• Cynthia (Cindy) Fuller

Feeding Continues in Arkansas

Oklahoma City, OK – The Salvtion Army is currently serving meals in Randolph and Garland Counties.   Volunteers are helping to provide breakfast, lunch and dinner to those who have been affected by flooding in Randolph County and the tornado that hit Garland County on Monday evening.

Garland County:

On Thursday, The Salvation Army served 160 meals and drinks for dinner to those still without power due to tornado damage.   In Sunshine, some power is restored and meal service was completed at lunch.

On Friday, through lunch, 258 meals have been served as well as 186 snacks and 321 hot and cold drinks.  Seven volunteers, two offices, and six employees are involved in the feeding efforts and providing emotional and spiritual care.

The Little Rock and El Dorado units are still involved in the Royal and Brady Mo0untain Area.  Captain Ben Walters, Conway, and Captain David Robinson, Pine Bluff, are reporting they served some individuals that had been without food or water for over a day.   To date, we are the only disaster response agency in the area.

Randolph County

A canteen and crew arrived in Pocahontas on Wednesday from Mountain Home.  Approximately 300 meals were served during lunch and dinner.  As of Thursday morning, breakfast, lunch, and dinner are being served.   Through lunch, 298 meals had been served.   The current crew will be relieved on Saturday evening and the Northwest Arkansas Area Command will begin serving from their canteen with a crew.

Additionally, Emergency Management is reporting approximately 200 homes have over 2 ft. of water in them in Randolph County. 

Jackson County

The Salvation Army has also been asked to serve in Jackson County.  The Tulsa Area Command unit and crew are on stand- by for deployment awaiting additional information on numbers that need to be supported.  Garry Odom and Joe Finley, Service Unit Representatives, are on their way to Jackson County to assess the need and to work with local authorities to ensure the needs of a local shelter are met.

Oklahoma Efforts:

The Salvation Army has been working with Oklahoma Emergency Management to facilitate deliveries of pallets of water to Adair, Cherokee, and Sequoyah counties where a Rural Water System is down and well water has been contaminated.  It is estimated these water systems support a population of around 12,000 individuals.

The Salvation Army is working with Emergency Management in both states of Arkansas and Oklahoma and in close touch with other voluntary agencies active in disaster. 

Financial donations are critically needed to support disaster relief efforts.  There are four ways to donate:

• Visit www.salvationarmyusa.org
• Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY and designate April 2011 Tornado Outbreak.
• Checks may be made out to “The Salvation Army Disaster Services” and mailed to PO Box 100339, Atlanta, GA  30384-0339.  Monetary donations will ensure The Salvation Army can meet the most immediate needs of those impacted by disaster.

Contact:          Captain Ben Walters, Conway Corps Officer,   501.908.2235 or ben_walters@uss.salvationarmy.org

                        Captain David Robinson, Pine Bluff Corps Officer,  870-413-1700 or david_robinson@uss.salvationarmy.org