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President Trump Visits Tornado Ravaged Lee County & The Salvation Army Continues to Serve

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Beauregard, AL (March 8, 2019)— President Trump toured the tornado ravaged Beauregard community on Friday, and The Salvation Army was on hand, ready to serve survivors, volunteers, and work crews. The level of security required for a presidential visit meant that the highly secured disaster area was locked down tight until the president concluded his visit, but The Salvation Army was on the scene—ready and eager to get back into the area and back to helping the people.

As soon as the area was cleared for those granted access there, which still isn’t open to the general public, The Salvation Army canteen (mobile feeding unit) was in high gear, grilling hamburgers, hotdogs, and chicken for the people doing the massive ongoing cleanup effort. “Some of the people that we served said that it was just what they needed. That it was a godsend because God knows exactly what to send at the right time. We were there to fill that need,” said Lieutenant Bryan Farrington, who was working at the canteen as soon as people were allowed back into the area.

“I think it’s wonderful because I thought I was about to starve to death,” said Eric Bush, who took a break to eat a burger from the canteen. Eric is volunteering to help a friend, using his tractor to remove limbs from what’s left of his friend’s home. “It is awesome to see the presence of The Salvation Army helping feed people, and everybody just here to work, to try to pitch in and make a difference. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing—if you’re cooking hamburgers or moving limbs or picking up trash—it takes everybody,” Eric added.

As the weekend approaches, with Sunday marking one week since lives in this community were changed forever, emotional and spiritual care was again the greatest need. “It was good to be able to love on the people who were most affected by the storm and to hear their stories. To be able to share God’s love, to help them smile for a minute, to relieve some of the stress and strain. Words can’t describe what you actually see there, but it’s very rewarding to have an impact, to brighten their day for a moment and encourage somebody while they’re going through the midst of their trials,” said Lt. Farrington.

“This may seem impossible, but through faith it is possible. Through faith all things are possible,” said Napoleon Darby, resident of the hardest-hit area of Lee County. Napoleon’s home is destroyed. His is a tight-knit community with mostly family members as neighbors, and some members of his family didn’t survive the storm. There‘s a distinct heaviness in the air, and you can hear the deep pain in his quiet voice, but he refuses to let himself sink into despair. He’s choosing to focus on the good. Napoleon met President Trump on his tour of the area Friday, and it left a positive impression on him. “I shook his hand and talked to him, shook his wife’s hand,” Napoleon said.

Of his visit with Salvation Army officers on the same day he met the president, Napoleon says, “This is a testament that there are lots of nice people that care about people in the world. It’s easy to concentrate on the hate in the world but when you get exposed to the love in the world you have to lean more towards that.”

Emotional & Spiritual Care Essential Aspect of Tornado Response in Beauregard, AL

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Beauregard, AL (March 8, 2019)— An exhaustive search and rescue effort after Sunday’s deadly EF-4 tornado that caused a reported 23 fatalities in Lee County ended on Wednesday, March 4, 2019, and homeowners and volunteer/relief agencies were finally allowed into the hardest-hit area of Beauregard. The Salvation Army is serving meals and providing emotional and spiritual care in Beauregard as crews are diligently working on the massive cleanup effort and homeowners are scouring the wreckage for anything they can save. With total devastation as far as the eye can see, emotions are raw and the emotional and spiritual care component of The Salvation Army’s service fills a great need. “I couldn’t ask for a more awesome person to come sit with us and pray with us yesterday, that meant the world to us, and there are no words,” said Janet Baugh, a Beauregard resident who found comfort and encouragement in a visit from Major Bradley Caldwell on Wednesday. Major Caldwell made sure to stop by again on Thursday to check on Janet and make sure she was doing well. Despite the hardships, she seemed to be filled with hope and a sense of purpose and determination to make it through this difficult time.

Lieutenant Bryan Farrington paused his duties at the canteen (mobile feeding unit) to pray with Shanikia Buchannon, a Beauregard resident whose joy about her upcoming wedding is now laced with concern for her friends and neighbors. “I just thank God that my family was safe, but my heart is hurting for my friends. I have two close friends, even one of my friends who is in my wedding, she lost everything. And the other one lost everything plus a child, so I can only imagine what they’re going through,” Shanikia said. “For Salvation Army to pray for me, it really means a lot. I’m a praying woman and I know prayer changes things,” Shanikia added.

The Salvation Army will continue to serve in Beauregard again today—providing physical refreshment through serving meals and drinks, and emotional and spiritual nourishment by lending a compassionate ear to listen, shoulder to cry on, or sincere prayer for anyone in need. To date, The Salvation Army has provided 1,995 meals, 1,439 drinks, 1,573 snacks, and emotional and spiritual care to 146 individuals in response to the devastaing Lee County tornado.

To donate to The Salvation Army’s tornado relief efforts, go to helpsalvationarmy.org.

Serving Lee County Volunteers

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Smiths Station, AL (March 7, 2019)— The Salvation Army continues to be a light of help and hope for those affected by the recent devastating Southeast Alabama tornadoes. On Wednesday, March 6, that help took the form of setting up a canteen (mobile feeding unit) at the Lee County Emergency Management Agency’s Volunteer Reception Center that has been established at Smiths Station Baptist Church. Those wishing to volunteer with the county can drop into the center, receive training and an assignment, and head out to do their volunteer work. The Salvation Army is on hand to provide meals, beverages and snacks to those volunteers, and in many cases, to the people the volunteers are heading out to serve.

“I’m just very grateful the tornado hit half a mile from my home in two different directions. It went over my house. I’m very grateful to the Lord that I didn’t get hurt, and I just want to help those that are,” said Yvette Greene, a county volunteer who loaded up her car with meals from The Salvation Army canteen to share with those already in the field. Another volunteer, Tricia Harm, mother of seven, brought four of her children who are old enough to volunteer to the center on Wednesday, to serve those hurting in their community. Tricia and her teenage children came to The Salvation Army canteen for lunch before heading out to their volunteer assignment. “We are volunteering to help clean up, because it’s our town. We’re a military family, but it’s our town. The kids wanted to help and this is what we can do, so this is what we’ll do,” said Tricia.

The Salvation Army is proud to provide for tornado survivors and those who are volunteering to serve their hurting neighbors. To date, The Salvation Army has provided 1,495 meals, 619 drinks, 1,143 snacks, and emotional and spiritual care to 71 individuals. To donate to tornado relief efforts, go to helpsalvationarmy.org.

Serving Smiths Station Tornado Survivors

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Smiths Station, AL (March 6, 2019)— The Salvation Army is serving the Smiths Station community today, where cleanup efforts are well underway in this area that suffered major damage from Sunday’s tornado outbreak. Serving meals, drinks, and snacks from a fixed location at Smiths Station Baptist Church, The Salvation Army will also be offering much needed emotional and spiritual care to tornado survivors.

A Salvation Army mobile feeding unit will also roam the surrounding area, providing similar services. “Today, The Salvation Army’s mission is to provide relief to those who are suffering because of this horrific event in a manner which provides hope for the tomorrows,” said Major Bradley Caldwell, Salvation Army Emotional & Spiritual Care Officer.

To date, The Salvation Army has provided 1,050 meals, 670 snacks, 450 drinks, 20 personal hygiene kits, 25 backpacks, and emotional and spiritual care to 22 individuals in response to the deadly tornado that struck Lee County, AL on Sunday, March 3, 2019. To donate to The Salvation Army’s tornado relief efforts, go to helpsalvationarmy.org.

Incident Command Team Reporting to Opelika, AL for Tornado Recovery

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Opelika, AL (March 4, 2019)— After the historic and devastating tornado outbreak that occurred in the Southeast on Sunday, March 3, 2019, The Salvation Army is responding by sending a full Incident Command Team to Opelika, AL. Hardest hit by the outbreak was the mostly rural area of Lee County. Major William Shafer from The Salvation Army Tuscaloosa Corps will arrive today to serve as the Incident Commander. He will be supported by a six member team of Salvation Army representatives from Anniston, Birmingham, Montgomery and Jackson, Mississippi.

In the immediate hours following the storm, The Salvation Army Lee County Service Center provided 200 meals to first responders. Lieutenants Bryan and Tonya Farrington from The Salvation Army Montgomery Corps also deployed to the area Sunday evening with their mobile feeding unit to assist the local Service Extension Center Director. Service delivery will continue throughout Lee County today and include the distribution of hot meals, snacks, and beverages served from six mobile feeding units. Other than Montgomery, the mobile feeding units are deploying into the area from Anniston, Birmingham, and Biloxi, Mississippi.

In addition to tending to the physical needs of those affected, The Salvation Army is providing emotional and spiritual care, which is expected to be a significant need in the wake of this especially cruel and deadly disaster. The National Weather Service reports that  more tornado deaths occurred from this one outbreak than in all of 2018. Please keep the tornado survivors as well as first responders in your prayers. Donations to the tornado relief can be made at helpsalvationarmy.org.

A Drop In The Bucket

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Where does your dollar go? For over 120 years The Salvation Army has had bell ringers outside during the Christmas season, collecting donations in our iconic red kettles. During this season it’s not hard to imagine a hungry child or struggling family receiving food and shelter thanks to the community’s support. But that’s not where it ends. Read on to learn how one small town in Alabama benefits from the community’s support of The Salvation Army.

 

No Place To Call Home

Homelessness is a hard life, and it touches communities big and small. Even in a small town like Gadsden, Alabama, there are those who have no place to call home. And it is the community that is helping them, though their donations to The Salvation Army. “We’re lodging an average of 10-15 (people) a night. Getting them off the street,” says Captain Dennis Hayes, the Gadsden Salvation Army Corps Officer. Those needs are often more acute at Christmas, but they do not end after December. Thankfully, the red kettle donations help to fund the work of The Salvation Army year-round. “We average around 45-50 people a year, helping them get out of homelessness,” Captain Hayes says.

 

Needs Beyond Homelessness

Those in need are not always homeless. Holiday meals can stretch an already thin budget, and those struggling to make a living often find themselves without enough money for food. Attending to the needs of the community remains a year-round mission for The Salvation Army. “We feed several thousand people year. Not all of them are homeless but they are low income and the money just doesn’t go far enough for food,” says Captain Hayes.

And hot meals are not the only way to serve. Recently, the Gadsden Corps began a program that can help people continue to make meals in their own homes. “We just now started our senior food program. They come in once a month to pick up a prepackaged box of food,” says Vermelle Bonfanti, Social Service Case Worker for The Salvation Army of Gadsden.

 

Project SHARE

But again, food is not the only need. The community helps keep the lights on for those in need with Project SHARE, which is funded by Alabama Power customers who donate through their monthly electric bills. “On your bill, when you pay your bill it asks, ‘would you like to donate to the SHARE program’ and that’s where that money comes from,” says Bonfanti. These funds allow The Salvation Army to directly aid those in need. “We gave out $8,000 worth of money this year to people who needed help with their power bills as well as gas,” says Bonfanti.

 

Help All Year Long

The money that’s placed in the red kettle is only one avenue for giving, but those resources are part of The Salvation Army’s mission to do the most good in the communities we serve all year long. Donations to our kettles help provide meals, supplemented with donations of food. They help provide services, supplemented by the aid of volunteers. “On top of that, we also give spiritual and emotional care,” says Captain Hayes, “if we can’t do anything but listen we try to do that. We’re there to help them, so that‘s a part of what we do for the community, we try to make it a better place to live.”

You can help by donating to our kettles in person, and now you can also give to our online red kettle here: Online Red Kettle

Finding A New Path

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Stanly Cochren has found his path. He lost it for a while, but with a little help and a lot of work, he’s found what he calls his opportunity to get everything straight. “After I paroled out of prison my life was on a downward spiral. Before I came here, I didn’t have a job. I got on my drug of choice and that led me to be homeless,” says Stanly. Originally from Talladega, his circumstances led to his looking for a way out of a bad situation. He found that way at The Salvation Army shelter in Montgomery, AL.

That pathway out began with wanting more for his life. Lt. Bryan Farrington, Montgomery Salvation Army Corps Officer, says that meeting with those in need begins with finding out what those needs are. “We call it life on life. We ask how we can help you move forward in life,” says Lt. Farrington. “If a person may be in a bad situation but doesn’t want help, you can give them resources to help but chances are they will consume the resources and be right back in the same place.” So, when a person in Stanly’s situation arrives at the Corps office or shelter, they usually have a reason to seek out a better way to live their life. “I just got tired of being tired,” says Stanly. “Until you come to that realization that you got people out there that are genuinely trying to help you, you’re going to be complacent in the situation that you’re in.”

One of those people is Camille Gross, the social worker for The Salvation Army in Montgomery. “I interact with approximately 20 clients on a daily basis.” From food to clothing vouchers and assistance with bills, Camille is there to help clients in tough times find their way out. “I assist them with getting medicines. Steering them into the pathways for different services that we don’t provide. I can set up appoints for them. Provide transportation. We do everything that we can here for the residents on a daily basis,” Camille says.

Lt. Farrington says that his shelter is a place to find help, but for those willing to make a greater effort, it can be a place to find hope as well. “Right now what we have is an emergency shelter. That’s for a person who is homeless and doesn’t have a place to go. They can stay here, no questions asked for a period of two weeks. They can eat, take showers at night. It’s for someone who’s fallen on hard times.” Finding a temporary respite is, however, only the beginning. “This is not just that you’re here for a while and then you’re gone. (We can be) a partner in life to help you walk out of a trap, so that you have some means to keep your life stable,” Farrington says.

Some of those partners are people in the community who have given their time and resources to offer help to those in need. Camille does double duty as the Volunteer Coordinator for the Montgomery Corps. From ringing bells for the Red Kettle campaign to donations of food and clothing, local volunteers are a key part of what The Salvation Army has to offer. “We always need volunteers at our soup kitchen. We also utilize the volunteers at our donation center to help with sorting the donations that come in.” Camille says.

As for Stanly, he says that he has further to go. He has completed classes and now works two jobs, seven days a week. “It’s a lot of work, but being out in my old life, it was a lot harder.” Now, on his new path, Stanly hopes that those in need of help can find the same chance he did. “You’ve got to want it. I just want to say that if you’re out there and you’re looking for a turnaround in your life, give this program, The Salvation Army, a chance to just help you get it right.”

Revitalization in Anniston, Alabama

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When the community of Anniston, AL sees their Salvation Army, they may only see the surface. They can see the Red Kettle in front of a local business, but they may not know where that kettle goes and how far its contents must stretch. They can see the Angel Tree, but they may not know how many more of those Angels they could serve. On the surface are bells ringing though the holidays, but for every bell there are many more who serve and who are served.

The Salvation Army is not a kettle or a bell. Those are windows into the work done by Anniston Corps Officers, Lts. Damon and Jennifer Graham. A person walking past the kettle does not see the food pantry, stocked with donations from the community and distributed by volunteers like John Holcomb. That passer-by may see an old building, but they do not see Lashun Mcgrew, meeting with clients to help them find resources to pay bills or feed young bellies. The Salvation Army is a church whose ministry is to do the most good where it is most needed.

The building is old. A former Coca Cola distribution center, it has served as the Corps office of The Salvation Army in Anniston since the 1950s. But inside, Lt. Jennifer Graham is working on rebuilding the foundations of that building and its place in the community. Not the building itself, but the organization, and their continuing mission to bring hope to those in need. They have traditionally had a shelter for those without a home, but Lt. Graham would like to see more. “I believe that the community does need an emergency shelter and a shelter for women and children and a transitional living shelter. But all those need the case management piece where we’re able to help clients not stay here long term, but to help them to be successful on their own.”

Case management is a means to help individuals rebuild their own foundation. Lashun Mcgrew is the Social Service Coordinator at the Anniston Corps office, and she is one part of that long-term goal. “There is a lack of affordable housing in the area. There are a lot of people on minimal income,” says Mcgrew. “They are using a lot of their income trying to keep a roof over their head.” Helping people find their way to self-sufficiency is part of the mission, but for some of the people that Mcgrew works with, the challenge begins with the having a place to call home.

One of those who has been served is John Holcomb. Originally from Georgia, he moved to the area in 2000 as a contractor for a gas company, but over time that work came to an end and he found himself in difficult circumstances. He had lost contact with his family and was in need of a hand up. “They helped me out when I needed it,” says John. “I wish there were more places like this.” Thankfully, John has taken that hand up and found opportunities for change. He has reconnected with his son in South Carolina, and uses his time at the shelter to volunteer in the food pantry. “I like helping people,” John says.

Rebuilding foundations is part of the mission. And that mission goes on with the support of the community. “In order for our doors to stay open, of course we need the support of the community,” says Lt. Jennifer Graham. “We can offer some assistance, and we can connect clients with other organizations that can help with rent and other services.” And that is just the beginning of the plans that Lt. Graham has for the Anniston Salvation Army Corps. She says that she plans a return of their youth ministry as part of The Salvation Army’s traditional character-building mission. Another foundation of the community itself, being rebuilt with the support of those who want to be a part of that revitalization.

Salvation Army serving in Alabama communities devastated by overnight tornados

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245(Jackson County, AL) A line of thunderstorms dropped several tornadoes across the Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi Division Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday morning. Six tornadoes were reported by emergency officials in Mississippi alone, but the most severe damage has been reported in Northeast Alabama near the towns of Rosalie and Ider.

“We loaded are canteen and were serving before sunrise. We’ve served 200 people so far,” said Tracey Ridgeway, Jackson County, Alabama Service Center Director.

Ridgeway says the winds picked up Tuesday afternoon and was followed by one tornado warning after another during the night. She says one of the main churches in Rosalie “has been flattened”, and unfortunately, this area has seen this devastation before.

“We are one of the only service centers that has a canteen because something like this happened back in 2008 in our area,” said Ridgeway. “We have seen this before, but it doesn’t make it any easier. We just know what to do and how to help.”

Local emergency management officials are still doing assessments of the damage in Jackson County. Ridgeway says they will know better once those assessments are finished how many meals to prepare for lunch and dinner for the next several days.

“People are already calling to provide meals and help serve,” said Ridgeway. “County commissioners and law enforcement have helped, but it’s been our board members so far who have manned the canteen and are doing great. We would not have been able to help these folks without our board members stepping up.”

In Dekalb County, Alabama, The Salvation Army Service Center in that county has feed nearly 150 first responders and residents in Ider, Alabama which saw a tornado destroy buildings and homes in that community.

Financial donations are the best way to meet the evolving needs and to support relief efforts.  The Salvation Army asks those who want to help the individuals and families affected by disaster to visit www.disaster.SalvationArmyUSA.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY and designate “disaster efforts.”  Monetary donations will ensure The Salvation Army can meet the most immediate needs of those impacted most.

Making a change. Officers’ lives could be different without The Salvation Army

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I am constantly amazed by the people I get to meet and the stories they tell me. Working at the Divisional Headquarters for The Salvation Army of Alabama, Louisiana, and Mississippi, I work with 32 local corps to try and bring the most attention to their work together with local and divisional resources. On my last visit, to the Dothan, Alabama Corps, I realized I sometimes make this job more difficult than it has to be.

The Dothan Corps is the farthest trip time-wise and mileage-wise from the Divisional Headquarters in Jackson, Mississippi. This means those officers and their employees have to be really good at what they do. Don’t misunderstand however, any employee at DHQ would gladly make the trip to help in any way we can, but again, it sure is a long way to Dothan.

Long story short, the communication team, Daphne Nabors, our creative specialist, and myself, drove to Dothan to meet the officers on their home turf for the first time and found out more than we bargained for. This is why I am writing this story.
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Captains Christopher and Kelly Bryant have served the Lord in The Salvation Army for eight years. Their current appointment, in Dothan, is their first outside the state of Texas. Captain Christopher Bryant’s family was helped by The Salvation Army.

“We received food, clothes, lived in the shelter. My mom even got a job at The Salvation Army,” said Christopher Bryant.

But despite the help and attending church, his parents’ lifestyle never changed.

“We went to church, but that was only a couple hours a week. The drinking and parties…that was our entire life.”

Christopher first met Kelly at Salvation Army summer camp when they were twelve. Kelly’s parents are Salvation Army officers. From that moment, however, their lives took dramatically different paths. Captain Christopher Bryant’s mother was an alcoholic, his step-father was an abusive alcoholic, and his birth father was a biker who dealt drugs. This is not the background you expect a Salvation Army officer to have.

At fifteen, Captain Bryant’s mother died. He was on his own, officially emancipated at sixteen. His younger sister went to live with their grandparents in Anderson, South Carolina. This will play an important part in the Bryant’s lives.

Christopher’s life went downhill from there. He dropped out of high school, and almost went to prison.

“I found myself in a bad situation after I was arrested on a drug possession charge and facing serious jail time,” said Bryant

The judged ruled the drugs were seized through illegal search and seizure, the first break that would begin to change Christopher’s life.

He then turned to his grandparents.

“I asked them if I could stay with them for a few weeks to get things back in order.”

They took him in, although, still seen as a problem by his grandmother, his time was limited. Still, this was break number two. Christopher knew he had to make the most of this chance.

“I gotta make a change. I’m either going to be dead or in jail for the rest of my life.”

Turns out, break number three was a big one. His sister attended The Salvation Army church in Anderson, South Carolina. The officers in Anderson at the time Christopher went to stay with his grandparents? Kelly’s parents, Majors Mike and Nettie Morton .

You might say the rest is history, but the Bryants did not move straight into officership. Kelly earned her culinary degree while Christopher worked as an industrial electrician, but it was during this time he learned to play the guitar. Several years later after moving from South Carolina to Oregon, they felt the call to do more with their lives.

I can’t help but think about Jeremiah 29:11 when it comes to the Bryants and specifically Captain Christopher Bryant:

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

No matter your situation, no matter your problem, no matter where you come from, The Salvation Army is there to help because we aren’t perfect either. We are forgiven through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Jon-Kalahar

Anniston nurse helps heal body, mind and spirit by volunteering

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Lyndsey Watts Butterworth is a licensed practical nurse at the Northeast Alabama Regional Medical Center. She spends her weekends taking care of patients, usually working twelve hours shifts.

I learned about Lyndsey’s story as The Anniston Salvation Army’s Captain Bert Lind walked me around the grounds. Lyndsey volunteers , and on this day,  was helping out at the warming station opened to keep folks out of the dangerously cold temperatures. She did not offer up the information about herself, just smiled, shook my hand, and went back to her work.

It was only later after a conversation with Captain Lind I decided to return the next day to “surprise” Lyndsey with a request for a picture and some brief questions.

Lyndsey made a chance visit to the Family Store before Christmas last year to shop and happened upon parents wanting to buy bikes for their children. Lyndsey felt she needed to help them. She gave them the money they needed. Lyndsey would return to the store, this time helping more folks who needed furniture.

“This isn’t enough. My husband and I have been blessed,” said Lyndsey.

Lyndsey’s husband suffered a stroke not too long ago. She has seen him fight to recover, and with her help, he has done just that. In fact, his recovery inspired her to take the next step.  So, she approached Captain Lind about dedicating one year of her life to volunteering at The Salvation Army.

“I’m giving a gift to help, but there’s a greater gift….God’s.”

With that in mind, Lyndsey helps wherever she’s needed. Her only request to Captain Lind is she cannot and will not work behind a desk, and he’s honored that request.

Usually she sorts donated clothing, but with the warming station opening every time the weather drops below 40 degrees, her main job is providing comfort and support for anyone who walks in the door… just like her job at the hospital.

At The Salvation Army, she’s turned that into helping those who may not be injured on the outside, but somewhere in their lives have lost their way. They need someone to listen. They want to be treated like a normal person. That’s why Lyndsey responds to everyone with a “sir” or “ma’am.”

“It doesn’t matter homeless, rich. They all deserve the same respect. It lets them know someone cares,” said Lyndsey.

In the Alabama, Louisana, Mississippi Division, there are 32 places where someone cares. If you need help, a meal, a place to stay, or help overcoming an addiction or know someone who does, please visit www.salvationarmyalm.org and find the local Salvation Army closest to you.

We are always looking for more volunteers like Lyndsey. Please consider volunteering