• David Sayre

Six from Kroc Center Hawaii's EDS team deploy to Texas for hurricane recovery

HONOLULU (Sept. 14, 2017) – Six members of The Salvation Army’s Kroc Center Hawaii Emergency Disaster Services [EDS] Team will deploy to Beaumont, Texas, to assist in recovery efforts following the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. The two week deployment will be from Saturday, Sept. 16 through Saturday, Sept. 30. 

“The team’s initial assignment will be to serve in one of the EDS distribution warehouses,” said Major John Chamness, Divisional Leader for The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands. “However they also will provide support in other Incident Command System functions as needed. It’s important to note our Hawaii team and others from around the country are supplementing existing EDS officers and staff. The Salvation Army has been on the ground and operating in these communities even before the storms impacted the areas and are always at the ready to respond as needed.”

“We are praying for our team that they will bring comfort and hope to the many who are suffering and displaced,” said Major Phil Lum, Administrator and Corps Officer for Kroc Center Hawaii. “It’s a special opportunity for our Kroc team to exemplify one of our core values; having a heart for outreach. We’d also like to thank Bruce Bonbright, who organized this team and leads the Emergency Disaster Services here at Kroc Center Hawaii.”
 
Participating team members will include:

1. Rachel Lavatai, Kroc Center EDS Volunteer and Athletics Department Program Assistant

2. Sandra Dee Hall, Kroc Center EDS Volunteer and Kroc Church Member

3. Sarah Jean Schmitt, Kroc Center EDS Volunteer and Kroc Church Member  

4. Susan Kathleen Haushalter, Kroc Center EDS Volunteer and Kroc Church Member

5. Wesley Robert Reardon, Kroc Center EDS Volunteer and Kroc Church Member

6. Lieutenant Micheal Stack, Salvation Army Officer, Divisional Emergency Disaster Services Coordinator, and Kroc Church Member

To learn more about our The Salvation Army’s Kroc Center Hawaii Emergency Disaster Services Team’s efforts in Texas, visit hawaii.salvationarmy.org/hawaii/kroc-team-harvey-relief.

Donations in support of The Salvation Army’s relief efforts for both recent U.S. hurricanes may be made as follows:
 
Online: helpsalvationarmy.org
 
By phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY
 
By mail / checks to: The Salvation Army P.O. BOX 1959 Atlanta, GA 30301
Please make checks payable to The Salvation Army and designate 'Hurricane 2017' on all checks.
 
To receive a donation link via text: Text STORM to 51555
 
By PayPal: A link to donate via PayPal is available at helpsalvationarmy.org; international donors may also give to Harvey & Irma via PayPal

The Salvation Army does not place an administrative fee on disaster donations. During emergency disasters, 100 percent of designated gifts are used to support specific relief efforts. 

Although The Salvation Army is not requesting in-kind goods donations at this time, gifts of gently-used household goods, clothing, etc., are always needed by Salvation Army Family Stores to support their work in the local community. Find out more at SAtruck.org.

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About The Salvation Army – Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division
The Salvation Army – Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division covers the state of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands including Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands and The Federated States of Micronesia. The Division offers a wide variety of programs throughout the islands including: adult day health services; affordable senior housing; at-risk youth services and housing; camp & conference center; family stores; food distribution and feeding programs; homeless services; The Kroc Center – Hawaii’s largest community center; preschools & day care services; social services – emergency assistance; substance abuse treatment; and work therapy & rehabilitation services. For more information, call 808-988-2136, visit www.hawaii.salvationarmy.org, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.