The Salvation Army Marks One-Year Anniversary of 2014 Arkansas Tornadoes

Conway, AR (April 27, 2015) The Salvation Army continues to provide long term recovery services to residents whose lives were forever changed following the April tornadoes that affected northeast Oklahoma and Central Arkansas communities. 

Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) teams immediately responded to the storms and provided food, hydration, and emotional and spiritual care to survivors and first responders.  Thanks to the generous support of donors, The Salvation Army raised $400,000 for response and recovery efforts.  The long-term recovery of storm survivors, with their many and varying needs, is where the bulk of the donated funding is committed.

“The tornadoes that hit Vilonia and Mayflower were tragic and have changed the lives of those impacted forever,” stated Major David Robinson, Conway Corps of The Salvation army.  “It is a privilege to work with the individuals, families and partners involved in the journey to recovery.”

During the response, and continuing day to day, The Salvation Army continues to operate its regular programs and services, providing assistance to residents in need who were not affected by the disasters.

Initial Response

The Salvation Army provided the following during its emergency disaster response phase:

• 7,711 meals served to survivors and first responders
• 11,660 drinks and snacks served
• Emotional and spiritual care to individuals
• 1,898 hours of employee and volunteer service
• $37,000 in Gift Cards were distributed as emergency assistance to 711 Individuals (248 Families) in Arkansas
• $20,000 in Gift Cards were distributed as emergency assistance to 284 Individuals (92 Families) in Oklahoma

The Salvation Army spent $150,000 on the initial emergency response to the tornadoes and on providing emergency assistance to the disaster’s survivors.  The Salvation Army continues to work together with partner agencies and the communities affected to support those impacted by the April tornadoes.

Long-term Recovery

The Salvation Army continues to support families affected by the storms and to help rebuild communities. $250,000 has been allocated to support long term recovery efforts.  To date, The Salvation Army has committed to 81 cases for just over $125,000 (50% of the allocated long-term recovery funding).

Long term recovery works to meet unmet disaster-related needs, such as housing repairs, relocation costs, furniture and appliance replacement, medical expenses, and more.  Each long term recovery case involves case managers working with the disaster survivors to identify their specific unmet needs to connect them with community resources.  For recovery assistance, please call the Inter-Faith & Partners Disaster Recovery Alliance.  The alliance is providing assistance to those impacted, in coordination with the Vilonia Disaster Recovery Alliance and the Faulkner County Long Term Recovery Board.  The number is 501-205-6873. The Salvation Army is working with disaster clients through the Inter-Faith & Partners Disaster Recovery Alliance.

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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 a broad 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.