• Thad Hicks

Relations Matter as The Salvation Army Opens Tornado Resource Center in Dayton Ohio

Relationships matter and this is no clearer than during a disaster. As the Dayton Ohio region begins the long process of recovering from its recent storms and their impact, The Salvation Army established a Multi-Agency Resource Center, where many varied agencies can come together, to better serve the region.

The concept of a Multi-Agency Resource Center (MARC) is to bring a large group of service providers together in one place.  This allows the most “bang for the buck.”  Individuals can come to one location for all of their potential needs. The MARC being organized by The Salvation Army will have representatives from legal aid, St. Vincent DePaul, Lutheran Social Services, Operation Blessing, the Red Cross, and Several County Govt. Offices. This strategic assembly of emergency responders building connections allows for more people to receive the assistance they need.

In addition to cultivating institutional relationships, one cannot overlook the importance of developing personal relationships as well. The more time we spend together, the better we understand each other’s skills and this ultimately means that we are able to respond more effectively and efficiently.  We can get more done together.  Seth Ditmer, the Dayton Tornadoes logistics chief, and Deputy Director for Operations with the Greater NY Salvation Army Emergency Services stated, “There are so many people working, but when we are able to connect, we get more stuff done.” 

One of these valuable partnerships is between The Salvation and the Midwest foodbank. As a faith-based organization, the Midwest Food Bank aims to share the love of Christ by alleviating hunger and malnutrition locally and throughout the world and providing disaster relief; all without discrimination. This work aligns well with the work of The Salvation Army as we look to meet human needs in Christ’s name.