• Denise Richardson

The Salvation Army Helps the Hurting in Greater New York

Staten Island & Island Park, NY (November 10, 2012) - It’s the visible pain of a woman standing at a Salvation Army distribution site in Island Park on Long Island today with her mother and dog, Baxter, in hand shivering. Shannon Foster said she moved into her new house in Island Park just three days before the Hurricane destroyed it.  Shannon, tearing up, was there for dog food which she said was rapidly running out. 

Then there’s Magalys Cuevas, who showed up for blankets and more of what The Salvation Army and EXTRA had dropped off.   Said Magalys, “I have 3 children ages 2, 6 and 9 and it’s just so cold and dark at night in my house.  Next week  my children are supposed to return to school  but I don’t know how that can happen the way we’re living.”

While these ladies were seeing what was available that they could use at home to meet their immediate needs…hosts from Extra, the nationally syndicated entertainment show, which airs on major market affiliates, including A.J. Calloway and Special correspondent Hilaria Baldwin, were unloading a tractor trailer full of water. But they didn’t just bring water, they partnered their corporate friends and with The Salvation Army to bring and distribute even more five  truck loads of batteries, coats children’s books, socks, diapers and snack bars and so much more. They were at a location on Warwick Boulevard and Long Beach Road, across from the Village Hall of Island Park at noon today.

Not even a nor’easter  can keep  The Salvation Army,  from not only providing some of the basic necessities for people , but maybe even more importantly, theses day, providing  emotional and spiritual comfort for those  who can break down at a moment’s notice. 

Said Major Scott Kelly on Staten Island “It’s overwhelming feeling of frustration that’s probably the worst for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. I see that on people’s faces everyday.  They just don’t know what to expect next.”  What they can expect is The Salvation Army being there for them whether its serving food as it did again today at a location at 609 Midland Avenue  from a canteen (Salvation Army mobile street-feeding unit) or the fact that TSA is just not leaving until the very last person is provided the services they need and that can take years.  Approximately 10 to 12 Salvation Army personnel and volunteers were on site serving and providing cleaning supplies, baby care and hygiene products, and non-perishable foods.
        
Here’s how people can best help their neighbors.

FOR FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE SALVATION ARMY:

• Online: Visit t www.SalvationArmyUSA.org
• By Phone: Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)
• Text-Giving: Text NYSA to 52000 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone; to confirm your gift, respond with the word, “Yes.”*
• Division, 120 West 14th Street, New York, NY, 10011.
• By Mail: Checks may be made payable to The Salvation Army Greater New York

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE SALVATION ARMY'S RESPONSE
TO HURRICANE SANDY, VISIT:

• blog.salvationarmyusa.org
• facebook.com/salvationarmyny
• twitter.com/salvationarmyny

YOUR DONATIONS MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE:

• A $10 donation feeds a disaster survivor for one day.
• A $30 donation provides one food box, containing staple foods for a family of four, or one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and other cleaning supplies.
• A $100 donation can serve snacks and drinks for 125 survivors and emergency personnel at the scene of a disaster.
• A $250 donation can provide one hot meal to 100 people or keep a hydration station operational for 24 hours.
• A $500 donation keeps a Salvation Army canteen (mobile-feeding unit) fully operational for one day.

ABOUT THE SALVATION ARMY IN THE USA:
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 more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a broad 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 The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.SalvationArmyUSA.org.

ABOUT THE SALVATION ARMY GREATER NEW YORK DIVISION: An integral part of the community for 132 years, The Salvation Army in Greater New York operates more than 100 community and social service programs serving more than 750,000 people, regardless of race, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation. For more information, visit our website at www.SalvationArmyNY.org