Dulcinea Cuellar
Public Relations Director
The Salvation Army of Florida

Captain Brett Meredith
Corps Officer – Kerrville
The Salvation Army of Texas

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 128 years in the United States. Nearly 29 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. About 83 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.

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The Salvation Army goes into Galveston with Strike Team, feeds hundreds
09/15/08 - 11:45 AM

The Salvation Army

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The Salvation Army goes into Galveston with Strike Team, feeds hundreds
Devastation surprises volunteers, staff

Galveston, Texas (September 14, 2008) – You can’t tell where the water ends.

Miles and miles of Gulf water has come into neighborhoods. Boats are scattered like tinker toys along I-45, the only thoroughfare that connects Houston to Galveston. Hurricane debris is strewn along the highways, giving the impression of sand dunes.                                                       

“The devastation is heart-wrenching,” said Captain Brett Meredith, The Salvation Army officer assigned to Texas Military Forces (Strike Team).

Captain Meredith along with two Salvation Army canteens (mobile kitchens) drove into Galveston with Texas Military Forces Saturday afternoon. The canteens were stationed at the state command center and Ball High School and fed more than 1,200 first responders and evacuees Saturday evening. In Galveston, The Salvation Army is expected to feed more than 3,000 people Sunday.

Additional Salvation Army resources are being deployed Sunday morning to Houston and Galveston.  The Salvation Army is expecting a fleet of more than 100 canteens, field kitchens and other disaster equipment to come into Texas within the next few days. Of that, eight canteens and a field kitchen from Florida will be in the affected area. Canteens from Daytona Beach, Miami, St. Petersburg, Orlando, Sanford, Jacksonville (2) and Citrus County have been deployed to help feed Ike first responders and evacuees.

Along with sending canteens, Since Thursday, The Florida Salvation Army has sent more than 20 volunteers and staff members to assist with Ike. This is the largest amount of staff and personnel the Florida division has sent out of state since Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005.

A staging area set up at Port San Antonio, the former Kelly Air Force Base, will be moved to the Houston area on Sunday (Sept 14). 

Juan Gomez, a disaster employee from McAllen,Tex., said he was surprised by all the devastation in Galveston.

Gomez was deployed to Peru last year for the Lima earthquake and said Hurricane Ike did comparable damage.

“The buildings here are just torn apart – from the rooftops to the hinges on the door,” he said. “It’s so sad. People had warning, but it didn’t matter their preparation, it wasn’t enough.”

In the short-term aftermath of the storm, Salvation Army officers and staff will focus primarily on the immediate needs of disaster survivors and first-responders, providing food, hydration, shelter, and comfort for impacted individuals and families.

The Salvation Army asks people who want to help those affected by Hurricane Ike to visit www.salvationarmyusa.org or call 1-800-SAL-ARMY. Monetary donations are needed to meet survivors’ most immediate needs.  A $100 donation will feed a family of four for two days, provide two cases of drinking water and one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and cleaning supplies.