When Neighbors Become Family in Lake Charles, LA

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Lake Charles, LA (August 31, 2020) – Linda Drounette remembers vividly the fear of riding out Hurricane Laura in her apartment. “I just sat there listening to the wind whistling, trees falling, so many things crashing.” When it was over, Linda and her neighbors were left with no resources. The manager of the complex had left before the storm and has not returned. With no cell service and no options for charging cell phones, there was no way to call for help.

Linda cried when relaying her experience. “We are just so happy to see The Salvation Army here. We were so scared, and we don’t know what to do.” Linda’s daughter, Jayla August, and her granddaughter, Lachaunte August, have been checking in to make sure Linda is ok.

Jayla has become the de facto leader of this group of residents, banding together to survive. She has a car that is too damaged to drive, but it will still crank. She has been sharing with her neighbors to give them a place to charge phones and other necessary devices.

Despite a large Haitian population that does not speak English and several deaf families with limited abilities to communicate, the neighbors have become a family of sorts. As the canteens pulled in, residents were quick to tell Salvation Army staff where other neighbors who could not walk far lived and where quick to take only what they needed to ensure there was enough for others.

“Much of the property is unlivable,” said Jayla. “We have all moved in with each other and combined as much as possible.” The residents grilled all of the food out of their kitchens the first few days and shared the little they had to make enough for everyone. “We have been finding most of what we need,” Jayla continued, “But food is getting impossible to find now. Stores aren’t open even for those who have money. Having hot meals brought to us was such a blessing.”

As natural disasters can increase mental stress, The Salvation Army’s Emotional & Spiritual Care HOPEline remains available. Anyone needing a caring listener – whether because of natural disaster, COVID-19, or the stress of life in general – can call 844-458-HOPE (4673) for support. HOPEline hours are 8 AM to 11 PM CDT, 7 days a week. For the latest emergency disaster services news from The Salvation Army, follow the social feed on Twitter at @salarmyeds or visit disaster.salvationarmyusa.org. To donate to The Salvation Army’s disaster relief efforts, visit HelpSalvationArmy.org.

The Salvation Army Provides Hope in Lake Charles, Louisiana

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Lake Charles, Lousiana (August 29, 2020) – Residents of Lake Charles, Louisiana are still reeling after Hurricane Laura made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane on Thursday. Most of the city is still without power, and estimates for water service remain a distant hope. With temperatures in the 90s, heat and dehydration are a concern.

To combat this, The Salvation Army has been delivering water, sports drinks, and snacks today and will provide a hot meal for dinner this evening. Regular meal and hydration services will continue as long as residents remain without power and water.

To many residents, The Salvation Army became a beacon of hope after days with nothing. One resident, Deatta, whose house is severely damaged talked about her fear as the ceilings caved in and her windows blew out around her. The simple luxury of a few bottles of water made a tremendous difference. “The Salvation Army is the only organization I’ve seen on the ground this early. It just means so much to know that someone cares about us.”

Another sweet woman, Cathy, broke down in tears when handed a single roll of toilet paper and a hug. “I’ll be okay,” she choked out. “I lost everything, and we don’t have insurance. It’s…just…so good to see y’all here.”

One after one, residents shared their stories. Some, like Shannon, simply asked for prayer for their families as they navigate this recovery.

“Even in the most hopeless situation, we are so blessed to be a small part of bringing hope to those who need it most,” shared Major Melody Davis, with Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi Divisional Headquarters.

As natural disasters can increase mental stress, The Salvation Army’s Emotional & Spiritual Care HOPEline remains available. Anyone needing a caring listener – whether because of natural disaster, COVID-19, or the stress of life in general – can call 844-458-HOPE (4673) for support. HOPEline hours are 8 AM to 11 PM CDT, 7 days a week. For the latest emergency disaster services news from The Salvation Army, follow the social feed on Twitter at @salarmyeds or visit disaster.salvationarmyusa.org. To donate to The Salvation Army’s disaster relief efforts, visit HelpSalvationArmy.org.

Salvation Army Field Kitchen Heads to Lake Charles for Hurricane Laura Relief

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Jackson, MS (August 28, 2020) — Hurricane Laura made landfall near Lake Charles, Louisiana, as a category 4 hurricane early Thursday morning, pummelling the Lake Charles area and leaving a devasting path of destruction in its wake. State-wide there are approximately 500,000 without power and the public water system sustained so much damage that there’s currently no water, or restricted water service, in much of Southwest Louisiana.

Destin Smith, Total Transportation Internal Manager

Early Friday morning, The Salvation Army Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi [ALM] Division’s 53′ field kitchen, along with a refrigeration unit and a support unit, headed out to Lake Charles to serve in Hurricane Laura relief efforts. The mobilization of the equipment was made possible through the generous volunteer efforts of Total Transportation, a Jackson, Mississippi trucking company. “Total Transportation is honored to support the work of The Salvation Army in this way. To be able to help out a good cause and people in need is something we are glad to be a part of,” said Destin Smith, Total Transportation’s Internal Manager.

The field kitchen has the capacity to prepare up to 10,000 meals per day, which will be distributed by 14 mobile feeding units deployed into the area from Mississippi, Texas, and other less affected Louisiana Salvation Army locations. It will serve the 4 parishes that are most affected by the hurricane— Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, and Cameron.

“Disaster preparations start well before the threat occurs so that The Salvation Army is ready to go into the affected community, alleviate the suffering that’s there, and provide hope,” said Terry Lightheart, Divisional Emergency Disaster Services Director for The Salvation Army Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi Division.

As natural disasters can increase mental stress, The Salvation Army’s Emotional & Spiritual Care HOPEline remains available. Anyone needing a caring listener – whether because of natural disaster, COVID-19, or the stress of life in general – can call 844-458-HOPE (4673) for support. HOPEline hours are 8 AM to 11 PM CDT, 7 days a week. For the latest emergency disaster services news from The Salvation Army, follow the social feed on Twitter at @salarmyeds or visit disaster.salvationarmyusa.org. To donate to The Salvation Army’s disaster relief efforts, visit HelpSalvationArmy.org.

The Salvation Army Sets up Command Center for Hurricane Laura relief in Lake Charles, LA

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With only a day passed since Hurricane Laura made landfall as a Category 4 hurricane and devastated parts of Louisiana and Texas, the Salvation Army is on the ground in Lake Charles. Officers and volunteers were hard at work today setting up the warehouse and mobile kitchen with the intention of starting food service in the community tomorrow, Saturday August 29.

The entire city is still without water and power, and The Salvation Army anticipates the need for food will be dire. Incident Commander, Trey Jones, said “The Salvation Army plans to be here as long as needed to meet the needs in this city.” Trucks will be out in the city with snacks and hydration as well as lunch and dinner.

As natural disasters can increase mental stress, The Salvation Army’s Emotional & Spiritual Care HOPEline remains available. Anyone needing a caring listener – whether because of natural disaster, COVID-19, or the stress of life in general – can call 844-458-HOPE (4673) for support. HOPEline hours are 8 AM to 11 PM CDT, 7 days a week. For the latest emergency disaster services news from The Salvation Army, follow the social feed on Twitter at @salarmyeds or visit disaster.salvationarmyusa.org. To donate to The Salvation Army’s disaster relief efforts, visit HelpSalvationArmy.org.

About The Salvation Army
The Salvation Army annually helps more than 23 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.

The Salvation Army Prepared for Hurricane Laura in Louisiana

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Lake Charles, LA (August 26, 2020) —  Trained Salvation Army staff and volunteers are prepared to move into Southwest Louisiana in response to Hurricane Laura, which is currently projected to strengthen to a Category 4 hurricane making landfall near the Texas/Louisiana border overnight or early Thursday morning. An Incident Command Team has been activated to operate out of Lake Charles, where The Salvation Army Lake Charles Corps has prepared for the Calcasieu Parish mandatory evacuation. The Salvation Army Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi Division has positioned 14 mobile feeding units, which can produce a combined total of about 10,000 meals per day, on standby and ready to serve affected areas throughout Louisiana.

“The Salvation Army of Lake Charles is prepared for Hurricane Laura,” stated Lieutenant Thomas Marion, Lake Charles Salvation Army Corps Officer. “All of our buildings are secured, and we are ready to serve by making the necessary preparations with staging emergency service vehicles and working with local authorities,” Lieutenant Marion added.

As natural disasters can increase mental stress, The Salvation Army’s Emotional & Spiritual Care HOPEline remains available.  Anyone needing a caring listener – whether because of natural disaster, COVID-19, or the stress of life in general – can call 844-458-HOPE (4673) for support. HOPEline hours are 8 AM to 11 PM CDT, 7 days a week. For the latest emergency disaster services news from The Salvation Army, follow the social feed on Twitter at @salarmyeds or visit disaster.salvationarmyusa.org. To donate to The Salvation Army’s disaster relief efforts, visit HelpSalvationArmy.org.

Salvation Army Preparing for Twin Storms on Gulf Coast

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JACKSON, MS (August 23, 2020) –As Hurricane Marco and Tropical Storm Laura are simultaneously making their way toward the Gulf Coast—an unusual scenario, with 2 tropical storm systems predicted to make landfall in very close proximity to one another in a very close timeframe— The Salvation Army of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi is monitoring the situation closely and preparing to respond. Currently, there are a total of 10 mobile feeding units on standby and ready to serve as needed throughout Louisiana and along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

According to the National Hurricane Center, Marco has been upgraded to hurricane status and is expected to make landfall near the New Orleans area on Monday. Laura is currently expected to continue to track westward and make landfall along the western coast of Louisiana on Wednesday.

“The Salvation Army of Greater New Orleans is preparing for this unprecedented storm system as two hurricanes are scheduled to affect our area a few days apart,” said Major Christopher Thornhill, Area Commander of The Salvation Army of Greater New Orleans.

Unfortunately, New Orleans is no stranger to hurricanes. In less than a week the area will commemorate the 15th Anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. Since 2005, there has been much healing and preparation for New Orleans. Thornhill further stated, “We know there are no surprises in God’s economy and with the uncertainty of what will happen, we stand ready to serve by making the necessary preparations with staging emergency service vehicles as well as working with local authorities on mass shelter needs.”

For the latest emergency disaster services news from The Salvation Army, follow the social feed on Twitter at @salarmyeds or visit disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.

The Road to Recovery: Overcoming Prescription Drug Addiction

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David began using prescription drugs in 2009 after knee surgery and soon became addicted to his medication. Realizing his addiction was spiraling out of control, David sought help at a drug rehabilitation center in Madison, Alabama. He did well after leaving rehab but relapsed six months later when he lost his job. His wife became pregnant around the same time, causing added financial stress.

David kept his relapse under control as much as he could until it finally overpowered him in 2014. He was unstable, frequently changing jobs and living out of a motel. He became fed up with his situation and attempted to overcome his addiction on his own. After three months of sobriety, David checked into the Salvation Army Center of Hope Homeless Shelter in Florence, Alabama.

He also joined the City of Florence recycling program to pay off prior warrants but wanted a way of earning money to begin saving for his new life journey.

“I wanted to begin working so that I could start saving for a place of my own. I went to a temp service and got a job that same day. My judge saw that I was trying to better myself, so he cut the fines on my warrants so that I could reduce my time recycling and spend more time working to save money,” David shared.

Although David was now working full-time to create a better life for himself and his kids, old financial habits stuck. He often spent his paychecks irresponsibly, but his caseworker offered advice and helped David become more financially responsible. The Coronavirus pandemic began, and self-isolation was mandatory. Limited access to the outside world also helped David stay focused on his goals if overcoming drug addiction and saving money to become financially independent.

“My social worker has helped me to get my first apartment. The Salvation Army has allowed me to reconnect with my boys and has given me the patience to wait and find the right things instead of jumping first,” David shared.

“Everyday someone was encouraging me. I’ve been to other rehab facilities and felt like I was just a number, but here someone asks how I’m doing every day,” David added.

“You could tell that there was something different about David. He was ready for someone to help him.”

David is currently in transitional housing and is saving to find a home. He’s now able to visit his sons every weekend, and his eldest son has moved in with him. Having this opportunity has helped with reunifying his relationship with all three sons.

“Since David has come, he has been such a big help. Everyone has chores to do. He takes the initiative to help around the Corps and is a great leader. He’s even helped other residents with their chores. David may feel that we have been a blessing to him, but he has been a blessing to us. He’s a really good guy and a go-getter. I saw it from the beginning. You could tell that there was something different about David. He was ready for someone to help him. He just needed some guidance,” shared Captain Wendy Deuel, The Salvation Army of Florence Corps Officer.

“He came at the right time. We may think of COVID-19 as something horrible, but God made this an opportunity for David to get on the right track. It gave him the time he needed to better himself and focus on himself. We have to learn to look at things the way God may look at them. COVID-19 may not be a good thing, but it was a good thing for David. I praise God for the storm. Through COVID-19, David was able to get his kids back. I can’t wait to see what else God has planned for him,” Captain Wendy Deuel added.

David is sober for the first time in five years. This October marks a year of him being drug-free.

Pathway of Hope – Angel

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Angel joined the Pathway of Hope to get to the root cause of her chronic homelessness. After years of running away from settling down, she decided she wanted a more stable life for herself and her two daughters. They’d moved around a lot, and eventually, Angel and her daughters had become homeless and were living in her car.

Angel established life outside of her home state and was financially stable but returned to Mississippi out of fear of failure. She did not have a support system, so she lived off of her savings in a hotel room. When funds were exhausted, Angel and her daughters turned to live in her car, having to rely on hospital bathrooms for personal hygiene upkeep. Angel kept her daughters preoccupied by spending their free time at the public library.

“I fell asleep at police departments sometimes just so that I could know that they were safe. There were many mornings that I woke up to a police officer knocking on my window, asking, ‘Are you okay?’ I never want to go back to that place. I never want to take my daughters back to that place. I’d watch over them. I didn’t get much sleep during that time. At night, that’s when it hits you. When it gets dark, and you lock your doors, and the kids are asleep, ” Angel shared.

“I’d stay up as long as I could — sometimes until the sun came up. My health was failing. I don’t know how I was functioning, but when I look back on that time, I’d gotten a lot closer to God. Sometimes I’d wake up with money in my car. If it weren’t for the help of those strangers, I don’t know where I would have been,” Angel added.

“The main plan was to stop running.”

The physical, mental, and emotional discomfort of living out of a car forced Angel to make a change for herself and her daughters. In her car, she realized she needed to develop a plan to escape the vicious cycle of homelessness. She would take out a writing pad and go through her goals while her daughters slept. Angel made goals for financial constraints to set, how to begin therapy to heal old wounds for herself and her daughters, and she also practiced affirmations. Angel also took financial classes and childcare classes to aid her in getting on the path to recovery.

“These are things I hadn’t done in the past, and I was ready to change the trajectory of where I was going. I would discuss with myself how I will never do this to my daughters again. If you hear something long enough, you’ll believe it, whether it’s good or bad. If I can become a better me, everything else will flow. Yes, some things are out of my control, but if my life is in order, the results will be there. It starts with your mental, then your physical, then your emotional, and on from there. The main plan was to stop running,” Angel stated.

“I didn’t want to see myself as the victim anymore. I wanted to see myself as the victor.”

After reviewing all of her resources, Angel was able to use money from her restaurant job and support from church members and strangers to get her back into a hotel. There were days when she didn’t know where she’d get money to pay for the next night, but she made sure her children were never hungry.

“The movie The Pursuit of Happyness is real. A man and his son struggling with homelessness is real. If you’re not strong-minded, you’ll crash. If you’re not strong-minded, you’ll repeat yourself. But if you have one person that believes in you, even if that person is you, you’ll make it. I had to learn to keep moving forward, even when I was scared. I didn’t want to see myself as a victim anymore. I wanted to see myself as a victor. I realized how strong I was during this journey. Growing up in Jackson, Mississippi, you see poverty every day, and there’s not a lot of help available. I’m glad I’ve experienced this so that I can tell the next single mother who is suffering in silence that she does not have to go through this alone,” Angel shared.

Angel was soon referred to The Salvation Army’s Pathway of Hope Program, where she was provided a caseworker who would assist her in breaking the cycle of homelessness.

“It was a genuine support system. They truly care and get down on the level that you are on and feel what you are going through. My caseworker didn’t judge. It was truly a human to human connection. It was like, ‘I see you’re having a rough time, but I believe in you.’ He saw me at my lowest. He saw me get knocked down and I climbed back up,” Angel shared.

 

“For my kids to come home, turn the doorknob, and go to their own room is amazing.”

The Salvation Army was there to help Angel and her daughters emotionally and financially by covering hotel fees, car fuel, and food. The Army was also there to provide a Merry Christmas for them.

“My girls had a beautiful Christmas. My caseworker would always let me know about events happening in our community. He cared. If I couldn’t provide for my girls, he was sure to find a way to help us. I am grateful to The Salvation Army and my caseworker for allowing me to be human and letting me know that I wasn’t alone. There was constant communication to see how they could serve us. They’re here to help me ensure that homelessness doesn’t happen to my family again,” Angel shared.

After a year of counseling and help through the Pathway of Hope, Angel and her girls are now living in the comfort and security of their own apartment. All three are thriving in their new lives. Angel is working hard with the help of The Salvation Army to ensure that it stays this way.

“My girls have always been protective of me and encouraging, but it has increased since we’ve found a permanent home. What I love about my kids is that they were unfazed by what we were going through. They were always happy and bubbly. They didn’t reflect our circumstances. We still laughed and prayed in our vehicle. Our dynamic didn’t change. We were just a little boxed in,” Angel shared.

For my kids to come home, turn the doorknob, and go to their own room is amazing. When I walk out the door now, I’m excited to see what’s next because if I can overcome chronic homelessness, bring on the next challenge,” Angel added.

Through involvement with Pathway of Hope, families will be introduced to both The Salvation Army and other services within their community that offer a network of support, a sense of community, holistic programs, and spiritual guidance. Pathway of Hope is also a service connector to job training, health services, childcare and education, housing options, legal services, and much more