• Kurt Watkins

Salvation Army Receives $1.25 Million from the Walmart Hurricane Relief Fund

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (September 21, 2018) – Because of the generosity of Walmart and Sam’s Club customers, the Walmart 2018 Hurricane Relief Fund at Foundation For The Carolinas has contributed $1,250,000 to The Salvation Army.

The $1.25 million grant will support The Salvation Army’s response and long-term recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane Florence. Services include providing food, hydration, and emotional and spiritual support to survivors and first responders. With the grant, The Salvation Army can continue to offer these services in addition to identifying and meeting the unique needs of each impacted community.

“As our neighbors in the Carolinas continue to recover, we are proud to support organizations on the front line providing critical support,” said Julie Gehrki, vice president of programs for the Walmart Foundation. “Thanks to the generosity of our customers, we fully met our match. The funds from Walmart and Walmart customers will immediately assist communities with response and sheltering while investing in essential long-term recovery across the Carolinas.”

The Salvation Army committed more than 80 mobile feeding units to Hurricane Florence relief operations across four states. Each canteen can furnish up to 1,500 meals per day. As of September 20, The Salvation Army had provided more than 103,000 meals, 92,000 drinks, 44,009 snacks, and thousands of hours of emotional and spiritual care to 7,724 hurricane survivors. More than 33,000 hours of employee and volunteer service have been logged.

Because The Salvation Army has more than 7,600 centers of operation in the U.S., it is often first on the scene. As part of the communities they serve, they help people recover now and later rebuild.

“The Salvation Army has a long history of providing disaster relief and recovery. We also live and work in the areas affected and are committed to staying and rebuilding each community,” said Commissioner David Hudson, national commander of The Salvation Army. “Partners like Walmart and the Walmart Foundation are critical to our efforts to restore the areas and lives of those impacted by Hurricane Florence’s destruction.”   

Walmart and the Walmart Foundation have partnered with The Salvation Army for over 40 years, providing support through grants and contributions to the Red Kettle Campaign. Each year, nearly 5,000 red kettles are stationed outside Walmart stores and Sam’s Club locations.