• Cindy Fuller

Coach - We Want to Help!

Corpus Christi, TX (September 5, 2017) – Salvation Army volunteers are known as the ‘Army behind the Army’ in locations all around the world. They mobilize and move forward, mentoring at-risk children, feeding community members, providing hope to people in the most need. When large scale disasters strike, The Salvation Army works very quickly to provide emergency disaster services with the help of our Army of volunteers. This week in Corpus Christi, Texas, a group of young volunteers were ready to roll up their sleeves and help any way they could.

Coach Stephanie Street (Coach) is the Cross Country and Girls Soccer Coach for Ray High School in Corpus Christi. They have a history of helping The Salvation Army; during a water crisis last winter, Coach and several students helped The Salvation Army distribute water to residents. When the students heard about Hurricane Harvey’s imminent arrival to the Corpus Christi area, they asked Coach what could they do to help The Salvation Army. Coach’s advice – “Stay safe and we will find out what we can do afterward.”

Coach reached out to The Salvation Army and learned that there was a need to clean and prepare a warehouse identified to store supplies such as food and water as well as the canteens (mobile feeding units). Immediately Coach, along with other athletics staff, student athletes, friends and family members, went into action to clean the warehouse. They worked all day to ready the warehouse for the arrival of supplies the next day.  Over the Labor Day weekend additional help was needed to unload a truckload of water and again the students were ready to support.

“I saw a nightmare become a dream in a matter of hours. At first, I didn’t think there was any way the space would be usable,” said Lieutenant Nicolas Arroqui, Commanding Officer of The Salvation Army of Fayetteville, Arkansas. “Then I saw different teams come together for one purpose: the community.  You could see in their smiles that they were loving every second! And we love them for the selfless hearts and the joy they shared.”  

“Coach has a heart of gold.  She loves her students, her friends and her community like no one else,” said Arroqui. “She gives everything of herself to serve others. Working along-side Coach Street has not only energized me, it has energized our entire Incident Management team.”

Since that first day, Coach Street has volunteered daily at the warehouse and has struck up a wonderful friendship with Lt. Arroqui and other team members.

“I wanted to help The Salvation Army help others and bring our community back together,” said Coach Street. “When the Ray High School community showed up to support The Salvation Army as well, it demonstrated that we are all in this together.” 

Thanks to Coach Street, and others from Ray High School, The Salvation Army can serve the people affected by Hurricane Harvey in the Coastal Bend more efficiently and effectively.

Donations to support the relief work of The Salvation Army can be made at www.helpsalvationarmy.org, by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY, by texting STORM to 51555, or by check (designated “Hurricane Harvey”) mailed to PO Box 1959, Atlanta, GA  30301.