• Philip Burn

Salvation Army Volunteers Responding to East Texas Flooding

Dallas, Texas (March 13, 2016) – The Salvation Army is on the scene in East Texas providing assistance to those affected by significant flooding south of the Toledo Bend reservoir. The water level of the Sabine River is forecast to reach record levels affecting numerous communities in the coming days.

Volunteers from The Salvation Army Service Units in Newton County and Kirbyville have been delivering water, clean up kits, and in some cases clothing to those affected by the flooding. Additionally, emergency assistance in the form of gifts cards has been distributed to help offset immediate expenses. These rural Salvation Army units are operated year-round by committed volunteers who are now working closely with Emergency Disaster Services staff to provide relief to the impacted communities.

Shelters are open in the cities of Burkeville and Kirbyville. Volunteers from the Kirbyville Service Unit have been assisting in the shelter and have also started client intake and gift card distribution. Working closely with the Southern Baptist Texas Convention, The Salvation Army will help establish a kitchen in conjunction with the Kirbyville operations.

700 boxes from the Midwest Food Bank are expected to arrive in the area on Tuesday morning and 1,600 clean-up kits are pre-positioned at The Salvation Army Disaster Warehouse in Beaumont ready for distribution. Cots and blankets have been delivered to the Orange County EOC where Salvation Army staff will be providing essential support on Monday.

“Salvation Army staff and volunteers are working hard to provide relief and assistance to those who have been affected by flooding in East Texas,” said Alvin Migues, Emergency Disaster Services Director, for The Salvation Army in Texas. “We are working closely with several partner agencies and have already begun client intake, distributing gift cards to many individuals and families. We will continue to monitor the flooding over the coming days and will remain in the area as long as needed. We have additional Salvation Army disaster units on stand-by should they be needed.”

The Salvation Army Houston Area Command has placed all their mobile kitchens and disaster personnel on alert in advance of anticipated flooding in and around the city of Orange.

Donations to support the ongoing Salvation Army response efforts can be made by texting STORM to 51555, or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY, or online at http://tsatx.org/floodandtornadorelief

If you are interested in learning more about The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) in Texas, or to become a local disaster volunteer, please visit: www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.

For the most up-to-date emergency disaster services news from The Salvation Army in Texas, please visit: www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and follow latest updates on Twitter @SalArmyTXEDS and Facebook at www.facebook.com/SalArmyTXEDS.

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.

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About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established 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 carry out those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
February 5, 2010