront Rescue Mission, taking care of their displaced homeless residents. The WRM building damage was assessed, and they will not be able to return for two weeks. The Salvation Army has offered to continue a 24-hour emergency shelter for them and anyone else in need through the weekend. Beginning Monday, we'll transition into an evening shelter for The Waterfront Rescue Mission residents from 7:30pm to 7:30am.

ESCAMBIA & SANTA ROSA COUNTIES DISASTER STATS TO DATE

Meals & Snacks Provided 4,188
Drinks Provided 4,245
People Received Spiritual Care & Worship 344
Social Service Assistance Cases 154
Nights of Lodging Provided 309

For anyone interested in supporting the emergency relief efforts of The Salvation Army, they can:
· Give online at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org
· Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769) to donate by credit card
· Text the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation from your mobile phone (To confirm your gift, respond with the work “Yes.”)

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

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The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865. 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: http://disaster.salvationarmyusa.org

*A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Message and 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. All purchases must be authorized by account holder. By participating, you certify that you are 18 years or older and/or have parental permission. Donations are collected for The Salvation Army 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.