• Donald Felice

Georgia Salvation Army Units Serving in New Orleans

Eight units from the Salvation Army of Georgia arrived in New Orleans Wednesday to serve meals to those impacted by Hurricane Ida. An additional unit – a Rapid Response Unit (RRU) from Valdosta – is scheduled to arrive today and will join its Georgia teammates in the disaster relief efforts. RRUs are a vital part of the Georgia emergency disaster response team and are designed specifically to be able to traverse impacted areas inaccessible to larger and less-mobile service vehicles. Each of the Salvation Army of Georgia emergency disaster vehicles can serve between 500-1,000 people a day.

The Georgia units are manned by staff and specially trained emergency disaster volunteers from Albany, Atlanta, Augusta, Dacula, Jackson, Marietta, Newnan, Rome, Thomasville, Toccoa, Savannah, and Valdosta.

“Our disaster workers, which are mainly volunteers, are our most valuable resource,” says Lanita Lloyd, The Salvation Army of Georgia’s Emergency Services Director. “Their unwavering dedication and willingness to share their time and expertise to serve others is unmatched.”

The Georgia teams meet each morning at The Salvation Army Adult Rehabilitation Center in New Orleans to load supplies and determine the daily service response. Units are deployed to serve those most impacted in the surrounding communities based on a daily need assessment determined by communication and coordination with local and state authorities.

The nine units from Georgia are part of a larger contingent from across The Salvation Army’s Southern Territory, including units from the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas-Oklahoma, and Florida divisions.

The length of service for The Salvation Army disaster teams is normally a 14-day deployment. However, other Georgia teams are available and on standby should they be needed to continue serving those impacted by Hurricane Ida.

“The Salvation Army of Georgia teams will be helping those impacted by Hurricane Ida for as long as needed,” said Ms. Lloyd. “We are very blessed to have great disaster workers and we are continuing to build our volunteer network to serve those in need in times such as this.”

How You Can Help:

The best way to help survivors and relief workers is to make a financial contribution. Monetary donations allow disaster responders to immediately meet the specific needs of disaster survivors as the situation continues to be assessed.

• Donate Online: helpsalvationarmy.org    
• Donate by Phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)

For the latest Salvation Army emergency disaster services news related to Hurricane Ida, please visit www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and follow the Salvation Army disaster services team on Twitter @SalArmyEDS. www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org