The Salvation Army of Florida prepares for Tropical Storm Erika
Dulcinea Cuellar Kimrey | dulcinea_cuellar@uss.salvationarmy.org | (813) 383-5620
TAMPA – (August 27, 2015) On the eve of the 10-year anniversary of Hurricane Katrina, The Salvation Army is once again being called to assist those in need - this time in Southeast Florida where Tropical Storm Erika could make landfall as a hurricane on Sunday, the first one to strike the Florida coast in 10 years.
The Salvation Army will load palettes of water at its disaster warehouse, 903 East 139th Avenue, Tampa. Loading will begin around 8 am and the truck will leave promptly at 9.
“We know that water is an essential need after hurricanes,” said Major James Hall, area commander for The Salvation Army Tampa Area Command. “By getting this water down by the east coast, we are preparing our teams to deploy immediately.”
The truck will travel to West Palm Beach where The Salvation Army will have a staging area and wait for the storm to make a projected landfall Sunday.
The Salvation Army in Florida will continue to monitor the storm’s impact and will coordinate with emergency management as the need grows throughout the state and locally.
In a time of disaster, The Salvation Army in Florida has 44 mobile canteen trucks, or kitchen on wheels, ready to respond throughout the state during a time of 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.
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.