Hoffman Estates, IL (October 11, 2024) – The U.S. Salvation Army is divided into four geographic territories: Central, South, East and West. This enables each location to operate and maintain programs, services, equipment, and personnel that reflect the unique needs of the area they serve. But when a disaster strikes, we come together as One Army to provide the greatest impact for struggling individuals and families.
“We knew the Southern Territory might need assistance following Hurricane Helene and Hurricane Milton because natural disasters are so unpredictable,” said Salvation Army Central Territory Disaster Director Kevin Ellers. “During situations like this one, we often share resources to help manage the workload. We lean on each other and step up to fill-in any gaps.”
The following representatives from Central Territory have been deployed to provide emotional and spiritual care to survivors and first responders: Harrison Beler (Northern & Central Illinois Division), Paul Figge (Northern & Central Illinois Division), Lieutenant Amanda Hines (Northern Division), Neomia Malcolm (Western Division), Osmond Malcolm (Western Division), Dorothy Maples (Northern Division), and Gary Spaulding (Northern & Central Illinois Division).
“This special group of people are the eyes and ears of The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster (EDS) Services team. They minister to the community, provide information about available resources, and assess and relay the needs of the people who were impacted by the storm through the on-site chain of command. It’s an important and rewarding role, but it can also be emotionally challenging.” Ellers said.
Providing experienced incident command staff is another way the Central Territory is lending its assistance to the hurricane relief effort. Both Chicago Command EDS Manager Karen Hanton (Northern & Central Illinois Division) and volunteer Bill Grier (Midland Division) are deployed to work in managerial functions that directly impact the success of the entire operation.
“Both employees bring a tremendous amount of experience to the table. Their ability to collaborate and problem solve will definitely be an asset on the front lines. I trust their judgement and know the Southern Territory will appreciate their work ethic,” said Ellers.
Remaining at Central Territory’s warehouse location in Rockford, Illinois, but still playing a significant role in the relief effort, is Gary Hackney. He is a brand-new volunteer from the Midland Division and just completed deployment from October 1-5. Most recently, he has been working closely with Disaster Resource Manager Jacob Heiser to establish a staging area for in-kind donations. The two of them have also been preparing vehicles and items for delivery.
According to Heiser, the Central and Southern Territory have also collaborated to create an Amazon Wish List. It serves as a guide for individuals and companies that are interested in donating items that will benefit survivors or assist with disaster services management processes. The list has a variety of price points and will be updated on a regular basis.
“During times like this, it’s important that people and equipment don’t converge on the area all at once. Behind the scenes, there is a coordinated recovery plan in place, developed by a variety of national, state and local emergency service agencies. The impacted areas have to be assessed for safety and transportation access before personnel, equipment and vehicles can be brought in,” said Heiser. “We recently sent a semi-truck filled with bottled water and loaned out our 10-person bunk house trailer, but we know there will be more to come. Our work has just begun.”
If you feel called to be a part of the recovery effort provided by The Salvation Army, please donate today at helpsalvationarmy.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY.
