Clean Up Begins in San Marcos as Salvation Army Service Continues

Dallas, Texas (May 26, 2015) – After record flooding in Central Texas residents of San Marcos have begun the arduous work of cleaning up their homes and community. To support this effort The Salvation Army delivered 200 clean up kits along with 120 food boxes and 1,200 hygiene kits for distribution to those affected by the floods.

The Salvation Army mobile kitchen, deployed from Austin and San Antonio, served meals, snacks, and hydration throughout the day to people visiting the Red Cross Shelter in San Marcos. Food was also delivered by pickup truck to areas of the city that experienced some of the worst flooding. Staff and volunteers offered sandwiches, snacks and drinks to homeowners working to salvage their belongings from their soaked homes.

John and Cassie attended college in San Marcos and now live and work in the area although neither of their places of employment were open for business on Tuesday due to the flooding. They live in an upstairs apartment and watched in horror as the water levels rose over the weekend and flooded their downstairs neighbors’ homes.

“We wanted to help wherever we could and drove around until we saw The Salvation Army set up here at the Activity Center,” said Cassie. “We asked if they needed any help and have been working here most of the day.” The couple provided valuable extra support to The Salvation Army mobile kitchen staff. “Our cars were flooded but otherwise we were lucky not to be affected by the flood and it feels good to be able to help our neighbors in San Marcos,” added John. “Thanks to The Salvation Army for all they are doing.” 

In Houston, 83 families are being assisted by The Salvation Army Social Services Department with relocation after a tornado damaged the Rockport Apartments on Sunday.  300 food boxes will also be distributed to the apartment residents. The mobile kitchen from the Conroe Corps again assisted at the American Red Cross Shelter by providing 65 meals, 100 drinks and 17 volunteer hours. This shelter closed on May 26.

The Service Extension program is one of the great strengths of the Texas Division boasting more than 250 Service Units and 9 Service Centers. Service Extension staff is carefully monitoring the situation in Wimberley, Gillespie County, Blanco County, and Lampasas County. Case Management and Emergency Assistance will be coordinated by the San Marcos Service Center. 

Wichita Falls Salvation Army served 585 meals providing 27 volunteer hours on May 25 before the Family Assistance Center closed on May 26. In Van Zandt and Smith Counties service to tornado survivors continues from The Salvation Army in Tyler.

The current Salvation Army disaster response in Texas began on April 26th and has now continued for 31 days. So far, service has included:

14,511 Meals

20,979 Drinks

10,229 Snacks

9 Mobile Feeding Units (Canteens)

96 Persons Sheltered

Emotional & Spiritual Care to 449 individuals

638 cleanup kits

172 comfort kits

2,963 hours of employee and volunteer service

To make a financial donation to support ongoing Salvation Army flood and tornado relief efforts please go to http://tsatx.org/floodandtornadorelief

If you are interested in learning more about The Salvation
Army Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) in Texas, or to become a local disaster volunteer, please visit: www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.

For the most up-to-date emergency disaster services news from The Salvation Army in Texas, please visit: www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and follow latest updates on Twitter @SalArmyTXEDS and Facebook at www.facebook.com/SalArmyTXEDS.

About The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services:
“The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination.” While every disaster is unique and creates its own special needs, the core of The Salvation Army's disaster program consists of several basic services. And while these services address many of the typical needs of a disaster survivor, Salvation Army disaster relief is also flexible. Our services are adapted to the specific needs of individuals and communities and scalable according to the magnitude of the disaster.

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.