• Philip Burn

Long Term Recovery Becomes Focus of Salvation Army North Texas Response

Dallas, Texas – After more than 13 days of continuous service to communities in North Texas hit by the December 26 tornadoes, The Salvation Army is beginning the transition from emergency relief to long term recovery.

Meals, refreshment, and emotional and spiritual care, have been delivered to the hardest hit areas by Salvation Army staff and volunteers in mobile kitchens, catering trucks and Polaris UTVs. As the clean-up has intensified in neighborhoods, streets have been congested with large trucks and heavy equipment along with ruined furniture and discarded household items on the roadside waiting for disposal. The Salvation Army catering trucks and UTVs have proved invaluable under these conditions.

In recent years Polaris has generously made several donations of UTVs to The Salvation Army specifically for disaster work. Following the 2013 Moore, OK, tornadoes the Southern Territory received 10 Polaris UTVs that were used during response to that event.  After that operation concluded, these vehicles were strategically positioned across the territory, including two assigned to the Texas Division. They have been used on several disasters enabling Salvation Army emergency assistance to be delivered even in the most extreme conditions. Polaris also donated free vehicle training to Salvation Army staff.

Dallas Cowboys players Darren McFadden, Tyler Clutts, and Jameill Showers, worked alongside Salvation Army crews, Thursday, to deliver meals to residents and relief workers in Garland. Meanwhile, Cowboys Head Coach Jason Garrett, accompanied by his wife Brill, and several other Cowboys wives and girlfriends, met with those delivering and receiving assistance at the Multi Agency Resource Center (MARC). The visit of the Dallas Cowboys staff, such wonderful long-time supporters of The Salvation Army, was a great encouragement to those who have lost so much, and to workers who are doing all they can to assist.

The Salvation Army anticipates that mobile meal service and the MARC will wrap up by Sunday and support will transition to long-term assistance to tornado survivors.

Since Saturday evening, December 26, The Salvation Army has served/provided:
• Financial Assistance: $59,800
• Food Boxes: 896
• Family Store Vouchers: $34,700
• Household Clean up Kits: 2,936
• Individual Hygiene Kits: 8,535
• Cases of bottle water: 12,048
• Moving Boxes: 3,000
• Work Gloves: 7,056 Pairs
• Coats: 434
• Blankets: 200
• Meals: 20,189
• Snacks: 20,981
• Drinks: 32,194

Donations to support the ongoing Salvation Army response efforts can be made by texting STORM to 51555, or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY, or online at http://tsatx.org/floodandtornadorelief

If you are interested in learning more about The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) in Texas, or to become a local disaster volunteer, please visit: www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.

For the most up-to-date emergency disaster services news from The Salvation Army in Texas, please visit: www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and follow latest updates on Twitter @SalArmyTXEDS and Facebook at www.facebook.com/SalArmyTXEDS.

About The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services:
“The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.” While every disaster is unique and creates its own special needs, the core of The Salvation Army's disaster program consists of several basic services. And while these services address many of the typical needs of a disaster survivor, Salvation Army disaster relief is also flexible. Our services are adapted to the specific needs of individuals and communities and scalable according to the magnitude of the disaster.