|
Emergency Disaster Services
Since 1902, The Salvation Army has served residents of West Central Mississippi during every natural disaster and emergency.
During the Great Depression, we served soup lines and provided clothing, personal care items and clothing to area residents.
Through river floods and hurricanes and tornadoes compassionate staff and volunteers of The Salvation Army have worked with churches and local organizations to complete its mission to meet the human needs of those affected by Disasters and Emergencies.
 Hurricane Katrina
During the greatest emergency in recent history, West Central Mississippi became a new home for thousands of South Mississippians and Louisianans. With them came incalculable human need. Over $20,000 dollars in furniture, household and clothing assistance vouchers were given. Above that, multiple truckloads of personal care items and hundreds of pieces of donated clothing and furniture were distributed to those in need.
 Response to Hurricane Gustav
Salvation Army volunteers manning the Mississippi Welcome Center at Vicksburg directed several hundred evacuees and gave out fliers with all local service and emergency numbers and turn-by-turn directions to all local shelters. This type of Welcome Station is a first for our community, but it was so successful that we will repeat it for every similar evacuation in the future. Evacuees were thankful to learn exactly what our community offered them in their time of need.
The Vicksburg Salvation Army provided 800 meals to Red Cross shelter evacuees and about 50 meals to Bowmar Baptist Shelter evacuees at no cost to either organization. 148 articles of clothing have been distributed to evacuees. Two Salvation Army Officers and 120 volunteers have accumulated 493 hours of service just in Vicksburg and the surrounding communities.
Mississippi River Flood 2008
The Salvation Army was privileged to partner with Calvary Baptist Church and serve meals at their Red Cross Shelter. While there, we ministered to children in the shelter by providing activities, school uniforms, and outdoor sports games.
Outside of the shelter, we evacuated storm victims, provided hot meals, and distributed clothing and flood clean-up kits.
We are also able to provide emotional and spiritual counseling to victims of the storm.
Flood Statistics
Material Assistance
629 Hot meals
651 Drinks
(Sodas & Water)
206 Snacks
146 Pieces of Clothing
(New & Used)
6 Pieces of Furniture
27 Toys and Activities
167 Cases of Emotional & Spiritual Care
Personnel
2 Salvation Army Officers (186 Hours)
1 Employee (50 Hours)
67 Volunteers (208 hours)
70 Workers - 444 Hours of Service
International Paper Explosion
Along with major moments of service which are highly visible, we also participate in small unseen ways. In the hours after the IP explosion, The Salvation Army was ministering to victims and their families. We provided food, counseling and spiritual care at River Region Hospital.
|
HOW YOU CAN HELP
When a disaster strikes, many people offer to help The Salvation Army. Unfortunately it is sometimes too late to help.
We will be conducting fall training for Disaster Services soon. These will include our EDS 101 training and EDS Food Preparation.
We encourage all interested individuals to be trained now so that we will be ready to serve when the time arrives.
Those trained have the opportunity to be deployed locally and out of town to meet the needs of Emergency and Disaster Victims.
If you are interested in helping The Salvation Army battle emergencies and disasters, please call 601-636-2706.
|