Bloomington Officer Plays Key Roles in Relief Efforts

Lt. Jonathan has eclipsed his half-way point in Haiti, and international generosity has been keeping him busy.

 Spending most of the day ensuring supplies are shipped to the area of greatest need, Lt. Jonathan and his team of local Haitians, the U.N. and the United States military are the link between the cargo plane and the residents of tent cities. Arriving on enormous pallets, The Salvation Army ships meals, medical supplies, tents and other necessary items. From there, the supplies are trucked to multiple centers of aid throughout the country.

 The largest center is in Port-au-Prince where The Salvation Army oversees the wellbeing of 20,000 Haitians living in a soccer stadium. Lt. Jonathan spent some time walking through that tent city and what he saw was encouraging. People were smiling and going about their lives as best they could. As someone who has travelled throughout the country before, Lt. Jonathan notes that life is returning to a degree of normalcy. His presence in Haiti as a young officer who speaks the language and understands the culture makes recovery a more relational process and Haitians appreciate the work of The Salvation Army.

 The Salvation Army has been in Haiti since 1950 and was able to immediately respond to the earthquake. That response is ongoing as the shipments, which Lt. Jonathan and his team oversee, are still arriving in large numbers because the need is still great.

 Please consider making a donation to The Salvation Army to help those still in need. Donations may be made securely at the Bloomington Corps website: www.bloomington.salvationarmyindiana.org. You may also text the word “Haiti” to 52000 to make a $10 donation, or send donations through the mail to: The Salvation Army, PO Box 2117, Bloomington, IN 47402 with the designation “Haiti Earthquake.”