Nearly 3,000 Meals, Drinks and Snacks Served as Irene Relief Efforts in New York State Continue

Oneonta, New York (September 2, 2011) – The Salvation Army in upstate New York has served nearly 3,000 meals, drinks and snacks to residents of upstate New York still dealing with major flooding events caused by Hurricane Irene. Seven mobile canteen units are serving communities isolated by the disaster and two semi-truckloads of drinking water donated by Walmart have been delivered to Essex and Schenectady counties, where floodwaters and power outages have contaminated local supplies. The Salvation Army is continuing feeding service in Delhi, Deposit, Fleischmanns, Margaretville, Prattsville, Roxbury, Schenectady and Schoharie.

The Salvation Army has also been asked to man three Disaster  Assistance Centers (DACs) in Delaware, Schenectady and Schoharie Counties. These centers will provide short-term case management assistance and emotional and spiritual care to those impacted by the storm.

“We’re seeing an enormous amount of suffering in these communities where all basic services have essentially been shut down since Sunday,” said Major Ron Lee, Incident Commander for The Salvation Army’s response in the region. “What we are trying to do is provide a bit of relief, support and, most importantly, hope. As we provide the emergency disaster relief services, we come along-side those who are impacted to listen, council and comfort” 

To date, The Salvation Army’s response in the region has included:

• Nearly  3,000 meals, snacks, and drinks served.
• 7 mobile feeding canteens deployed throughout the region.
• Numerous clean up kits distributed.
• The Salvation Army personel will be stations at three Disaster Assistance Centers (DACs) in Delaware, Schenectady and Schoharie Counties. These centers will be open starting today from 12:00 noon – 7:00 p.m.
• Baby formula, food and diapers and hygiene kits were sent to Margaretville and Fleischmanns and neighboring towns.
• The Salvation Army is continuing to provide feeding support at the Montgomery County shelter in Amsterdam and the Schenectady High School shelter in Schenectady.
• Two semi-truckloads of drinking water donated by Walmart have been sent to hospitals and nursing homes in Delaware County.
• The Salvation Army is staging 2,000 clean-up kits in Oneonta to assist families in the region whose homes have been damaged.

As The Salvation Army continues to respond and deploy vital resources throughout New York, donations are increasingly critical. Contributions can be made online at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org, by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY or by texting the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone.* For more information on The Salvation Army’s preparation and response to Hurricane Irene, please visit http://blog.salvationarmyusa.org/, www.facebook.com/salvationarmyusaor www.twitter.com/salvationarmyus. 

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About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for 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. 82 cents of every dollar The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.

* A oneâ??time donation of $10 will be billed to your mobile phone bill. Messaging & data rates may apply. Donations are collected for The Salvation Army by mobilecause.com. Reply STOP to 80888 to stop. Reply HELP to 80888 for help. For terms, see www.igfn.org/t.