• Mark Jones

Salvation Army in AL & MS Continuing To Provide Tornado Relief

Jackson, MS - May 16, 2011 – The Salvation Army is reaching out in continuing efforts to assess the long term needs of rural towns and areas especially hard hit by tornado damage. Salvation Army teams are meeting with residents and area leaders to determine exactly what is needed and how The Salvation Army can best help them recover from the tornado devastation. 

Donations:

The best way to help tornado survivors and rescue workers is to make a financial contribution. Monetary donations allow disaster responders to immediately meet the specific needs of disaster survivors. The Salvation Army asks those who want to help to visit www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769) and designate their gift "April 2011 Tornado Outbreak." Checks may be made out to: The Salvation Army Disaster Relief, P.O. Box 100339, Atlanta, GA 30384-0339.

At this point, in-kind donations are not being accepted outside the disaster area. Used clothing and used furniture are seldom required during an incident. However, these gifts are vitally important in supporting the day-to-day work of your local Salvation Army. Please consider giving these items to your local Salvation Army Thrift Store or dial 1-800-SA-TRUCK.        

The Salvation Army is currently operating 22 distribution centers across Alabama and Mississippi to provide items like food, hygienic products, clothes, cleaning supplies, and much more to survivors. Below are the distribution centers for continued Disaster Recovery sites.

ALABAMA

Birmingham/Jefferson County (350 Industrial Blvd, B’ham, 35211)

Guntersville/Marshall County (1500 Sunset Drive - G’ville Rec Center) Casework ONLY

Guntersville/Marshall County (609 Blount Avenue)

Guntersville/Marshall County (1336 Gunter Avenue – Service Center Office)

Arab/Marshall County (428 North Main Street)

RainsvilleDekalbCounty(99 McCurdy Avenue – Joint Distribution Site)

Fort Payne/Dekalb County (450 Gault Ave North – Service Center)

Scottsboro/Jacskson, County (1501 E. Willow St – Service Center)                                  

Cullman/Cullman County (103 3^rd Ave - Thrift Store)

Anniston/Calhoun County (111 Town Center Drive – Ft. McClellan)

Russellville/Franklin County (204 Ash Ave. - Russellville Rec Center)

Decatur/Morgan County (Corps building - 114 14^th Street, Decatur)

Huntsville/Madison County (Corps building -2114 Oakwood Ave)

Jasper/Walker County (Thrift Store - 207 20^th St, Jasper, Al)

Montgomery/Elmore & Autauga Counties (900 Maxwell Blvd, Montgomery - Social Services office)

Oneonta/Blount County (333 Valley Road – Service Center)

MISSISSIPPI

Meridian/Lauderdale County (120 6^th Av South – Social Services)                          

Houston/Chickasaw County (114 Washington Street, Houston, MS – Service Center)

Oxford/Lafayette County (2649 West Oxford Loop - Thrift Store)

Starkville/Webster County (2240 Maben Sturgiss Rd – Service Center

Tupelo/Lee County, serving Monroe County residents (527 Carnation St - Tupelo Corps)

Smithville/Monroe County (Piggly Wiggly, 63436 Hwy 15N) Mon. & Wed. 10A-5P 

In order to maximize efforts and reduce duplication of services, The Salvation Army is asking that these individuals provide any form of identification and documentation of disaster related damage (disaster package received from FEMA after registering, an insurance damage report, or a licensed provider damage report).

The Salvation Army is operating 7 feeding sites. Canteens are operating in the following locations:

JEFFERSON COUNTY

4400 Campbell Lane, N.Smithfield, AL

MADISON COUNTY

PublixShopping Center-Jeff Rd/HWY 53 (Monday)

1^st Baptist Church on University (Tuesday-Saturday)

*note location change Tuesday             

MARION COUNTY

Phil Campbell United Methodist Church-Phil Campbell, Alabama (Fixed feeding site)

TUSCALOOSA COUNTY

Forest Lake Baptist Church-107 18^th St, Tuscaloosa

Holt Church-3101 Alabama Ave., NETuscaloosa

1^st and Crescent Ridge, Tuscaloosa

Salvation Army Tuscaloosa Corps -Greensboro/21^st St

The following information represents services provided to disaster victims by The Salvation Army across the Southeast:

• The Salvation Army has served 221,000+ hot meals, 518,000+ sandwiches, snacks & drinks.
• The Salvation Army has provided 54 Mobile Feeding Units (Canteens), 1 Field     
• Kitchen capable of producing 20,000 hot meals per day, 1 Shower Unit, and 2 Satellite Communications trailers.
• The Salvation Army has distributed 43,000+ hygiene kits.
• The Salvation Army has supplied 6,500+ cleanup kits.
• The Salvation Army has ministered through its Pastoral Care to 9,100+ individuals.
• The Salvation Army has begun helping with emergency Social Services in several        locations.                              
• Salvation Army officers, employees and volunteers have served a total of 57,000+ hours

ABOUT THE SALVATION ARMY

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 130 years in the United States. 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. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.