{"id":1074,"date":"2024-07-14T09:52:00","date_gmt":"2024-07-14T09:52:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/redesign.salarmyeds.org\/index.php\/2024\/07\/14\/salvation-army-consolidating-service-and-increasing-meals-in-houston-texas-3\/"},"modified":"2024-09-19T00:22:39","modified_gmt":"2024-09-19T00:22:39","slug":"salvation-army-consolidating-service-and-increasing-meals-in-houston-texas-3","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/salarmyeds.org\/index.php\/2024\/07\/14\/salvation-army-consolidating-service-and-increasing-meals-in-houston-texas-3\/","title":{"rendered":"Salvation Army Consolidating Service and Increasing Meals in Houston, Texas"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Dallas, Texas<\/strong> (July 14, 2024) \u2013<\/b> The Salvation Army is consolidating service to one base camp location, almost a week after Hurricane Beryl hammered the Texas coastline and Houston area. The Baptist kitchen and operations in Wharton is scheduled to close on Sunday, with feeding operations continuing from a second kitchen located at The Salvation Army Disaster Warehouse in Houston.<\/p>\n\n

As power is steadily restored across the region, The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services team has continued to monitor and assess community needs and service areas. A field kitchen, operated by the Southern Baptist Texas Convention disaster response has been based at New Faith Church in Wharton since Tuesday, July 9, producing meals for distribution by Salvation Army teams in Brazoria, Matagorda, and Wharton counties. This kitchen will close on Sunday with ongoing feeding operations in the region being supported from the base camp, and Texans on Mission (TBM) kitchen, in Houston. The Houston kitchen has increased food production to 10,000 meals a day.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cWe are so grateful to New Faith Church in Wharton for supporting the work of The Salvation Army and allowing us to set up the field kitchen and base camp at their church, said Kathleen Kouns, Long Term Recovery Program Manager for The Salvation Army in Texas. \u201cWe have enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the church and from the moment we asked about a location for a base camp, they have been so supportive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

In February 2021, Winter Storm Uri and freezing temperatures hit Texas causing significant strain on the electric grid, leading to extensive power outages, frozen equipment, and infrastructure failures. The Salvation Army partnered with the Just Keep Livin Foundation to provide financial assistance and specifically property repairs to individuals and families without power and damage to their homes. DeWanda White, with New Faith Church, was instrumental in identifying clients in Wharton and the surrounding area to receive assistance from The Salvation Army.<\/p>\n\n

\u201cOnce we realized a second base camp for operations was necessary in Southeast Texas, we reached out to New Faith Church. It was all very last minute, but within just two hours everything was agreed for our team to set up at the church,\u201d said Kouns. \u201cThey invited our staff and volunteers to stay overnight in the church, opened their kitchen, and couldn\u2019t have been more helpful and accommodating. Thank you, New Faith Church and Pastor Felicia Matthews for your ongoing partnership with The Salvation Army and service to your community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n

Twenty-two mobile feeding units and trained disaster teams, including the recent arrivals from Jackson, Biloxi, Birmingham, and Baton Rouge, supported 26 service locations on Saturday. Feeding operations on Sunday will take place in the following locations:<\/p>\n