• David Sayre

Hawaii Salvation Army Responds to Puna Lava Flow; Distribution Center to Open

Hilo, Hawaii, HI [May 14, 2018] – Emergency Disaster Services [EDS] personnel and volunteers from The Salvation Army are responding to the current lava flow in Leilani Estates with meal coordination, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care at the shelters in Pahoa and Keaau, with clothing vouchers distributed at Recovery Information Assistance Centers [RIAC], and, starting Tuesday, oversight of a distribution center for basic needs items in Pahoa for those affected by the Puna lava flow. Food and water donations continue to be directed to partner agencies such as Food Basket and clothing donations to The Salvation Army’s three Hawaii Island thrift stores. [details below]

Today’s updates:

• DISTRIBUTION CENTER SCHEDULED TO OPEN TUESDAY – A distribution center is being established in Pahoa near the community pool parking area and is scheduled to open on Tuesday, May 15. Ongoing hours of operation are still being finalized, however for Tuesday through Friday of this week, hours will be from 9 a.m. to noon and from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Beginning Saturday, May 19, the schedule shifts to Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday with the same hours of 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. “The distribution center is being established to provide basic needs items to those affected by the Puna lava flow,” said Major John Bennett, Divisional Secretary for Business for The Salvation Army Hawaiian & Pacific Islands. “We are currently seeking volunteers to help sort items and staff the distribution center. In addition, we are working with our partner agencies such as Food Basket, to supply the items. Please direct all food donations, including bottled water, to Food Basket. Clothing items may be dropped off at any of our three Hawaii Island thrift stores. Those in need will be provided clothing vouchers for redemption at our stores.”

• DISTRIBUTION CENTER VOLUNTEERS – Volunteers are needed to help sort items and staff the distribution center that is scheduled to open on Tuesday, May 15. For additional details and to sign up to volunteer, visit hawaii.salvationarmy.org and click on the “volunteer” option button on the main page. Current volunteer opportunities can be viewed by entering a local zip code by island.

• FOOD DONATIONS – Juice boxes and kid-friendly food items are requested along with the continued requests for cases of bottled water and food donations. Also, requests are coming in for garbage bags. Donations of all these items may be made at Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s Food Bank, at 40 Holomua St. in Hilo and 73-4161 Uluwini Pl. in Kailua-Kona. For details, call (808) 933-6030.

• CORPORATE CONTRIBUTIONS - We’re also pleased to announce that Kaiser Permanente has made a $10,000 contribution to support The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts in Hawaii. See previous support listing below along with additional ways the public can make donations at businesses across Hawaii.

• MEALS SERVED – Mahalo to Latter Day Saints Kaumana, Strato’s Pizza, Connect Point Church Hilo, Keiki Carnival [Big Island Substance Abuse Council], Sure Foundation Puna, The Salvation Army Hilo Temple Corps, Seventh Day Adventist Hilo and Puna, Sergio Lunch Wagon, and Hilo High School Football Team for their food donations and volunteers for meals at the shelters on May 11, 12, and 13.

• MEAL DONATIONS –The Salvation Army continues shelter meals and seeks large volume meal donations from local restaurants and certified kitchens [due to health safety food preparation standards] for meal service at shelters in Pahoa and Keaau. Contact The Salvation Army at (808) 756-0306. 

• THRIFT STORE VOLUNTEERS – Additional volunteers are needed to help sort through clothing donations at The Salvation Army’s thrift stores in Honokaa, Hilo and Kailua-Kona. For additional details and to sign up to volunteer, visit hawaii.salvationarmy.org and click on the “volunteer” option button on the main page. Current volunteer opportunities can be viewed by entering a local zip code by island. 

• CLOTHING VOUCHERS – The Salvation Army is providing clothing vouchers for those impacted by the current lava flow. Vouchers are distributed at disaster RIACs that are established.

• EDS AWARENESS EVENT IN HONOLULU - The Salvation Army EDS Awareness Event in Downtown Honolulu – It’s National Salvation Army Week and The Salvation Army had already planned to hold an EDS Awareness Event in downtown Honolulu this Friday, May 18, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Tamarind Park on the corner of Bishop and King Streets. There will be information about Emergency Disaster Services checklists for you and your family, volunteer training opportunities, and general information about The Salvation Army, among other items. Monetary donations to support The Salvation Army’s EDS response efforts across Hawaii also will be accepted via Red Kettle and via a link to our donation webpage at hawaii.salvationarmy.org.

Previously announced contributions to The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts in Hawaii include:

• Bank of Hawaii Foundation - $12,500

• Central Pacific Bank Foundation - $20,000

• Enterprise, Alamo & National Car Rental Hawaii - $5,000

• Hawaiian Airlines - $50,000

Previously announced partnerships include:

• Bank of Hawaii – Bank of Hawaii announced that donations to The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts can now be made at any of Bank of Hawaii’s 69 branches across Hawaii, the West Pacific Region and American Samoa.

• Central Pacific Bank – Central Pacific Bank announced its 35 branch locations will be accepting monetary donations to benefit Hawaii disaster relief efforts. Monetary donations will be accepted through May 31, 2018 and will go toward The Salvation Army's EDS efforts in Hawaii, with the opportunity for customers to designate support of either Hawaii Island or Kauai relief and recovery efforts.

• First Hawaiian Bank - Aloha for Hawaii Fund to support The Salvation Army’s relief efforts for the Kilauea Volcano Eruption on the Big Island and recovery efforts for flooding on Kauai and in East Oahu. Donations can now be made at any of First Hawaiian Bank’s 61 branches located in Hawaii, Guam and Saipan.

• Foodland - "Aloha for Puna & Pahoa" Disaster Relief (The Salvation Army). Customers will be able to make monetary donations at all Foodland and Sack N Save stores and Malama Markets in Hawaii in $5, $10 or $20 amounts beginning May 9. Donations will go towards The Salvation Army’s EDS efforts.

• HiLife – Kokua Collection – A percentage of the proceeds from various HiLife clothing items in their Kokua Collection will be donated to Salvation Army Hawaiian and Pacific Islands division to assist with their relief efforts to victims of recent devastating floods on Oahu and Kauai as well as erupting volcano on Hawaii island. For details, visit https://hilifehawaii.com/collections/kokua

During emergencies, the best way the public can help is to provide monetary donations which allows the delivery of the exact relief supplies a community needs. Plus, The Salvation Army uses one-hundred percent of all donations designated ‘disaster relief’ in support of disaster operations.” 

Those wishing to donate food, juice boxes, and bottled water should contact Food Basket, Hawaii Island’s Food Bank. They are located at 40 Holomua St. in Hilo and 73-4161 Uluwini Pl. in Kailua-Kona or call (808) 933-6030.

The public is encouraged to support the emergency disaster services efforts via monetary donations at www.hawaii.salvationarmy.org. One-hundred percent of the donated funds will support The Salvation Army’s emergency disaster services in Hawaii.

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About The Salvation Army Disaster Services

The Salvation Army is uniquely positioned to serve those impacted by disasters, however long it takes, because they are there before, during, and after impact. Beyond serving immediate physical needs, they also meet the emotional and spiritual needs that are unique to catastrophic events. The Salvation Army:

 

• Delivers disaster relief to an average of 382,000 people annually.

• Serves every ZIP code in the United States and touches almost 25 million lives a year.

• Has served survivors of every major national disaster since 1900.

• Remains in communities until needs are met and beyond.

About The Salvation Army – Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division

The Salvation Army – Hawaiian & Pacific Islands Division covers the state of Hawaii and the Pacific Islands including Guam, Republic of the Marshall Islands and The Federated States of Micronesia. The Division offers a wide variety of programs throughout the islands including: adult day health services; affordable senior housing; at-risk youth services and housing; camp & conference center; family stores; food distribution and feeding programs; homeless services; The Kroc Center – Hawaii’s largest community center; preschools & day care services; social services – emergency assistance; substance abuse treatment; and work therapy & rehabilitation services. For more information, call 808-988-2136, visit hawaii.salvationarmy.org, or follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.