• David Sayre

The Salvation Army Responds to Puna Lava Flow - Update #5

Hilo, Hawaii, HI [May 9, 2018] – Emergency Disaster Services [EDS] personnel and volunteers from The Salvation Army are responding to the current lava flow in Leilani Estates with meal service, hydration, clothing vouchers and emotional and spiritual care at the shelters and the Recovery Information Assistance Center [RIAC] in Pahoa. 

Today’s updates:

• MEAL DONATIONS – The Salvation Army continues to seek large volume meal donations from local restaurants and certified kitchens [due to health safety food preparation standards] for meal service at shelters. Contact The Salvation Army at (808) 756-0306. Please note, smaller, home-prepared foods and meals, cannot be accepted for meal service at shelters due to health safety food preparation standards.

• VOLUNTEERS – Additional volunteers are needed to help sort through expected clothing donations at The Salvation Army’s thrift stores in Honokaa, Hilo and Kailua-Kona. For additional details and to sign up to volunteer, visit hawaii.salvationarmy.org and click on the “volunteer” option button on the main page. Current volunteer opportunities can be viewed by entering a local zip code by island. 

• CLOTHING VOUCHERS – The Salvation Army is providing clothing vouchers for those impacted by the current lava flow. Vouchers are being distributed this week at the RIAC in Pahoa at Sacred Heart Church and at any future disaster RIACs that are established. 

• CORPORATE MONETARY DONATIONS – We’re also pleased to announce the following additional contributions to The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts in Hawaii:

o Bank of Hawaii Foundation - $12,500 for The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts in Hawaii Island.

• CORPORATE PARTNERSHIPS – We’re pleased to announce the following additional corporate partnerships to support The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts in Hawaii:

o Bank of Hawaii – Bank of Hawaii announced that donations to The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts can now be made at any of Bank of Hawaii’s 69 branches across Hawaii, the West Pacific Region and American Samoa.

o Central Pacific Bank – Central Pacific Bank announced its 35 branch locations will be accepting monetary donations to benefit Hawaii disaster relief efforts. Monetary donations will be accepted through May 31, 2018 and will go toward The Salvation Army's EDS efforts in Hawaii, with the opportunity for customers to designate support of either Hawaii Island or Kauai relief and recovery efforts.

Previously announced contributions to The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts in Hawaii include:

• Central Pacific Bank Foundation - $20,000

• Enterprise, Alamo & National Car Rental Hawaii - $5,000

• Hawaiian Airlines - $50,000

Previously announced partnerships include:

• First Hawaiian Bank - Aloha for Hawaii Fund to support The Salvation Army’s relief efforts for the Kilauea Volcano Eruption on the Big Island and recovery efforts for flooding on Kauai and in East Oahu. Donations can now be made at any of First Hawaiian Bank’s 61 branches located in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan.

• Foodland - "Aloha for Puna & Pahoa" Disaster Relief (The Salvation Army). Customers will be able to make monetary donations at all Foodland and Sack N Save stores and Malama Markets in Hawaii in $5, $10 or $20 amounts beginning May 9. Donations will go towards The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts.

• HiLife – Kokua Collection – A percentage of the proceeds from various HiLife clothing items in their Kokua Collection will be donated to Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands division to assist with their relief efforts to victims of recent devastating floods on Oahu and Kauai as well as erupting volcano on Hawaii island. For details, visit https://hilifehawaii.com/collections/kokua

During emergencies, the best way the public can help is to provide monetary donations which allows the delivery of the exact relief supplies a community needs. Plus, The Salvation Army uses one-hundred percent of all donations designated ‘disaster relief’ in support of disaster operations.” 

Those wishing to donate food and bottled water should contact Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s Food Bank. They are located at 40 Holomua St. in Hilo and 73-4161 Uluwini Pl. in Kailua-Kona or call (808) 933-6030.

The public is encouraged to support the emergency disaster services efforts via monetary donations at www.hawaii.salvationarmy.org. One-hundred percent of the donated funds will support The Salvation Army’s emergency disaster services in Hawaii.

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About The Salvation Army Disaster Services

The Salvation Army is uniquely positioned to serve those impacted by disasters, however long it takes, because they are there before, during, and after impact. Beyond serving immediate physical needs, they also meet the emotional and spiritual needs that are unique to catastrophic events. The Salvation Army:

 

• Delivers disaster relief to an average of 382,000 people annually.

• Serves every ZIP code in the United States and touches almost 25 million lives a year.

• Has served survivors of every major national disaster since 1900.

• Remains in communities until needs are met and beyond.

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 hawaii.salvationarmy.org, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.