• Philip Burn

The Salvation Army Providing Meals and Emotional and Spiritual Support in Uvalde, Texas

Dallas, TX (May 25, 2022) – After the tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday morning, The Salvation Army responded to a request for assistance and deployed a mobile kitchen and disaster response team from San Antonio, about eighty-five miles away, to serve first responders and the community.

Throughout the evening and overnight, first responders and law enforcement received sandwiches, snacks, coffee, and Gatorade from The Salvation Army mobile kitchen positioned at the Incident Command Post established at the school. The team will be serving three meals on Wednesday.

“This tragedy has impacted so many people in the area. Even before we arrived in Uvalde, I had the opportunity to pray with someone affected by the shooting,” said Major Carolyn Webb, Incident Commander for The Salvation Army response. “We were buying supplies at a grocery store and another shopper offered to help with our heavy load. As soon as they learned that we were with The Salvation Army and headed to Uvalde, they explained that a close friend had lost their child in the shooting. We prayed together right there in the store.”

A Family Resource Center has been set up at the Civic Center on Main Street in Uvalde, specifically for the families affected by the shooting. Three Salvation Army Officers, from San Antonio and San Angelo, will serve as Emotional and Spiritual Care Specialists at the center, and will be available to listen, support, and pray with family members. Canines 4 Christ, a newly fostered partner organization, will provide six teams including therapy dogs and trained ESC specialists as additional support. The mobile kitchen team will continue to serve first responders at the Incident Command Post.

The Salvation Army team is coordinating closely with local and state emergency management as well as other community organizations and businesses. “Everyone has been incredibly supportive in this community. We are all working together to help; providing food, comfort, and a listening ear,” said Webb. “Please keep this community in your thoughts and prayers as they deal with the heartache of this tragedy and travel the long road to healing. The Salvation Army will remain in Uvalde as long as we are needed.”

For the latest disaster response information, go to www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.