• Philip Burn

Long-Standing Salvation Army and Southern Baptist Partnership Provides Double the Reach in Texas

Dallas, Texas (July 10, 2024) – The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services teams delivered meals from mobile kitchens in affected communities on Tuesday, after Hurricane Beryl caused massed power outages and widespread flooding on Monday. A long-standing partnership between The Salvation Army and the Southern Baptist Disaster Relief continues to make a difference and deliver relief to thousands of people in crisis.

Two Baptist kitchens have deployed to work alongside The Salvation Army teams. The Southern Baptist Texas Convention (SBTC) kitchen is in Wharton, and The Texans on Mission (TBM) team has deployed to Houston. Each kitchen, staffed entirely by Baptist volunteers and team members, can produce up to 10,000 meals each day for delivery from Salvation Army mobile feeding units.

“We are so appreciative of our Southern Baptist partners who, for more than fifteen years, have worked with The Salvation Army to prepare and cook food for daily distribution during disasters of all kinds. Hurricane Beryl has left more than 1.6 million households without power, resulting in a massive need for meals,” said Alvin Migues, Emergency Disaster Services Director for The Salvation Army in Texas. “Due to the scale of this disaster, we have brought in two Baptist field kitchens this week. Utilizing two kitchens in this way will double the number and reach of hot meals to those in need across the affected area. We’re already serving across a 150-mile area, and that could continue to expand.”

Access to the area has been particularly challenging after Hurricane Beryl caused widespread flooding and downed trees. The SBTC kitchen in Wharton was up and running in time to produce hot meals on Tuesday for distribution, while the TBM kitchen team, located at The Salvation Army’s Disaster Warehouse in Houston, set up on Tuesday and will provide its first meals on Wednesday morning. Walmart donated 26 pallets of water, Tuesday, to support ongoing response efforts.

“Our brothers and sisters from the Southern Baptist team have seamlessly integrated with our Salvation Army staff. It’s a relationship that works and greatly enhances our disaster service efforts,” said Migues. “The food produced is excellent and we constantly receive great reports and feedback from storm survivors enjoying what might be their first hot meal for a couple of days.”

Mobile feeding units and trained disaster teams from San Antonio, New Braunfels, Victoria, Kerrville, Granbury, Bryan/College Station, Conroe, Freeport, Beeville, Lubbock and Wichita Falls have been deployed to the Houston area. Six additional response units and eleven trained disaster volunteers will arrive on Wednesday from the neighboring Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi Division of The Salvation Army and will support ongoing response efforts.

Feeding operations on Wednesday will take place in the following locations: 

• Shady Village Manufactured Home, 2304 Wichita Street, Pasadena
• Wichita Mobile Home Park, 2201 Wichita Street, Pasadena 
• Jack Hartle Building, 318 San Jacinto Street, Liberty
• Independence Hall Apartments, 6 Burress St, Houston  
• Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, 4812 Bennington Street, Houston
• County Shelters in Conroe
• Salvation Army Northwest Corps, 12507 Windfern Road, Houston
• 20730 Idle Glenn Roadway, New Caney (Neighborhood)
• Patton Village City Hall, 16940 Main Street, Splendora
• Plum Grove Community Center, 1680 County Road 2549, Cleveland
• 12922 Becklin Lane, Houston
• Kennedy Elementary School, 10200 Huntington Place Drive, Houston
• Coldspring VFD, 20 Hill Ave, Coldspring
• Brazoria County - Roaming in Freeport and Lake Jackson  
• Matagorda County - Markham Elementary, 200 6th Street and Palacios Elementary, 1001 5th St, Palacio 
• Wharton County - Wharton Civic Center, 1924 N Fulton St, Wharton
• Brazoria County - Holiday Lakes Government Office, 195 N Texas Ave, Holiday Lakes and West Columbia City Hall 512 E Brazos Ave, West Columbia
• Matagorda County - Boling Lago Fire Department, 840 FM442, 6840 FM442, Boling-Iago
• Brazoria Fire Department, 202 N Brooks St, Brazoria

Link to map of serving locations: Beryl - SAL Houston Area Serving Locations (batchgeo.com)

The Salvation Army served 3,345 meals on Tuesday, July 9 as service began in affected communities.

For the latest information please go to www.disaster.salvationarmy.org and watch for regular updates on our social media pages at www.facebook.com/salvationarmytexas/ and www.twitter.com/salarmytx. To make a donation go to www.helpsalvationarmy.org.