September 11

The Salvation Army was the first relief organization on site in New York with canteens on the ground within 30 minutes of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center. Immediately, teams began to provide coffee, sandwiches, and words of comfort and encouragement to stunned and disoriented victims and the countless rescue workers now pouring in. More than 2,150 individuals were served in the initial 18 hours of service. As the days stretched on, services expanded to include steel-toed boots, socks, eye drops, rest stations and other items needed for the clean up efforts.

Response also began immediately at the Pentagon offering Emotional and Spiritual care to those who had been inside and those who were searching the rubble. The Salvation Army assumed the enormous responsibility of coordinating all food service with other agencies and offered practical support like changes of clothes for rescue and recovery workers and prepaid phone cards for military and recovery workers to allow them to contact family and friends.

Within hours of the plane crash in Pennsylvania, The Salvation Army was on scene and stayed round-the-clock until Sept 25. This effort included meal service for first responders and at the staging locations for families of the victims as well as socks, hand-warmers, and phone cards.

To learn more about the response on all fronts, watch this video: