OMAHA, Nebraska – An Omaha-based Salvation Army disaster-relief team deployed to North Platte, Nebraska, early on Friday, March 14, joined forces with The Salvation Army North Platte Corps Community Center team, and has since served nearly 1,000 meals to firefighters and other first responders who are battling the Cottonwood Fire in west-central Nebraska.
The combined Salvation Army team is spearheaded by the Western Division’s Emergency Disaster Services leadership and is composed of Salvation Army officers, staff, and volunteers. The combined team has been transporting meals from North Platte to the nearby community of Brady, Nebraska, where they are serving the meals out of the Brady Fire Department base. Firefighters from dozens of area departments have been rotating through this base over the last few days, stopping to eat breakfast and dinner — and picking up supplies. Hundreds of volunteer hours have already been recorded by the North Platte-based Salvation Army volunteers on the team as part of this ongoing operation.
Additionally, The Salvation Army Western Division announced today that it is now raising funds in response to the Cottonwood Fire, and several other fires that have burned hundreds of thousands of acres of land, and affected dozens of communities in western and central Nebraska. The funds will go to support The Salvation Army’s ongoing efforts to feed the firefighters as they battle the blaze, and also in the wake of the conflagrations, to give long-term support to families whose lives and property have been affected by the fires, including the Cottonwood Fire, the Morrill Fire, the Road 203 Fire, and the Anderson Bridge Fire. Anyone wishing to donate can do so by going to salarmywestern.org. A link to donate can also be found on The Salvation Army Western Division Facebook page.
The Salvation Army is prepared to provide food and hydration in support of the firefighting operations for as long as it is needed and are ready to expand its relief operation to additional locations around Nebraska, if necessary.
