Salvation Army Responds to Severe Weather in Quincy, Illinois

St. Louis, MO., July 14, 2015 – The Salvation Army Midland Division Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) has been responding to last night’s severe weather in Quincy, Illinois that has left more than 21,000 residents without power as many of the city’s roads were littered with fallen trees. Two canteens from St. Louis are being deployed and will join the Quincy canteen in providing food and hydration to first responders and victims as well as emergency assistance to those that have been impacted. Each canteen is capable of serving 1,500 meals per day.

“As long as we are needed, we are here for our community and will continue to provide spiritual support and relief efforts,” says Lieutenant Colonel Lonneal Richardson, Divisional Commander of The Salvation Army Midland Division.

With the onslaught of heavy rains and flooding since early-June, Midland Division Salvation Army officers, personnel and volunteers have fanned out across Missouri and Southern Illinois to aid in the disaster response and recovery efforts. The Salvation Army has served first responders along with hundreds of individuals affected by flooding in Festus, Winfield and Foley, Missouri and Quincy and Centreville, Illinois. This assistance included serving 511 hot meals, 559 drinks and 75 healthful snacks as well as over $6,500 in emergency financial aid for housing, utilities, clothing and groceries. Related to these efforts, The Salvation Army has provided more than 100 clean up kits and cases of water.

EDS disaster relief efforts have occurred or ongoing in the following Missouri and Illinois counties: Adams (IL), Marion (MO), Jefferson (MO), St. Clair (IL) and Lincoln (MO) and have included setting up a distribution center to provide blankets, clean up kits and items for children as well as joining forces with other agencies to provide assistance to affected individuals.

The Salvation Army asks people who want to help those affected by this severe weather to visit www.stlsalvationarmy.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY. Donors may contribute via their cell by texting FLOODHELP to 41444, and follow instructions to make a gift. Monetary donations are needed to meet survivors’ most immediate needs:

• A $20 donation provides one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and other cleaning supplies
• A $30 donation provides one food box, containing food staples for a family of four
• 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 fully operational for one day

If disaster donations exceed identified needs, excess funds will be restricted to support future disaster services.

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About The Salvation Army Midland Division:
The Salvation Army is an international organization that has been faithfully serving Missouri and Southern Illinois since 1880. For more than 130 years, Bi-state residents with no place to go have turned to The Salvation Army for compassion, strength, and encouragement. The Salvation Army serves community members 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year through dozens of different programs and services that are designed to help people attain, or regain, self-sufficiency. For more information, go to www.stlsalvationarmy.org.