Douglas, Georgia (October 5, 2024)-A meal is known to nourish the body. In the case of The Salvation Army in times of disaster, it shows people that someone is here to help. It provides strength, warmth, and even comfort. Salvation Army founder William Booth understood the importance of a meal with his guiding principle: Soup, Soap, and Salvation. In other words, when reaching out to someone in need, there’s no better place to start than with a warm meal. In the wake of Hurricane Helene, The Salvation Army is doing exactly that, feeding any and all who walk up to a canteen.
However, canteens offer more than just food. Often, disaster workers provide camaraderie for those visiting their canteen, be it a few words, a smile, or even a prayer.
Salvation Army disaster workers Josiah Outterbridge and Mike McGee, along with Emotional and Spiritual Care Officer Keisha McMullin displayed the importance of this at one of their first feeding sites, a relief shelter in Douglas, GA. The crew was stationed in the facility’s large parking lot, feeding residents and other members of the community.
Near the canteen, a few kids were wandering about the parking lot, tossing around a bouncy ball. Eventually they made their way over to The Salvation Army crew looking for a band aid. While they waited, Josiah, Mike, and Keisha began chatting with them, making jokes, and generally just having a good time. The children’s faces lit up. Soon, Josiah began joining in on their games, playing catch in between serving meals. He also lost several arm-wrestling matches that afternoon.
Josiah said, “Even if it wasn’t during a disaster, I’d be doing the same thing… I [want to] meet them where they’re at, I’m going to be a kid too.”
For a moment, the parking lot outside the shelter was filled with sounds not usually heard days after a devastating hurricane, laughter and joy. The mood seemed to change out by the canteen, if only for a little while. However, even such a small moment like a game of catch, brings hope. When a Salvation Army canteen is on the road, hope is on the way.
