The Salvation Army Evansville

Haitian Students Return To Reconstructed Schools: Good News About The Salvation Army’s Continued Work In Haiti

admin — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 17:32:39 +0000

Nearly 700 students started the school year in newly repaired Salvation Army school buildings. The Haiti Recovery and Development School Renovation and Construction team worked hard during the summer months to start, and finish, repairs on four of six priority schools scheduled for improvements in 2011.

Not only were project manager David White and assistant project manager Raymond Cédoine working hard to ensure schools were ready for the start of classes, but they were building local capacity by training a maintenance team in repair and upkeep of the buildings. The work included masonry and carpentry work, roofing, latrine and electrical repair and installation of water catchment systems.

Heavy rains contributing to impassable road conditions have slowed progress on schools in Bellegarde and Campeche, but work should be completed by Christmas. ‘We have met many challenges and overcome them with everyday problem solving and great determination,’ said David.

By the end of 2014, almost 20 schools affected by the earthquake will have been repaired and reconstructed. There are seven schools slated for 2012, including two new constructions.

David said, ‘We are excited about the wonderful repaired and constructed schools The Salvation Army in Haiti is receiving.’

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 129 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.

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Salvation Army Teams Serve Irene First Responders

admin — Sun, 28 Aug 2011 22:10:28 +0000

As Hurricane Irene heads for the eastern seaboard, The Salvation Army is moving personnel and vehicles into strategic staging locations in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. From these locations The Salvation Army will dispatch mobile feeding units to provide food, drinks and spiritual and emotional care to emergency responders and those affected by the storm. Disaster response teams are already on the ground from Florida to Maine, serving first responders, assisting the evacuation of low lying areas, feeding at shelters and providing a broad range of support before Hurricane Irene makes landfall.

“We are taking this hurricane extremely seriously and are working closely with partner agencies to ensure we can provide a strong response to any impacts of the storm,” said Major George Hood, National Community Relations Secretary for The Salvation Army in the U.S. “Our personnel will be working overnight and throughout the weekend to guarantee we can meet the needs.”

In total, The Salvation Army has 370 canteens and five mobile feeding kitchens throughout the region. Collectively, these stations can provide several hundred thousand meals per day when operating at full capacity. Also, The Salvation Army is standing up a broad range of services, in coordination with local, state and federal governments, including supporting shelter operations and evacuations.

The Salvation Army has already begun to serve those impacted by Hurricane Irene in Puerto Rico by providing support to the homeless, sick and disabled. Several hundred thousand residents of Puerto Rico are currently without power and Salvation Army shelters continue to be available in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. Croix . In the Bahamas, an emergency operations center has been established in Kingston. The Salvation Army has begun initial distribution of food and water supplies. There is also a plan in place to ship Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and bottled water to the Turks and Caicos later this week. In addition, representatives of The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Service Team have been asked to partner with the Bahamas National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) to survey and assess the damage on the islands of Acklins and Mayaguana.

Yesterday, Commissioner William Roberts, the National Commander of The Salvation Army, declared Hurricane Irene a national disaster, which puts all units on alert status throughout the United States. All divisions of The Salvation Army stand ready to assist by preparing staff, equipment and supplies to support impacted areas along the East Coast. The Salvation Army is asking residents of the entire East Coast, from the Carolinas to New England, to be prepared with an emergency disaster plan and heed all evacuation orders from public officials. Critical decisions need to be made ahead of time, before the storm makes landfall.

For more information on The Salvation Army’s response to Hurricane Irene, please visit http://blog.salvationarmyusa.org/, www.facebook.com/salvationarmyindiana or www.twitter.com/SAIndiana.

Monetary donations:
The best way to help now is to call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769) or go to donate.salvationarmyusa.org/Irene to make a donation by credit card. Checks may be mailed to The Salvation Army Disaster Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 1959, Atlanta, GA 30301. Donations should be designated: “2011 Hurricane Season” Cell phone users may also text the word STORM to 80888. A one-time donation of $10 will be billed to your mobile phone bill**.
**Messaging and date rates may apply. Donations are collected for The Salvation Army by mobilecause.com. Reply STOP to 80888 to stop. Reply HELP to 80888 for help. For terms, see www.igfn.org/t.
Donations of used Household Goods and Clothing:
Due to the high expense and time demands associated with delivering your gently-used household goods and clothing (gifts-in-kind), The Salvation cannot guarantee that any individual gifts-in-kind donated now will be sent to the disaster area. In time of disaster, our stores fill these needs from existing, pre-sorted stock. By continuing to donate gently-used household goods to your local Salvation Army store, you not only help your community, you help us prepare for future disaster relief needs. To find your nearest drop-off location, please go to www.satruck.org.

About The Salvation Army:
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.

The Salvation Army Prepares For National Emergency: National Commander Declares Hurricane Irene a National Disaster

admin — Sat, 27 Aug 2011 18:10:23 +0000

Alexandria, Virginia (August 26, 2011) – In advance of Hurricane Irene, Commissioner William Roberts, the National Commander of The Salvation Army, today declared a national disaster, which puts all units on alert status throughout the United States. All divisions of The Salvation Army stand ready to assist by preparing staff, equipment and supplies to support impacted areas along the East Coast. The Salvation Army will provide food, drinks and spiritual and emotional care to emergency responders and survivors in impacted areas between the Carolinas and New England. “While it is customary to declare such an event a ‘national’ disaster after the hurricane has reached land, I am taking the step to make that declaration today in consideration of various logistical decisions that must be made,” said Commissioner Roberts. “As The Salvation Army now moves into strategic positions that will put us directly at the point of need, we are praying for God’s mercy upon all of those who will be caught in the direct path of this very large storm.”
The Salvation Army has already begun to serve those affected by Hurricane Irene in Puerto Rico by providing support to the homeless, sick and disabled. Nearly 800,000 residents of Puerto Rico are without power and Salvation Army shelters continue to be available in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas and St. Croix . In the Bahamas, an emergency operations center has been established in Kingston. The Salvation Army has begun initial distribution of food and water supplies. There is also a plan in place to ship Meals Ready to Eat (MREs) and bottled water to the Turks and Caicos later this week.
Salvation Army locations across the United States have mobile feeding units on standby – these units are able to provide hundreds of thousands of meals per day if needed. In the Carolinas specifically, the Army has 30 mobile canteens able to provide in excess of 45,000 meals when operating at full capacity. An Incident Command Team has been established in Charlotte, NC and will deploy to the Carolina coast once the storm passes.
The Salvation Army is asking residents of the entire East Coast, from the Carolinas to New England, to be prepared with an emergency disaster plan and heed all evacuation orders from public officials. Critical decisions need to be made ahead of time, before the storm makes landfall.
For more information on The Salvation Army’s preparation and response to Hurricane Irene, please visit http://blog.salvationarmyusa.org/, www.facebook.com/salvationarmyindiana or www.twitter.com/SAIndiana.

Monetary donations:
The best way to help now is to call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769) or go to donate.salvationarmyusa.org/Irene to make a donation by credit card. Checks may be mailed to The Salvation Army Disaster Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 1959, Atlanta, GA 30301. Donations should be designated: “2011 Hurricane Season” Cell phone users may also text the word STORM to 80888. A one-time donation of $10 will be billed to your mobile phone bill**.
**Messaging and date rates may apply. Donations are collected for The Salvation Army by mobilecause.com. Reply STOP to 80888 to stop. Reply HELP to 80888 for help. For terms, see www.igfn.org/t.
Donations of used Household Goods and Clothing:
Due to the high expense and time demands associated with delivering your gently-used household goods and clothing (gifts-in-kind), The Salvation cannot guarantee that any individual gifts-in-kind donated now will be sent to the disaster area. In time of disaster, our stores fill these needs from existing, pre-sorted stock. By continuing to donate gently-used household goods to your local Salvation Army store, you not only help your community, you help us prepare for future disaster relief needs. To find your nearest drop-off location, please go to www.satruck.org.

About The Salvation Army:
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.

“War On Hunger” Kick-Off In Evansville

admin — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 19:56:11 +0000

The Salvation Army’s Evansville Corps 2011 “War on Hunger” began at 4:30 a.m. Friday, April 1^st at Schnucks’ West Side Newburgh and Washington Avenue locations. News 14 TV and WIKY Radio added all-day live cut-ins from the stores showing the “tons” of food donated by partners against hunger: Cargill donating 7 skids of food; Heritage Federal Credit Union donating a skid of cereal; the University of Evansville Campus donating a skid of mashed potato flakes; the University of Evansville Cabinet donating a Skid of Macaroni and Cheese; the Ladies Auxiliary VFW Post 1114 donating a skid of macaroni and cheese; Old National Bank donating a skid of applesauce; ARROW Consultation Services, Inc., donating a skid of macaroni and cheese; the Salvation Army Advisory Board donating a skid of macaroni and cheese and 4 anonymous citizens of Evansville donating skids of stuffing, applesauce, macaroni and cheese and spaghetti sauce. For a total of 18 skids of food for the Kick-Off!

Also, The Salvation Army’s beloved red kettles made a one-day appearance for monitory donations. Volunteers did not ring bells but clanged “food cans.” As always non-perishable canned goods were purchased at all 3 Schnucks locations and put into grocery carts marked for Salvation Army War On Hunger Donations.

It begins April 1, 2011 and lasts through April 30, 2011. Drop off non-perishable foods – itemssuch as canned vegetables, soups, fruits, meats, pasta, spaghetti, marinara sauce, pasta dishes, boxed dinners, cereals, rice, dry beans, peanut butter, jelly, and dried soup mixes at the West Side, Newburgh or Washington Avenue Schnucks locations or The Salvation Army located at 1040 Fulton Avenue in Evansville.

Again this year, the Rhode Island based The Feinstein Foundation will divide $1 million among nationwide agencies fighting hunger. The more donations made to The Salvation Army in Evansville through April 30, 2011 – the more Feinstein money The Salvation Army in Evansville will receive! Your donations and involvement create the hope and opportunity for hungry people – here in Evansville, in the United States and around the world. Thank you!

For updates on how you can support The Evansville Corps go to Facebook and get involved!

Worldwide Support Helps Salvation Army Emergency Response in Japan

admin — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 19:38:21 +0000

Japan Relief: Facts and Figures from The Salvation Army’s USA National Headquarters
March 16, 2011

The Salvation Army has resources on the ground working to support survivors of the devastating 9.0 earthquake in northeastern Japan.
·   The Salvation Army in Japan has three emergency service relief teams operating in impacted areas; the teams have been recognized by the Japanese government and given access to access roads and areas currently closed off to the general public.
·   A disaster team in Sendai handed out 1,000 hot meals as well as hot drinks and handi-towels to survivors.
·   Another team in the Mito area unloaded bottles of water, biscuits, blankets, diapers and tissue boxes for distribution to evacuees.
·   The third team headed to assist evacuees from near the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power station, but snow and fuel shortages diverted the team to other areas to support evacuees.
The Salvation Army has had a presence in Japan since 1895 and is also mobilizing a significant international response to manage both immediate and long-term needs.
·   Two experienced International Emergency Services workers have flown to Tokyo from International Headquarters in London to assist their Japanese colleagues.
·   The Salvation Army’s Korea Territory has arranged for the K-Water Corporation to provide 100,000 bottles of water to be sent to Japan – 30,000 bottles by the end of the week, followed by the rest within a short time; the Korea Disaster Relief Association will also be sending 5,000 first-aid kits.
·   In a touching show of solidarity 1,500 young Salvationists in Haiti – who themselves were recently impacted by a devastating earthquake – held a rally in Fond-des-Nègres to pray for victims and survivors in Japan.
The Salvation Army is calling on everyone to pray for the survivors and victims of the Japan earthquake.
·   Monetary donations are the most critical need as supplies and personnel are mobilized.
·   These funds offer the greatest flexibility and enable local disaster responders to purchase exactly what is needed as close to the disaster zone as possible.
·   There are four ways people can contribute money to The Salvation Army’s disaster relief efforts in Japan:
o   Text the words JAPAN or QUAKE to 80888 to make a $10 donation.
o   By phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY
o   On-line at: https://salvationarmyindiana.org
o   By mail: Send your check, marked “Japan earthquake relief” to
The Salvation Army Indiana Divisional Headquarters
3100 North Meridian Street
Indianapolis, IN 46208
·   At this time, The Salvation Army is not accepting donations of goods or household items (gifts-in-kind) from the general public for disaster relief operations in Japan.
·   The Salvation Army is extremely grateful for the generosity that has already poured in to help us meet both immediate and long-term needs.
·   Here are there updated donation totals as of this afternoon, March 16.
Online:    $1,940,380.00
Text to give:    $111,590.00
1800-sal-army   $59,000.00
Mail   $1,200.00
Lockbox   $5,651.00
Total        $2,117,821.00

The Salvation Army In Japan Begins Response

admin — Fri, 11 Mar 2011 20:44:53 +0000

Commuters stuck in Tokyo are given food and drinks in the hall at The Salvation Army's Japan Territorial Headquarters.

The Salvation Army in Japan is responding to the earthquake and tsunami that brought devastation to the north of the country. Communication and travel have been badly hit by the disaster, and at the moment the true cost in human life and property can only be guessed.

The most damaged city is Sendai, about 400 kilometers away from Tokyo. Commissioner Makoto Yoshida, leader of The Salvation Army’s Japan Territory, was at territorial headquarters in Tokyo and reports: ‘Our building swayed tremendously. It was hard for us to keep standing and many of us were really frightened.’ He adds: ‘We are sending a team to Sendai tonight [11 March] and tomorrow we will start providing the basic necessities as well as assessing the level of damage so we can decide what else we can do.’

Public transport in Tokyo stopped because of the earthquake, leaving many commuters unable to leave work. Commissioner Yoshida says: ‘We opened our hall on the ground floor of territorial headquarters to those who could not go home. We served them with hot drinks and packed meals.’ General Shaw Clifton, the international leader of The Salvation Army, has already been in touch with the commissioner to assure him of the prayers and support of Salvationists around the world.

Currently, those interested in aiding the relief effort are encouraged to give monetary donations. Monetary funds offer great flexibility and enable local disaster responders to purchase exactly what is needed as close to the disaster zone as possible.

There are four ways people can contribute money to The Salvation Army’s disaster relief efforts in Japan:

Text the words “Japan” or “Quake” to 80888 to make a $10 donation.
By phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY
On-line at: www.salvationarmyindiana.org
By mail: Send your check, marked “Japan earthquake relief” to

The Salvation Army Indiana Division

3100 North Meridian St.

Indianapolis, IN 46208

At this time, The Salvation Army is not accepting in-kind donations from the general public for disaster relief operations in Japan. Bear in mind, it will be extremely difficult and expensive to ship in-kind donations overseas from the United States to Japan. It is more efficient for disaster relief agencies to purchase needed resources locally and for immediate distribution with the disaster area. The best way for U.S. donors to help Japanese disaster survivors is to make a cash donation. Please note that your local The Salvation Army continues to accept donations of used clothing, furniture and other items to support local programming. Please consider donating your used items to your local Salvation Army Thrift Store.

Since 1895, The Salvation Army has provided emotional, spiritual and physical care to individuals and families in need throughout Japan. Currently, 81 active officers and 1,068 employees operate 57 church and community centers (Corps), 12 small social service stations (outposts), 2 hospitals and more than 20 institutions serving children, seniors, the addicted and other at-risk populations. Due to the Army’s extensive presence, it is unlikely that volunteers from the United States will be needed for initial recovery operations.

NOTE: Terms for “Text to Give” – A one-time donation of $10.00 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Please be sure to respond with the word YES to the Thank You! message you will receive All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on most carriers. Visit mobilecause.com for terms and conditions or text HELP. Text STOP to cancel. Message & Data Rates May Apply

Indiana EDS Director Returns To Haiti

admin — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 23:29:25 +0000

Jerry Larsen, EDS Director for Indiana, in Haiti Jan. 2010.

It will soon be one year since Jerry Larsen, Salvation Army Indiana Disaster Services Director returned home to Indiana after serving post-earthquake in Haiti. The Disaster Response team left Indpls. International Airport PAP bound only one week after the earthquake, with the assignment of serving a 2 week rotation in Port au Prince. They returned to their spouses, children and grandchildren on Valentine’s Day. I remember the emotions they brought back with them, both evident in their words and on their faces. It was a time of living and working closely with the desperate, hungry, injured and dead. And it was the team member’s urgently needed skills that kept them amongst the Haitian people for nearly 4 weeks.

Once again those skills are being summoned to assist with The Salvation Army’s ongoing efforts in Haiti which have progressed into the next phase deemed “reconstruction and rebuilding.” Jerry will drive to Chicago Monday morning to meet with territorial leaders before flying out for Haiti on the 8th of February.

Since the earthquake last January, The Salvation Army has continued serving thousands of Haitians, in many different ways. One way that this new phase seeks to make an ongoing difference is to provide housing. Jerry will be leading a team to construct several small houses for families near Jacmel. “The houses we build are meant to be permanent, but TSA has been building temporary housing in several areas over the last several months. I believe there are about 7 to 800 of those completed now and the goal is 3,000 over the next couple of years.”

When I asked Jerry if there was anything he was looking forward to, upon returning to Haiti, he answered, “I am looking forward to the possibility of seeing some of the people I met while I was there last year. Maybe even seeing the little one that is in the photo on my Facebook page. Needless to say, I am looking forward to a successful mission by completing the work we plan to do there. I try to have a positive outlook on all of this, and know that there is only so much we can do. I think of one person or family at a time that we are able to help.”

As a team, they are taking along some items to give the Haitian people, such as school supplies, toys and some clothing. Summing up his mission, Jerry added this, “As I have said so many times, it is not about me or the team…it is about helping those in need.”

Indiana EDS Director Returns To Haiti

admin — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 05:14:10 +0000

Jerry Larsen, EDS Director for Indiana, in Haiti Jan. 2010.

The Salvation Army in Haiti One Year Later, the Work Continues

admin — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 03:53:20 +0000

The January 2010 earthquake in Haiti spurred The Salvation Army’s largest disaster relief effort since the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2005.
During the past 12 months, The Salvation Army has provided the following services to the people of Haiti:
·   7.9 million meals
·   1.5 million gallons of fresh water
·   83,000 mosquito nets
·   27,000 clinic visits
·   8,100 cots
·   8,000 cleaning kits
·   7,600 personal hygiene kits
·   4,000 tarps
·   4,000 solar lights
·   More than 5,000 tents
·   606 transitional shelters
The Salvation Army is extremely grateful for the support of a generous public which has enabled us to provide this ongoing service.

To date, The Salvation Army has raised:
·   $29 million from domestic sources
·   $10.8 million through international affiliates
·   Approximately 50 percent of this money has already been utilized on immediate response efforts
·   The remaining funding will be allocated to long-term recovery projects
Long Term Relief Programs
The Salvation Army has maintained a significant presence in Haiti since 1950 and has a number of long-term earthquake recovery projects planned for the next 3 to 5 years. For the latest updates on these and other programs, please visit http://www.salvationarmyhaiti.org/.
The following long-term programs will be funded primarily through donor support. Some are already funded, while others are contingent on future giving.
·   School Repair and Construction – Rebuilding and renovation of more than 40 school buildings including upgrading facilities for handicap accessibility.
o   Duration of the program: 3 years
o   Cost: $6 million
·   Integrated Family Support – Providing support to impacted families through psychological/social counseling, vocational training, livelihood support grants and possibly permanent housing. The planned project will target Port-au-Prince and five other communities.
o   Duration of the program: 5 years
o   Cost: $3 to $6 million (dependent on funding grant)
·   Primary Health Care and Clinic – Rebuilding destroyed Salvation Army clinic in Port-au-Prince and support for expanding service.
o   Duration of the program: Determined by donor support
o   Cost: $1.75 million
·   Community Capacity Development – Intensive training for community leaders throughout Haiti to develop disaster response and project development skills.
o   Duration of the program: 3 years
o   Cost: $1.5 million
·   Psychological/Social Support for Children and Adolescents – Opening of nine multi-purpose units throughout Haiti to help young people manage emotional stress following the earthquake. Individual and group activities will include music and recreation programs.
o   Duration of the program: 3 years
o   Cost: $1.3 million
·   Vulnerable Children Support – Support for 300 children, some former residents of the destroyed Salvation Army children’s home in Port-au-Prince, through financial assistance to families.
o   Duration of the program: Determined by donor support
o   Cost: $200,000 annually
·   Temporary Classrooms for College Verena – Providing temporary facilities for 1,500 students in Port-au-Prince while damanged/destroyed buildings are reconstructed.
o   Duration of the program: 1 month
o   Cost: $192,000
·   Emotional/Spiritual Support for Women – Support groups for women to assist in managing the trauma of the earthquake and the continued emotional strain of living in poverty.
o   Duration of the program: 3 years
o   Cost: $156,000
·   Internally Displaced Persons Camp – The Salvation Army managed a camp of 20,000 survivors since the earthquake until the end of October when the primary camp management was turned over to a committee of residents. Financial support for the camp continues.
o   Duration of the program: 3 years
o   Cost: $50,000 annually

The Salvation Army in Haiti One Year Later, the Work Continues

admin — Tue, 11 Jan 2011 19:27:25 +0000