Kansas City, MO – May 28, 2011 - Nearly one week after a tornado devastated the town of Reading, Kansas, The Salvation Army continues to provide essential aid to residents who have lost their homes, jobs and most of their possessions.
Since the disaster, which occurred last Saturday night, Salvation Army caseworkers have met with 231 individuals who reside in Reading, providing nearly $40,000 in direct financial assistance to help families obtain immediate necessities, including clothing, food, medicine and shelter.
In addition, The Salvation Army continues its mass feeding operations in Reading, serving meals, snacks and cold drinks to more than 1,000 people over the last six days, including emergency crews, volunteers and residents.
Meanwhile, Salvation Army emergency disaster teams (EDS) were among the first on the scene in Joplin, Missouri, after that city was struck by a massive and deadly tornado late Sunday night. Currently, The Salvation Army has a total of six mobile feeding units that, to date, have served more than 26,000 meals, snacks and cold drinks to people throughout the affected areas of the city.
The Salvation Army has also stationed a mobile feeding unit in Sedalia, Missouri, which suffered damage in a tornado Wednesday. EDS crews have served more than 100 people in that city.
Monetary Donations:
Monetary donations to help The Salvation Army’s tornado relief efforts in Reading, Joplin and Sedalia may be sent to: The Salvation Army, 3637 Broadway, Kansas City, MO 64111. Please designate the donation “Tornado Relief”. Credit card donations may be made by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY or going to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
Donations of used Household Goods and Clothing:
Due to the high expense and time demands associated with delivering your gently-used household goods and clothing (gifts-in-kind), The Salvation cannot guarantee that any individual gifts-in-kind donated now will be sent to the disaster area. In time of disaster, our stores fill these needs from existing, pre-sorted stock. By continuing to donate gently-used household goods to your local Salvation Army store, you not only help your community, you help us prepare for future disaster relief needs. To find your nearest drop-off location, please go to www.satruck.org.
About The Salvation Army:
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1865. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. About 82 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in nearly 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
Bulletin Date: Friday, May 27, 2011 | 4:35:24 PM CDT
Source: Amanda Waters, Director of Community Relations,
The Salvation Army, Kansas and Western Missouri Division,
816-968-0373
About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army annually helps more than 30 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country’s largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit www.SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood.