Posts

The Salvation Army’s Southern Territory Providing Meals and Shelter For Hurricane Delta Relief

/in /by

Jackson, MS (October 11, 2020) – Hurricane Delta made landfall overnight Friday, October 9th, near the town of Creole, Louisiana, a city in Cameron Parish with 660 residents, as a Category 2 hurricane. Creole is approximately 12 miles east, where Hurricane Laura made landfall six weeks ago. Thankfully, Hurricane Delta quickly weakened into a tropical depression and very few areas were affected.

The Salvation Army’s focus for service delivery will be Southwest Louisiana in Lake Charles and Lafayette, where there are widespread power outages. Power is being restored quickly going from 650,000 outages to 340,000 within the past 24 hours. Twenty-three shelters opened in Louisiana for emergency shelter from Delta with an overnight population of 7,419. As of 4 PM CDT on 10-10-2020, there were ten shelters open with 882 residents.

Twenty-six mobile feeding units were deployed to support service delivery in Lake Charles, Lafayette, Alexandria, and Monroe, LA. One Texas IMAT with disaster relief equipment deployed to Lake Charles on Saturday, October 10th, 2020, and one Florida IMAT with five mobile feeding units is deploying to Lafayette, Louisiana, today, October 11th, 2020. Approximately 84,000 meals are prepared for initial distribution in southwest Louisiana and other affected areas. Service delivery is predicted to last one week.

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.

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.

Bikes Donated To Aid Shelter Residents in Transporting to and From Job Interviews

/in /by

Andrew Magee, Criminal Justice Department Coordinator at Louisiana College and Sunday School Teacher at River Outreach Church, and Bobette Lowe, a member of Magee’s Sunday School class, team up every month to host community feedings and giveaways in the Alexandria, Louisiana community. The themes change each month, ranging from community hair cuts, essential winter giveaways, and more. Their latest outreach involved donating ten bicycles to The Salvation Army of Alexandria, Bibles, and a meal consisting of red beans and rice, cornbread, and cake to those in need in Alexandria.

A majority of the homeless community who gather near the levee where Lowe and Magee distribute food and goods are residents of The Salvation Army, so the two decided to donate ten bikes to the corps to aid residents in traveling to and from job interviews. The bikes will provide flexibility to residents so that they do not have to rely on a public transportation schedule or risk being late due to having to walk to interviews. Residents will be able to rent bikes daily so that everyone at the shelter has an opportunity to utilize the gift.

“The Salvation Army is more than thankful to Andrew and Bobette for their generous donation. These bikes will aid our residents in finding employment and securing a brighter future for themselves,” stated Major Tim Williford, The Salvation Army Alexandria Corps Officer.

Lowe and Magee have grown to know the homeless community well by distributing food once a month and passing out blessing bags at the beginning of COVID-19. The kits consisted of jars of peanut butter, crackers, and juices to keep those in need full until they reach the next destination of feeding.

“It was laid on my heart to help people who are trying to help themselves. We wanted to give a hand up, not a handout. The bikes are to aid in residents securing jobs. The feedings are because God tells us that we should feed one another, whether it’s with knowledge or food,” Lowe shared.

“We held an event before last winter, where we filled backpacks with blankets, gloves, and winter essentials. We’ve also invited beauticians out onto the levee to give haircuts and makeovers to the homeless. We made GQ models out of some of the guys. The glow that a lot of them had after getting a haircut was unbelievable. They were so grateful, and it was so refreshing for them. We hope to do that one again,” Magee added.

“These are the people that Jesus witnessed to.”

Magee and Lowe rotate their feedings with other churches, usually taking on the third Saturday of each month. They also do closet cleanups, where they set up tables filled with clothes and other goods. There are even some stores in the area that will inform them when items are going on sale to provide what they can for the homeless. These tables are set up at every community feeding.

“We’ve built a relationship with the homeless community. They know our vehicles, and when they see us, they know we are coming to show love to them and bring them goods,” Lowe said.

“These are the people that Jesus witnessed to. He didn’t go to the All Saints churches. He went to the streets and found the needy. That’s who He loved on and fed. And in His word, we can learn more of His likeness, and that’s the goal; to show his word to others and to be more in his likeness,” Lowe added.

Magee and Lowe would like others to get involved, whether it’s feeding the community or donating bike supplies to the Army.

“I’d like to vocalize to the community that they can take part in this as well. There’s always room to improve and give back. People in the community can get involved by helping with the bikes’ upkeep. —Inner tubes for flat tires, bike helmets, chains, and other supplies. Just swing by the shelter and donate what you can. In my heart, I believe this should be a community effort and it becomes important for the church to connect with the community. Help by action. Just bring your donations to Major Williford,” Magee added.

The Salvation Army Responds to Louisiana’s Stay at Home Order

/in /by

On Sunday, March 22, 2020, Louisiana Governor John Bel Edwards announced an official Stay at Home order for the entire state of Louisiana due to the rapid spread of the COVID-19 virus throughout the state. The order took effect on Monday, March 23 and is in place until the morning of Monday, April 13, when local schools are scheduled to re-open. This mandate affects The Salvation Army throughout Louisiana in many ways, most notably in shelter operations. All seven of The Salvation Army’s shelters throughout the state are now housing residents 24/7. Shelters that usually serve only breakfast and dinner will now be serving three meals a day. This change to round-the-clock sheltering increases staffing needs as well as the need for more food and cleaning supplies. All shelters throughout the state are increasing daily cleaning and disinfecting measures throughout their facilities in an attempt to limit the spread of the virus and keep all shelter residents and staff safe and healthy.

Louisiana’s Stay at Home order is also resulting in the temporary closure of all Salvation Army thrift stores in the state.

New Orleans

The Salvation Army New Orleans Area Command is sheltering 96 residents and providing three meals a day, plus activities to help alleviate boredom for its residents. Major Ernest Hull, New Orleans Salvation Army Area Commander, says that while 96 isn’t max-capacity for the shelter, they are limiting acceptance to the current residents for social distancing purposes. Many of these shelter residents are young children, and Major Hull is making sure to keep them entertained as well as safe—with “drive-in” movie nights and more.

“We’re trying to give them activities and the residents are good about constantly cleaning and disinfecting their dorms,” said Major Hull. Majors Ernest and Debra Hull are also currently living in the shelter to help provide for the residents’ needs during this unprecedented time.

In addition to taking care of their shelter population, The Salvation Army New Orleans Area Command has also been requested by the state to help feed the unsheltered homeless population in the area. “While this is not your typical disaster setting, The Salvation Army is going to rise to the cause and meet the human needs of our communities to the best of our abilities. We have never retreated before and we’re not going to retreat now,” said Major Hull.

Baton Rouge

The Salvation Army of Baton Rouge has temporarily closed its thrift store and social services office due to the state-wide Stay at Home order. The Corps’ youth programs—the School for Performing Arts and character-building programs—have briefly stopped at this time to practice social distancing. The Men’s Recovery Program, which houses program participants, will continue with its regular schedule.

The shelter has limited its acceptance to 50 residents and is currently at capacity. Following city protocol, the shelter will keep an eye open for people showing signs of the virus. Shelter residents and staff are encouraged to wash hands frequently and to practice social distancing.

In addition to increased shelter operations, the Baton Rouge Salvation Army is also providing food to school-aged children and their families throughout the area. Nearly 150 grab-and-go lunches are provided to families Monday, Wednesday, and Friday throughout Baton Rouge.

“We’re here. The Salvation Army has been serving Baton Rouge for 115 years, and it’s not going to change. In times of difficulty, we stick to our mission of preaching the gospel of Jesus and to help people in his name without discrimination. We are working every day to take care of the needs of our community,” stated Major Donald Tekautz, Salvation Army Baton Rouge Corps Officer.

Alexandria

The Salvation Army of Alexandria includes both a veterans shelter and a general shelter, with both remaining open 24/7 for the duration of the statewide Stay at Home order. Both thrift stores are temporarily closed at this time.

The Alexandria Corps is currently providing dine-in breakfast, lunch, and dinner for all residents. Feedings take place in shifts, with only two individuals seated at a six-foot table and cleanings taking place between each shift.

Breakfast is provided daily to the community and served outside of the shelters. An anonymous donor has purchased 85 kolaches twice a week for the next two months that are being distributed each morning along with a piece of fruit and a cold beverage. The Alexandria Corps is working towards bagging all breakfasts and dinners for transient residents and the general public. Hot meals are provided in shifts, but the shelter does not have the staff and financial resources for sandwiches and lunchmeats.

“In Alexandria, we meet daily as a staff to discuss the continually evolving conditions regarding COVID-19. We are practicing social distancing in every aspect of operations,” stated Alexandria Corps Officer Major Richard Watts.

With the new guidelines of the Stay at Home order, the shelter is encouraging residents to stay indoors. Furniture has been rearranged to practice social distancing, and staff is working toward feeding the public and residents outside of the building via the canteen and outdoor tables.

Monroe

The Salvation Army of Monroe’s shelter, which houses men and women, is currently at capacity with 50 residents. Due to the new mandate, the shelter is now operating 24 hours a day, serving lunch in addition to the breakfast and dinner normally provided. In addition to the cost of supplying enough food to meet the demand for round-the-clock shelter operations, purchasing food is challenging right now because of market shortages. Shelter staff members are making daily trips to grocery stores, but markets are either low on supplies or will not allow bulk purchases. The shelter has only about four day’s worth of meals left at this time. The Monroe Corps’ thrift store also had to shut down because of the Stay at Home order.

“We are now at full capacity and in desperate need of food to sustain our residents. We also need additional funding because more staff is needed to assist with running the shelter 24/7,” stated Captain Jerry Casey, Monroe Corps Officer.

The above is just a sampling, but all Salvation Army shelters throughout the state of Louisiana are operating 24-hours a day, 7-days a week for the duration of the state’s Stay at Home order. Every one of these shelters is in immediate need of extra food and cleaning supplies to meet the increased demand, but their biggest need is financial. The Salvation Army needs a great outpouring of public support to continue to serve the increased need in Louisiana. To support The Salvation Army’s COVID-19 response efforts, please give now.