Valdosta, GA (October 4, 2024) – On assignment to deliver dinner in Valdosta, Georgia, two Salvation Army canteen workers on deployment for Hurricane Helene relief were on their way to a second meal location when they were flagged down for help.
“We were passing a house and at least 15 kids ran outside,” said Bridget Henry, a caseworker with the Army Marietta Corps. “They were waving and shouting, stop! If someone is flagging you down, it’s an emergency. When kids are involved that makes your heart sink. These kids are hungry.”
Bridget’s canteen partner, Trudy Kannenberg, a retired nurse and Army volunteer from Toccoa Service Center in Georgia, was driving.
“We needed a place to park to get off the road,” she said. “Two neighbors worked it out so we could park parallel across their driveways.”
Once word got out that The Army canteen was in the neighborhood, people started to come out of their homes to line up for food.
“With no power, they had no food because it all went bad,” said Bridget.
During disasters, the Salvation Army works closely with local emergency management officials to determine the best locations to provide meals. In this case, the need found the Army. Bridget and Trudy are convinced divine intervention led them to this neighborhood.
“We prayed that God would show us where to go,” said Trudy. “It was a God appointment.”
While waiting for her meal, one resident who had been a long-time member of her church choir started to sing a song, ‘God Will Make a Way’ and told Trudy and Bridget they had been sent to her neighborhood.
“She cried when we handed her a plate because she didn’t know what she was going to eat,” said Bridget.
Both women agree that when a Salvation Army vehicle rolls up to a disaster area, it is often seen as a beacon of hope—a promise that help has arrived.
“It’s also a chance for people to speak to someone who cares about them because if we didn’t care, we wouldn’t be here,” said Bridget.
“I’ve had so many times to stop and pray with people,” added Trudy. “We are here on purpose for a purpose.”
