• Donald Felice

The Salvation Army At Its Best: Hurricane Relief in Savannah

Savannah, GA - The Salvation Army continues to serve the needs of first responders and returning residents as Savannah begins to restore and recover from Hurricane Matthew.

At the height of relief operations, The Salvation Army enlisted 22 mobile feeding kitchens (canteens) and a field kitchen supplied by Texas Division to deliver food, drinks, and spiritual care to those across Georgia impacted by Hurricane Matthew. Five canteens from the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi Division partnered seamlessly with 17 canteens from the Georgia Division in the relief efforts

When disaster strikes, The Salvation Army is at its best. The past days found The Salvation Army helping those impacted by Hurricane Matthew when they needed it most. Close to 35,000 prepared meals, 32,000 drinks, 92,000 snacks were served, and over 1,600 people were helped through this difficult time with emotional and spiritual care.

In the hurricane aftermath, there are still many trees blocking some roads and many intersections remain without power, so the work of rebuilding in coastal Georgia goes on.

As residents return to their homes and local communities begin to return to normal, The Salvation Army continues to assess and re-deploy resources as needed. The Salvation Army currently has eight canteens in operation in Savannah. Five canteens are serving at stationary locations; three at evacuation shelters and two at Housing and Urban Development (HUD) locations deemed unlivable due to hurricane damage. The three remaining canteens in service are deployed to serve as mobile kitchens covering Tybee Island, Wilmington Island, and Garden City.

 “The response from the public is great, but the need continues,” said John Zanders, Director of Development for The Salvation Army of Georgia.  ”We will stay for as long as necessary, until the last person in need of assistance receives help” he added with a note of encouragement and confidence.

How You Can Help
The best way to help after a disaster is to make a financial donation. Monetary donations allow disaster responders to immediately meet the specific needs of disaster survivors as the situation continues to be assessed. 

• Donate Online: http://give.salvationarmyusa.org/hurricane_matthew
• Donate By Mail: The Salvation Army PO BOX 1959 Atlanta, GA 30301.
  Please designate ‘Hurricane Matthew’ on all checks
• Donate By Phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)
• Donate By Text: Text STORM to 51555 to receive a donation link for easy mobile giving

To further help in Hurricane Matthew relief operations, The Salvation Army has partnered with HIS Radio in the Georgia-South Carolina region to collect canned goods and bottled water at the Christian rock band Newsboys concert at 6:00pm on Saturday, October 15 in the Savannah Civic Center.

In addition, Savannah NBC affiliate WSAV televised short, live Q&A break-in sessions throughout the day today where people could ask a panel of Salvation Army and United Way staff questions regarding Hurricane Matthew relief.

Whether providing a hot meal, a refreshing drink, and a word of encouragement in the middle of disaster, helping someone have a merrier holiday season, or lifting someone out of the depths of addiction and on the road to a better life, The Salvation Army knows all things are possible with God.