While each disaster creates its own unique circumstances and special needs, The Salvation Army offers several basic services to disaster victims and rescue workers. These services form the core of The Salvation Army's disaster services program, but are not the limit. Salvation Army services are flexible and may be adapted to meet the specific needs of the community or a disaster event.
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Food Service
Often the most recognized aspect of The Salvation Army's disaster work, The Salvation Army provides hot meals, snacks, and drinks to disaster victims and emergency workers. This food may be served at congregate feeding sites, such as an Army corps building, camp, or shelter, or from one of the Army's fleet mobile kitchens, a "canteen."
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Donations Management
The Salvation Army is one of nation's charitable leaders in in-kind donations management, collecting, sorting, and distributing donated goods through its many programs. During a disaster, the Army may open disaster warehouses to receive and sort additional donations and establish distribution centers to dispense these goods directly to disaster victims.
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Emergency Assistance
The Salvation Army provides direct financial assistance to disaster victims through a system of trained caseworkers. In the early phases of a disaster event, emergency financial assistance is focused on a disaster victim's essential needs: food, clothing, shelter, and medical.
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Emotional and Spiritual Care
The Salvation Army provides emotional support spiritual care to disaster victims and emergency workers coping with the stress of a disaster. This support may include comforting the injured and bereaved, conducting memorial services, and providing chaplaincy services. More often it simply a listening ear, open heart and a helpful presence.
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Disaster Shelter
During a disaster, The Salvation Army may open temporary shelters to provide emergency housing to evacuees or disaster survivors. These shelters may be located in schools, churches, community buildings or Salvation Army facilities.
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Emergency Communications
Through the Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN) and other amateur radio organizations, The Salvation Army helps support communications during a disaster. HAM operators perform disaster welfare inquires, helping friends and family located outside the disaster area locate their loved when more tranditional communications methods are inoperative.
Want to learn more about SATERN?
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