Massachusetts Salvation Army Expands Irene Relief, Response Teams head to New York, supplies to Vermont

Canton, MA (Sept. 2, 2011) –  Response teams from the Massachusetts Salvation Army headed to New York to assist with relief efforts in the hardest hit locations in the Empire State while vital supplies including bottled water were dispatched to Vermont. Meanwhile, the Massachusetts Salvation Army continued delivering emergency assistance in Greenfield and other Mohawk Trail communities cleaning up from extensive river flooding.

Two emergency response vehicles (canteens) began delivering aid in Oneonta, N.Y., and other upstate areas after departing from the Springfield Salvation Army Corps yesterday afternoon. The teams of trained disaster volunteers are comprised of workers from Dorchester, Somerville and Worcester. Their mission will be to provide meals, hydration, needed supplies and psychological first aid to residents reeling from the major flooding caused by Hurricane Irene.

The volunteers, who mobilized in less than three hours, have placed their personal daily commitments on hold to help the ongoing response effort from local emergency managers and The Salvation Army for at least a week. Myron, a retiree and a member of the Worcester Salvation Army Corps, noted that disaster recovery requires extra effort from those spared the storm’s worst effects.

“There is nothing better than doing this kind of work,” Myron said. “And if you make yourself available to help, you find you have the strength to do the job. It’s very hard, but these people need our help.”

The Massachusetts Salvation Army also continued to provide support for Greenfield and other communities hit by flood waters from the Deerfield, Green and other western Massachusetts rivers. Hundreds of cleanup kits have been brought into the area to assist with the long-term cleanup. Also, the Massachusetts Salvation Army sent five palates of water to Vermont to be distributed to residents in towns that have been cut off by flood damage.

“The damage from flooding is extensive, and while the waters will recede, the recovery process will be long for many families,” said Major Thomas Perks of the Greater Springfield Salvation Army. “We will be in the Franklin County area for as long as is necessary for these storm victims to get back to safe conditions for their families.”

Monetary donations are the most critical need as supplies and personnel are mobilized.

• Donors are encouraged to give onlineat www.SalvationArmyUSA.orgor by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).
• You can also text the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone; to confirm your gift, respond with the word “Yes.”*

Your donations make a real difference.

• A $10 donation feeds a disaster survivor for one day.
• A $30 donation provides one food box, containing staple foods for a family of four, or one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and other cleaning supplies
• A $100 donation can serve snacks and drinks for 125 survivors and emergency personnel at the scene of a disaster
• A $250 donation can provide one hot meal to 100 people or keep a hydration station operational for 24 hours
• A $500 donation keeps a Salvation Army canteen (mobile feeding unit) fully operational for one day

About The Salvation Army:

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1865. The Massachusetts Division operates 44 centers across the state, providing the broadest array of social services that range from serving food to the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. For more information, go to www.salvationarmy-ma.org.