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The Salvation Army Mobilizes for Ian Support as Hurricane Fiona Relief Continues
Compounding disaster preparation and response efforts make community support vital
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (Sept. 29, 2022) — The Salvation Army is mobilizing resources and personnel to meet the immediate needs of survivors and first responders after the landfall of Hurricane Ian (now Tropical Storm Ian), just days after Hurricane Fiona ravaged Puerto Rico, where The Salvation Army is still serving survivors and first responders.
Salvation Army units in the Southwest Division, which serves Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Nevada, are on standby but have not been deployed at this time.
“We have mobile feeding units and disaster response teams along the Florida coast prepared to respond,” said Major Todd Hawks, Community Relations and Development secretary for The Salvation Army’s USA Southern Territory. “With the public’s generous support, we will be able to serve this community for as long as we are needed.”
On the second front of the recent explosion of hurricane activity, The Salvation Army is continuing to meet the needs of Hurricane Fiona survivors and first responders in Puerto Rico by providing a wide range of emergency services. Many of the communities being served are the same ones who have been dealing with the aftermath of Hurricane Maria which made landfall five years ago.
“Disaster relief is always about the long game,” said Bob Myers, Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) director for The Salvation Army’s USA Eastern Territory. “It’s about helping people to get their houses and their communities rebuilt. It’s also about providing long-term emotional and spiritual care to disaster survivors as much as we can, because sometimes the recovery on the inside can be harder than the recovery on the outside.”
For those who wish to help in times of disaster, monetary donations are always best, as they give the Army the flexibility to purchase locally to quickly address the greatest needs in such a fluid situation.
To make a financial gift to support hurricane relief efforts:
- Donate online: HelpSalvationArmy.org
- Donate by phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)
- Mail a check to: The Salvation Army – Disaster Relief, PO BOX 1959, Atlanta, GA 30301; please be sure to write on the check the name of the disaster relief effort you wish to support.
One hundred percent of designated disaster donations go directly to services for survivors and first responders.
Disaster response updates can be found below:
Ian Prep/Initial Response:
- The Salvation Army has as many as 37 canteens (mobile feeding units) and one field kitchen ready to mobilize across the impacted area immediately after the worst effects of the storm are realized.
- Each one of these can feed 500-1,500 people per day
- A caravan including Salvation Army mobile feeding units and a Southern Baptist field kitchen will depart from Texas with over 6,000 pre-made meals and begin feeding Saturday. The field kitchen will begin service Tuesday.
- The Salvation Army is already serving some of the predicted 1M evacuees at a few of their shelters in Florida.
- Two major warehouses in Tampa, Florida and McDonough, Georgia (near Atlanta) are being prepped with food, water, cleaning supplies, hygiene products, and anything else that will be needed by the thousands of people in the storm’s path.
Fiona Response:
- The Salvation Army has served more than 18,778 individuals and distributed the following items at its community centers in San Juan, Caguas, Bayamón, Mayagüez, Arecibo, Loíza, Guayama, Humacao, Ponce, Peñuelas, and Fajardo:
- 20,000+ prepared meals, food boxes/meal kits, and snacks
- 19,326 drinks and bottles of water
- 1,942 packs of diapers
- 662 personal hygiene kits
- 519 ice bags
- 990 cleanup kits and cleaning products
- 107 blankets
- Additional services and items provided at some Salvation Army community centers include:
- Charging stations for people to charge personal devices like mobile phones, laptops, portable medical equipment, etc.
- Emotional and spiritual counseling and support
- Clothing for children and adults
- Furniture
The Salvation Army EDS personnel are also collaborating with federal, state, and local emergency management agencies and other social services organizations in both locations to monitor ongoing impacts and adapt response efforts, if necessary.
For more information on The Salvation Army’s continued response, visit disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.
About The Salvation Army
In 2021, The Salvation Army was ranked #2 on the list of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy. The Salvation Army Southwest Division aided nearly 625,000 people in Arizona, New Mexico and Southern Nevada last year through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, shelter and clothing for the homeless, rent and utilities assistance, disaster and heat relief, senior activity and outreach, adult rehabilitation, opportunities for underprivileged children, holiday assistance, and emotional and spiritual support, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at more than 70 centers of operation in the Southwest. Around 82 cents of every dollar donated to The Salvation Army nationally go directly to program funding to help people who need it most. For more information, visit SalvationArmySouthwest.org and follow us on Facebook, YouTube and LinkedIn; #DoingTheMostGood #SalArmyLoveBeyond.
