The Salvation Army Responds to Texas Panhandle Fires
Philip Burn | philip_burn@uss.salvationarmy.org
Dallas, TX (May 12, 2014) - “Emergency rescue personnel cannot leave the scene, and that’s where The Salvation Army comes in to give them relief with water, food and a place of rest,” said Major Harvey Johnson of the Amarillo Corps.
In response to an overnight grass fire that rapidly spread, burning over 2,000 acres, The Salvation Army of Pampa and Amarillo have mobilized their Disaster Canteens (mobile kitchens) and are providing support to emergency responders and those displaced by the blaze. It has been confirmed that more than 100 houses have been destroyed and upwards of 350 people displaced. The Salvation Army Borger Service Center has also been assisting families affected by the fire, now 75% contained, providing short term shelter at a local hotel.
Breakfast was served this morning to 400 people in Fritch and the mobile kitchens are fully stocked with food and water and will continue to provide assistance throughout the day. Disaster response staff in Plainview are on a call should additional support be necessary.
Major Harvey Johnson added, “We are a mobile emergency unit created to respond to disasters in our local area. The families in the Panhandle are very important to us, our prayers go out to them, and we are here to help!”
Monetary donations to support The Salvation Army Disaster Services can be made by:
• MAIL – please send checks to The Salvation Army, PO Box 36607, Dallas, TX 75235
• PHONE at 1-800-SAL-ARMY
• ONLINE at www.salvationarmytexas.org
For more information about The Salvation Army’s disaster response effort, please go to www.Facebook.com/SalvationArmyTexas, www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org, or www.salvationarmytexas.org.
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About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 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 spent is used to carry out those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
February 5, 2010
The Salvation Army annually helps more than 30 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at 7,600 centers of operation around the country. In the first-ever listing of “America’s Favorite Charities” by The Chronicle of Philanthropy, The Salvation Army ranked as the country’s largest privately funded, direct-service nonprofit. For more information, visit www.SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood.