• Shelley Henderson

Emotional & Spiritual Care Givers � The Eyes & Ears of The Salvation Army

Columbia, SC (October 12, 2015)—Today teams of Emotional and Spiritual Care (ESC) givers are on the ground throughout South Carolina, providing hope and prayer to disaster survivors and first responders. The ESC teams are the eyes and ears of The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services – as they minister to the community, they also provide information on available resources and assess and relay the needs of the survivors to the Incident Management Team.

So far, The Salvation Army has provided emotional and spiritual care to 750 individuals. Here are some of comments from the ESC teams yesterday:

• "People are hungry. Not just for food, but for the word of God."
• "We are getting into the days of the disaster where people are starting to become really tired and stressed. I am glad we were there to help." 
• "Our food is bringing joy to people. Sometimes a happy tummy can give a ray of hope."
• "We went out to several neighborhoods previously unassessed to check on the needs of the residents.  We found some had high water but no one really had water in their home. The streets are still flooded and people had to walk in and out with hip boots."
• "Today was great! I look forward to another day of service tomorrow."

Emotional and Spiritual Care teams are made up of Salvation Army officers, employees, and volunteers who are specially trained to provide effective emotional and spiritual care to meet the disaster-related needs of disaster responders and affected families and individuals. 

"We are here to listen and pray with folks," said Captain Michael Knott, Corps Officer of The Salvaiton Army in Stillwater, Oklahoma. "Emotional and Spiritual Care teams are the heart of our work in disaster-being present and sharing the love of Christ is what He calls us to do."

The Salvation Army's response has just begun. In the weeks and months ahead, we will be out in the community, lending a helping hand and a listening ear. We can do this because you support us. Thank you from The Salvation Army and on behalf of the many survivors we are serving.

You can help by your financial gifts to support Salvation Army disaster relief efforts. 100% of donations go directly to the disaster.

• By phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)

• Online: https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/disaster/East-Coast-Floods-Disaster-Relief

• By mail: Send your gift to The Salvation Army Disaster Relief PO BOX 1959 Atlanta, GA 30301 or to your local Salvation Army unit.  Please make checks payable to "The Salvation Army" and clearly mark your gift "East Coast Floods."

• By Text: Text STORM to 51555 to receive a donation link for easy mobile giving

About The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services
“The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.” While every disaster is unique and creates its own special needs, the core of The Salvation Army's disaster program consists of several basic services. And while these services address many of the typical needs of a disaster survivor, Salvation Army disaster relief is also flexible. Our services are adapted to the specific needs of individuals and communities and scalable according to the magnitude of the disaster.