Salvation Army Northern Division Rolls Out Emergency Flood Relief in Minnesota Towns
Teams Deployed in Le Sueur, Rock and St. Louis Counties to Provide Food, Hydration & Flood Kits to Residents Displaced by Flooding
ROSEVILLE, Minn. (June 25, 2024) – The Northern Division of The Salvation Army has deployed teams to multiple locations in Minnesota as flooding begins to take a toll in towns like Waterville, Cook and Magnolia.
A Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) team is currently in Waterville in Le Sueur County, providing roughly 150 meals a day to displaced residents who’ve been moved to a temporary shelter. Another team is distributing flood clean-up kits to affected residents in Magnolia in Rock County.
In addition, a team consisting of Salvation Army EDS volunteers from Duluth and Brainerd have been deployed to the town of Cook in St. Louis County, prepared to provide 400 meals a day to affected residents and relief workers there. They will also be offering hydration and emotional care as needed.
“Our EDS volunteers are always ready to assist those affected by natural disasters such as these,” said Dorothy Maples, Twin Cities Salvation Army disaster services director. “Because of the amount of rain our region has seen in recent weeks, and with more rain being predicted, we expect this is just the beginning of flood relief efforts we’ll be providing in the coming weeks.”
The Salvation Army works in collaboration with Minnesota emergency management officials to determine where relief efforts are needed, and it is anticipated that the effects of flooding in Minnesota will last for several weeks.
Currently, disaster assistance will focus on providing food, hydration and emotional care to residents affected by flooding and to relief workers. As flooding recedes, assistance will then move into a clean-up phase, when The Salvation Army typically works with local response teams to supply clean-up kits, as well as gift cards for other necessities like cleaning supplies and gasoline for generators.
“We’ve all seen the images coming from the flood-affected areas,” said Lt. Colonel Randall Polsley, Salvation Army Northern Division commander. “Assisting during times of disaster is one of the missions of The Salvation Army, and we will always respond when there are people in need.”
Salvation Army volunteers are also collaborating with the CrisisCleanup.org platform to register flood victims needing help with repairs and clean-up. Crisis Cleanup then connects volunteers willing to assist with people needing help.
Those wishing to support Salvation Army disaster relief efforts can donate today at SalvationArmyNorth.org/flood. For those wishing to learn more about being trained as an EDS volunteer, please contact [email protected].
Interviews with Salvation Army EDS leadership may be available. Contact Dan Furry at [email protected] or 763-218-7127 for information.
