Ten Emergency Disaster mobile feeding units (canteens) and twenty-five specially trained emergency disaster personnel from The Salvation Army of Georgia have been mobilized and are heading to New Orleans to help those impacted by Hurricane Ida – one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the U.S. Each of the Salvation Army of Georgia emergency disaster vehicles can serve between 500-1,000 people a day.
The Georgia canteens are from Atlanta, Augusta, Brunswick, Evangeline Booth College (Atlanta), Dalton, Newnan, Red Shield Services (Atlanta), Savannah, Thomasville, and Valdosta. The nine-unit Georgia team will join a larger contingent from across The Salvation Army’s Southern Territory, including units from the Alabama-Louisiana-Mississippi, Texas, Arkansas-Oklahoma, and Florida divisions.
“The Salvation Army is already at work in many communities that find themselves affected by Hurricane Ida,” said Lanita Lloyd, Emergency Services Director for The Salvation Army of Georgia. “We will continually assess opportunities to best deploy our resources to help those impacted by the severity of this storm.”
In times of disaster, The Salvation Army traditionally serves and prepares meals from its mobile canteens, helps distribute cleaning supplies, and offers comfort to those impacted.
The Salvation Army of Georgia team is scheduled to quickly obtain disaster relief supplies, including much-needed bottled water and personal protective equipment (PPE), at their McDonough, GA warehouse and immediately leave for New Orleans on Tuesday, August 31. It is expected that the Georgia teams will start serving meals in New Orleans by dinner time the following day. Each team is scheduled for a 14-day disaster relief deployment.
According to Ms. Lloyd, “The best way to help survivors and relief workers is to make a financial contribution." “Monetary donations allow disaster responders to immediately meet the specific needs of disaster survivors as the situation continues to be assessed.”
How You Can Help:
For the latest Salvation Army emergency disaster services news related to Hurricane Ida, please visit www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org and follow the Salvation Army disaster services team on Twitter @SalArmyEDS.
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