Celebrating Veterans

Let me first say "Thank you" to all our service men and women who have protected our freedoms. On behalf of the Tulsa Metro Salvation Army, we are deeply grateful and indebted to you.

The Salvation Army and the United States military have a long and mutually satisfying history. During World War I (the war to end all wars - so we had hoped), Salvation Army personnel were sworn in as Army Privates so they could serve alongside our fighting men in the European theater. Most of these "soldiers" were women. They were trained as nurses and sent to serve in makeshift hospitals behind battle fronts in France. They not only helped mend the bodies of wounded fighting men, they also brought healing to their weary, lonely souls. The Salvation Army "Lassies" sang to the troops, helped them write letters to home, prepared meals, and directed worship services. But the greatest spirit-lifter was the good old American doughnut. The "Doughnut Girls", as they became known, would fry up hundreds of these sugary pastries every day. Soldiers would line up and patiently wait for a taste of home.
During World War II many Salvation Army locations across the United States were used as local USO sites. Soldiers would often times go to the Salvation Army building for relaxation. Salvation Army personnel would play music, show movies, lead games, offer letter writing materials, and serve refreshments for free to help distract soldiers from thoughts of where they had just been, or where they about to go. It was a service that many said helped them get through the war.

Today, in some military towns Salvation Army canteens (mobile kitchens) greet returning soldiers as they disembark from overseas service, serving them and their loved ones snacks and beverages, and giving them "Welcome Home" gifts.

Numerous Salvation Army officers have been commissioned as Chaplains throughout the years and served alongside our soldiers bringing comfort and courage. It has been, and remains to this day, our distinct honor to serve those who serve this country.

Thank you all for your service.

God bless you!


Major Jim Taylor
Tulsa Area Commander

Volunteer coordinator helps in aftermath of tornadoes

Jenny shot this amazing photo.

Tulsa Salvation Army staffer plays critical role in recovery

When Volunteer Coordinator Jenny McElyea taught her most recent disaster training class, she had no idea that within a few weeks she would be working in her first disaster, much less recruiting and processing hundreds of volunteers in the aftermath of tornadoes. When she arrived in Oklahoma City on May 31st, she also had no idea that by 1 a.m. she’d be sitting in the stairwell of the Arkansas Oklahoma Salvation Army Headquarters, waiting out tornadoes in El Reno.

“Factors are changing constantly. There’s change at a moment’s notice. You have to be willing and be flexible,” Jenny said recently. As soon as she arrived in OKC, she was named as Incident Command Volunteer Coordinator. “Originally they thought they’d have to find someone from out of state to take the position,” she said. “So they were glad to find me. I was honored to be chosen.”

Jenny is on the far right in this photo from Incident Command.

Although volunteers were plentiful immediately after the May 20 tornado in Moore, by the time Jenny arrived, interest in volunteering was waning, especially interest in volunteering during working hours. So she put out the word by utilizing special website for people to sign up and using social media.

The largest site she was responsible for filling with volunteers was the old JCPenney at the Plaza de Mayor Mall, where donated items such as bottled water and cleaning supplies were collected. Volunteers sorted the donated goods and helped tornado victims “shop” the aisles for items they could use.

Jenny also found volunteers for MARCS, Multi Agency Resource Centers, where volunteers and social works helped tornado victims fill out the necessary paperwork to apply for aid. And when the combination of on line and social media volunteer recruitment didn’t seem to be enough to get those workday volunteers, Jenny turned to old fashioned techniques, ones that were in abundance during the tornadoes and the aftermath.

“I prayed and I cried,” she said.
By all accounts, Jenny’s first disaster experience was a success.

-Sallie

Supporting Little Axe with presence and prayer

The Salvation Army mobilized to help hard-hit areas

On the evening of Sunday May 19, tornadoes damaged hundreds of homes in Shawnee, Newcastle, Carney and Little Axe..  The Salvation Army responded immediately with food, hydration and emotional and spiritual care.  The very next afternoon the unimaginable happened. An F5 tornado, nearly four miles wide in some places, dropped only 25 miles away from Sunday’s damage, in Moore.

Many of the national emergency organizations that had been in Shawnee and Little Axe immediately left, heading to the area of greater damage on the other side of Oklahoma City.  The Salvation Army was one of those agencies that had to pull out, but it was only temporary. By Tuesday afternoon more mobile feeding units and staff had been mobilized and care of the lesser-hit (but still devastated) areas resumed.  I visited one of these areas, Little Axe, on Wed., May 29, ten days after this small town lost so many homes.

My guides for the day were  Major Marion Durham, Captain Chris Farrell and Lieutenant Michael Missey, Emotional and Spiritual Care (ESC) counselors, all of whom traveled from Florida to help Oklahomans. This was their seventh day on the ground in the Little Axe community and most of the homes we visited were repeat visits; daily check-ins to offer water, ice, Gatorade, snacks and spiritual care.

The Little Axe community was devastated;  many of the homes impacted were mobile homes with lightweight walls, no foundation and roofs with very little support.  The tornado made a great impact on these rural homes, spreading debris across pastures and up and down red dirt roads, all through the area’s hills and valleys.

The ESC team knew each homeowner by name. As we pulled up, Major Durham would give me an overview of the family’s situation.  Many were still trying to get access to basic needs, others were on the road to recovery, but all were just trying to clear the debris from their land while simultaneously planning to rebuild.

Major Durham visits with Robert near Little Axe, Okla.

When we pulled up to the home of a man named Robert, it didn’t look like anyone was home.  The mobile home looked almost untouched from the front yard, but I knew there was more than met the eye based on the large pile of debris by the curb.  We unloaded and headed to the back of the lot where you could see the back half of the home was completely missing.  We spotted Robert feeding his chickens and said hello while he updated the team on his family’s situation. He was angry; the insurance agency had offered his family less than what he owed for his home and the land it sat upon. Using “colorful” language, Robert shared his feelings with the team and they did what they have been trained to do, listened.

He was frustrated that looting was becoming  a problem along his country road.  Although all of his metal debris, appliances, lawn mowers, etc. had been earmarked for the city to pick up and sell for money that would benefit his community, others kept coming by and trying to take it.  “It’s spoken for,” he related angrily to us.  Just because these items were damaged and piled in the front yard, he was still the owner and felt violated when others stopped and started rifling through his belongings. “People can be real mean at times and real helpful at times,” he said.

Comfort comes in many ways

One Salvation Army officer's experience in Moore

On Monday May 20, Salvation Army minister Sergeant Rob Daniels, was serving in Shawnee, Okla. following the tornado that hit that area the day before. His team was offering services to those affected when he heard on the radio that a large tornado was on the ground, headed toward the adjacent city of Moore, Okla. While his team took shelter in the basement of City Hall, stories started flooding in over the radio about the devastation in Moore: The hospital was gone, children were stuck in a school, and hundreds were without homes.

New disaster response orders rolled in from Emergency Disaster Services Director Steven Hartsook,  “As soon as it is safe, we need you in Moore.” Within the hour Sgt. Daniels and his team were racing to the hardest hit areas. As they approached the city via I-35, Sgt. Daniels was struck by the amount of dirt and debris--at least three inches thick--covering the highway. Seeing the remnants of what had been the Warren Theatre brought back memories of his previous disaster service after the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in downtown Oklahoma City.  “Everywhere I looked that day,” he said, “there were injured people seeking medical attention, begging for someone to help them. Medical personnel were scrambling to help as many people as possible.”

When he reached the emergency response command post at Plaza Towers Elementary, he saw many who were not hurting physically, but emotionally. Parents were pacing or lying on the ground, lost in a fog of emotions--wondering where their little ones were. “My mind raced back to the evening in 1995 when a firefighter, with tears in his eyes, told me they had finally reached the daycare,” he recalled. “I wondered if this night would end in the same way, with a brave firefighter crying on my shoulder for the children that were lost.”

Eventually Sgt. Daniels found himself among the first responders who had recovered the children lost from the rubble. They didn’t want a lot of people in the area; these brave men and women needed to process what had happened, but they also asked that one person stay with them. Sgt. Daniels stayed, offering to listen if they needed to talk. He was there with them until the medical examiner and mortician arrived. “My heart broke,” he said, “as I saw these men and women who have committed their lives to saving others watch the vans leave with those that they could not save.”

Sgt. Daniels has stayed in Moore since the tornado. He continues to care for those who are struggling, hurt, and emotionally drained from losses of homes, transportation, loved ones, and security.

Salvation Army officers are trained in emotional and spiritual care.  They  may not be able to heal a broken bone, but they step in when they can to help heal a broken heart; they do it with hot meals, cold water, a hug, and a prayer because they know that these small actions can be more powerful than they seem.

 Serving in Moore over the last week, Sgt. Daniels has traveled through the same neighborhoods over and over. The daily improvements aren’t drastic; they are slow and steady. The roads clear one day, as a few destroyed cars have been hauled off. The most common sight is homeowners sorting and cleaning, throwing out the obvious trash and keeping the items that might be salvageable--or are just too precious to let go. Salvation Army mobile kitchen units, like what Sgt. Daniels uses, drive up and down the streets, offering support—food, comfort, prayer, whatever is needed.

 Sometimes the impact of The Salvation Army isn’t seen but felt. One woman in her early 50s sat on her porch every day waiting for Sgt. Daniels and his canteen. Day after day she would only take a bottle of water or Gatorade and a bit of food . And she was always alone. Her home was standing, but there was damage all around her and large holes in her roof. When Sgt. Daniels asked if she needed anything--gloves, masks, or sunscreen--she said she was fine, but wanted to thank him for coming by to check on her. “She told me that as much as she appreciated the cold drinks and food,” he said, “we gave her something much more important; comfort and stability.”

"’I know that you will come by here at least twice every day, and whenever you come by, you will ask me how I am doing and how you can help,’ she told me. ‘While the rest of my world is turned upside down, I know The Salvation Army will always be right on time when I need you most.”

At the end of their daily conversation Sgt. Daniels prays with her, hugs her neck, and continues making  his way through the ruined neighborhood. - Lindsay
 

The latest news from Moore

Preparing meals in the canteen

Salvation Army Monitoring Oklahoma Severe Weather Forecasts, Planning for Public and Personnel Safety in Ongoing Emergency Disaster Services 

The Salvation Army’s tornado recovery effort continues in Oklahoma. With severe weather forecast for a widespread area around Oklahoma City this afternoon and evening, the Emergency Disaster Services team is closely monitoring weather conditions and making plans for today’s feeding, distribution, and emotional and spiritual care operations.

Safety is our top priority for all EDS personnel as well as the Oklahomans we serve.
We are enacting safety guidelines for all ongoing Salvation Army tornado response operations, which include instructions for all EDS staff to monitor weather radio for updates on ongoing weather threats and if severe weather moves into the area to seek shelter immediately at the closest designated safe facility.

For the safety of the public and EDS personnel, The Salvation Army is making the following modification to today’s services:

First responders wait for their meal

Plaza Mayor at Crossroads (Distribution Center/Warehouse)

· This location will undergo a close for distribution at 2:30 PM today (5/29).

All Salvation Army Fixed and Roving Feedings will be available today through 2:30 p.m.

The Salvation Army will continue to monitor the weather each day and make any necessary modifications to services, locations, and personnel that may be necessary for public and personnel safety.

Daily updates will be issued as necessary.

Since Sunday, May 19, The Salvation Army has provided 33,904 meals, 45,874 drinks, and 34,000 snacks, 18 Canteens (mobile feeding units), 978 Clean Up and 1,064 Comfort (hygiene) kits, and prayer with 4,033 persons since Sunday, May 19. Nearly 7,500 man-hours have been logged by volunteers, employees and officers.

For the most recent, detailed information, visit www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.

For those who would like to give to The Salvation Army, please consider a monetary donation. It is easy to give to The Salvation Army:

· By phone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)
· Online at www.salvationarmyusa.org

· By mail: The Salvation Army - Disaster Relief P.O. BOX 2536 Oklahoma City, OK 73102. Please make checks payable to "The Salvation Army" and clearly marked "May 2013 Oklahoma Tornadoes."

· You can also text the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone; to confirm your gift, respond with the word “Yes.”*


Currently, The Salvation Army is not accepting in-kind donations from the general public for disaster relief operations. In-kind donations require sorting, boxing, palletizing, storage, and delivery to the disaster location. All of these activities can be costly and time consuming, and therefore may delay service delivery. Used clothing and used furnishings are not needed for disaster relief.
However, The Salvation Army depends upon your donation of used clothing and other items to support local programming. Please consider donating your used clothing to your local Salvation Army Family Store.

In the Oklahoma City area, in-kind donations will only be accepted at The Salvation Army’s location at 7th St. and Pennsylvania Ave.

Tulsa helps in Moore

The Salvation Army Tulsa Area Command has a presence in aftermath of tornado

 

Salvation Army Lieutenant Autry surveys damagefrom the Moore tornado.

The Tulsa Area Command canteen is serving beverages, meals and comfort for tornado victims.

This volunteer is helping in the mobile feeding unit at the tornado site.

Photos by Lindsay Sparks, who has been deployed to Moore to help in the aftermath of the tornado.

Reasor's $10K gift matched by generous Tulsans! & an F.A.Q.

These neighbors brought water.

This has been an incredible week, heart breaking and heart warming at the same time. I’ve spent much of the week talking to people on the phone who want to do something to help tornado victims in Moore, Shawnee, and other hard hit locales. “I want to do something but I feel so helpless,” said one kind businessman who wanted to give us a truckload of turkey sandwiches to deliver to Moore. We couldn’t accept them because they’re perishable, but he was interested in donating other items such as work gloves to help with the relief effort. If you have items you want to donate for tornado recovery, please take them to a Reasor’s store.


Reasor’s is one of our fantastic corporate partners and on Tuesday they announced that they would match up to $10,000 of gifts from the public. Tulsans, we made it! If you texted a $10 gift to STORM 80888, it just doubled in value!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

F.A.Q: Where to the donated items go?

Lots of folks who donated items for storm recovery wanted to know where they will be sent. Our warehouse at The Salvation Army (TSA) Tulsa Area Command is the largest TSA storage facility in Oklahoma, so we're going to keep the items we're collecting until they are requested by our staff working at storm recovery sites. We received word two days ago that too many things are being brought in to the recovery area and for agencies to stop sending things until it's better known what is needed.

We'll also need to sort the gifts we've received so we can easily access them to send. For example, if next week the only thing that is needed is work gloves, we don't want people on site to have to dig through other items to find them.

Volunteers helped collect items.

People also asked where our headquarters for storm recovery is. We call it an “Incident Command,” and currently we're using The Salvation Army Arkansas-Oklahoma Divisional Headquarters in Oklahoma City. We have a disaster logistics expert there who will be in charge of getting supplies that we collect in Tulsa to where they are needed in Moore.

Also, next week we hope to hear on-the-scene reports from fellow blogger Lindsay Sparks, who has been deployed to Incident Command on Sunday to work as a Public Information Officer there for seven days.

Have a happy and safe Memorial Day weekend and thank you for all your support this week. -Sallie

Grateful donors give to help others

Deborah Adams and her husband James

When Deborah Adams heard that The Salvation Army Tulsa Area Command was collecting supplies to help with long-term recovery from the storms and tornado she had a personal reason to buy and bring bags of them to The Salvation Army. Her mom, 74-year-old Elaine Furr, lost most of her home and everything in it in the Moore tornado.

I was amazed that Deborah could tell me this without emotion, but her mom also lived through the tornado that hit Moore in 1999. “Plaza Towers Elementary is right behind her house. She used to work there,” Deborah said. For now, her mother is staying with her aunt.

Elaine escaped the tornado by going to a neighbor’s storm cellar. “She knew to do that because of the 1999 tornado,” Deborah said.

Although Elaine’s home is gone, her garage and a workshop next to it are still standing. Trees in the yard were uprooted and crashed into her house. I asked Deborah if her mom would rebuild. “I don’t know but I kind of doubt it,” she said. “She’s had enough.”

Although I  covered several tornados when I was a reporter, I cannot even begin to imagine what it’s really like. I’m just thankful Deborah’s mom made it and that so many people are helping. We'll be collecting supplies from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. tomorrow too, so please stop by.

-Sallie

Collections for tornado victims continue

Tulsans help The Salvation Army Tulsa Area Command by donating items for tornado victims
 
Tulsans helped tornado victims by donating needed items to The Salvation Army (TSA) Tulsa Area Command Tuesday and the collection effort will continue today and tomorrow. The Tulsa Area Command is collecting hydration items, snacks and toiletries to give to people in Moore who are helping with recovery. 

Tulsa Area Command will collect items listed below today from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and from noon to 4:30p.m. Thursday and Friday in the west parking lot of their headquarters at 924 S. Hudson.

Reasor’s Foods grocery stores will also collect the below items to give to The Salvation Army for tornado recovery in Moore. Reasor’s also will match up to $10,000 of donations made when people text STORM to 80888 to donate $10 to The Salvation Army for tornado relief. 

Items Needed for Tornado Recovery:
Bottled water
Gatorade
Wet Wipes
Individually wrapped snacks
Hand sanitizer
Work gloves
Sunscreen
Heavy duty trash bags
Personal sanitation items, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant.

NO CLOTHING DONATIONS ARE NEEDED AT THIS TIME. Storage is limited and must be used for immediate needs. Cash donations are preferred, as the funds can be used immediately where there is the greatest. All items will be used for disaster victims locally.

How to help:
TEXT TO GIVE by texting STORM to 80888 for a $10 donation

 
DONATE BY MAIL
The Salvation Army Disaster Relief
P.O. BOX 12600
Oklahoma City, OK 73157
Please designate Oklahoma Tornado Relief on all checks.

DONATE BY PHONE
1-800-SAL-ARMY
(1-800-725-2769)

DONATE ONLINE
https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/uss/eds/aok

 

How Tulsans Can Help with Moore Tornado Disaster Relief

 From Tuesday morning's press release:

https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/uss/eds/aok

Victor Higgins (left) and his wife Karen were the first people to donate items in Tulsa to help people in Moore.

In addition to taking a mobile feeding unit to Moore during the aftermath of the tornado, The Salvation Army Tulsa Area Command is collecting toiletries, hydration items and snacks to help people in Moore.  The Tulsa Area Command will collect the following items from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. TODAY (Tues., May 21)  in the west parking lot of their headquarters at 924 S. Hudson. 

UPDATE: Goods donations will be accepted through Friday- from 10am to 4:30pm on Wed and from 12noon to 4:30 on Thursday and Friday.
 

Bottled water

Gatorade

Wet wipes

Individually wrapped snacks

Hand sanitizer

Work gloves

Sunscreen

Heavy duty trash bags

Personal sanitation items, toothpaste, toothbrushes, shampoo, conditioner, deodorant.

NO CLOTHING DONATIONS ARE NEEDED AT THIS TIME. Storage is limited and must be used for immediate needs.

Cash donations are preferred, as the funds can be used immediately where there is the greatest.

All items will be used locally.  

How to donate funds:

 

DONATE BY MAIL

The Salvation Army Disaster Relief

P.O. BOX 12600

Oklahoma City, OK 73157

Please designate Oklahoma Tornado Relief on all checks.

 

DONATE BY PHONE

1-800-SAL-ARMY

(1-800-725-2769)

 

DONATE ONLINE

https://donate.salvationarmyusa.org/uss/eds/aok

 

TEXT TO GIVE: Text GIVE to 80888 for a $10 donation

Volunteers:

Volunteers are needed in Tulsa to assist with collecting donations.To find out more information about current and future volunteer needs, call 918-587-7801.

TSA Disaster Training

Last weekend, Tulsa Area Command hosted a Salvation Army disaster training. 

I have always been interested in volunteering in a disaster so I was quick to sign up.  Many others did as well.  We offered 6 courses and had volunteers from at least 3 states attend! 

Why does this matter? Because a well trained volunteer network ensure a quick, effective and organized disaster response team when it is needed most.  

My class was Incident Command Systems, which is basically learning the Salvation Army version of the federal NIMS system, which is used by FEMA, local emergency management, fire departments and others.  It basically ensures continuity between all the responders during a disaster.  What makes the Salvation Army's command system a little different is that we have a large focus on emotional and spiritual care.  Yes, we provide food, shelter and other needed items but we also offer a shoulder, prayer and reminder of God's love. 

The capstone part of my course was a mock disaster where we had to set up a command structure, identify our resources, utilize them appropriately and properly delegate the disaster related issues that popped up.  

What did I learn? It takes an Army to stay organized during a catastrophic event and I'm very glad The Salvation Army has a plan to handle whatever may come.  

- Lindsay

Disaster Training - Sign up Today!

Have you ever watched news coverage of a disaster and saw the brave volunteers in red, and wondered who they are and how they know what to do? Those caring civilians are actually well trained Salvation Army disaster relief volunteers and they help us do the most good when disaster strikes.

Many people think about helping disaster victims when a disaster happens, what most people don’t realize is that the time to be prepared is now-- BEFORE a disaster hits.  This is why it’s so important to have trained volunteers in the wings waiting for when the time comes. The Salvation Army relies on volunteers to deliver quick and efficient relief to victims of disasters like hurricanes, fires, tornadoes, etc. across the country.
 
If you are interested in learning about our disaster training program or becoming one of our well trained volunteers then please join us for our Disaster Training, January 25 and 26.  Training is free to attend and all registrations must be returned by January 18.  Click here to register or for more information contact Jenny McElyea, Volunteer Coordinator. Jenny_McElyea{at}uss.salvationarmy{dot}org. If you are trained you will become a part of our national disaster team and will be notified when your services are needed, both in Oklahoma and across the U.S.

Courses available:

Class 1 - Introduction to Disaster Services (pre-requisite)
This class is for those new to disaster services. It is an overview of The Salvation Army’s mission and role within disaster work.
Class 2 - Individual Crisis Intervention
This course is for those wanting to develop skills for one-on-one crisis intervention techniques in the fields of emotional and spiritual care, disaster response, etc.
Class 3 - ServSafe Basics
This course is for anyone wanting to serve in mass feeding.
Class 4 - Incident Command System
This course provides participants with the general orientation to The Salvation Army Incident Command system and explains how it is used to command, control, and coordinate disaster relief operations.
Class 5 - Foundations of Emotional and Spiritual Care
This course is designed to provide a basic understanding of emotional and spiritual care during times of disaster.
Class 6 - Canteen Operations
This course will train delegates how to use an emergency mobile feeding unit, including preparing and serving lunch for the training, and cleaning up and stowing the unit.

*The Salvation Army's national disaster training program includes courses developed by The Salvation Army and training certified by other partner organizations whose technical expertise is nationally recognized in a given field.

-Jenny

Buffalo Wild Wings Helps Tornado Victims

Buffalo Wild Wings® Grill & Bar announced on June 22 that it will donate 10 percent of non-alcoholic sales to The Salvation Army’s Tornado Relief Fund. Tulsa location in Broken Arrow and Tulsa will be participating in this great event!

“We are always looking for ways to give back to our local community and hopefully help our guests as well,” said Kathy Benning, Buffalo Wild Wings® Executive Vice President Global Marketing & Brand Development.  “By offering 10% of sales on June 29 to The Salvation Army, Buffalo Wild Wings and our guests are supporting our friends and neighbors. We are confident that our combined efforts will greatly help the lives of those impacted by the recent horrific tornados.”

Over 400 restaurants are participating nation-wide including both Tulsa area locations. Guests can visit any participating Buffalo Wild Wings® on June 29 and 10% of the food sale will benefit The Salvation Army Tornado Relief.

“Buffalo Wild Wings’ dedication to service is a blessing.  Through this partnership, Salvation Army caseworkers and disaster response personnel will serve even more survivors as they rebuild their lives and homes.” Jeff Jellets, Territorial Disaster Coordinator for The Salvation Army.

Customers unable to visit a restaurant can also donate online at www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org.

Personally, I love Buffalo Wild Wings! It has been too long since I visited one so I am super excited for this opportunity to enjoy my favorite wings and help The Salvation Army at the same time.  So, get a group together for lunch or load up your family for dinner, just go! I promise you won't be disappointed! 

~Lindsay

Midwestern Tornado Relief

The Arkansas-Oklahoma Division is responding to storms across the Midwest. The Tulsa mobile feeding unit was dispatched last night to the Joplin area with Captain Warren Jones from our Sapulpa Corp and one volunteer ready to serve. In Joplin, they will serve alongside other officers and volunteers to help all of those in need. Please continue your prayers for all of those affected.

To give a gift to support relief efforts text the word JOPLIN to 80888, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY or give securely online here.

Salvation Army Prepares for Winter Storm

Photo courtesy of www.thesouthernfamily.net
Aubree Southern

Salvation Army facilities in metro Tulsa and Sand Springs are preparing for the winter storm that is expected to bring record-cold temperatures and precipitation to the area tomorrow. 
The Center of Hope, the largest homeless shelter in northeast Oklahoma, is prepared for record numbers of overnight guests. An average of approximately 300 people stay at the shelter every night. Almost 1,000 hot meals are served every day at the shelter on average. Cold weather and precipitation are expected to greatly increase these numbers over the next few days.
The Salvation Army mobile feeding unit based in Tulsa is prepared to serve 5,000 hot meals a day. The Salvation Army Sand Springs Corps and Boys & Girls Club is on standby to open as a warming station and can accommodate up to 100 overnight guests if needed.  Supplies are ready to be picked up at the Emergency Operations Command at 924 S. Hudson by Salvation Army units as far as Muskogee. Warming stations will be open at Salvation Army facilities across the state, including in Stillwater, Bartlesville and Lawton.  Stay warm!!
-Sallie 

Share this information:

Warming and shelter available at 102 N. Denver
Tulsa, OK (918) 582-7201

and

Warming and shelter at 4403 S. 129th W. Ave

Sand Springs, OK (918) 245-2237 (Call first)

Five Years Later

As we approach the 5th year anniversary of Katrina, the nation is reflecting this week on tragedy that befell the Gulf Coast so many years ago and how the area has pressed on since. As an integral part of the community, The Salvation Army was there before the storm, and we were there after working to provide support and help rebuild.

As a part of continuing recovery efforts, The Salvation Army is investing in projects, communities and individual lives in order to help the area become even stronger than before. Five New Orleans neighborhoods are being revived with affordable, green housing thanks to EnviRenew, a project of The Salvation Army New Orleans. Emerge is encouraging youth with positive incentives to learn. A new Salvation Army Kroc Community Center is under construction that will provide the residents of Biloxi, Mississippi with educational opportunities, exercise facilities, services for the community, and many other resources. And these are just a few of numerous ways The Salvation Army is helping the Gulf achieve a brighter future.

The above video “When the Winds Died Down” gives a personal look at how members of the Gulf Coast community found support and hope from The Salvation Army following Hurrican Katrina. We’ll continue to post a new video each day this week that delves further into each individual’s personal story and how The Salvation Army helped them rebuild.
(Text from The Salvation Army Blog)

Salvation Army Responds to Local Tornadoes

Oklahoma City, OK  – The Arkansas-Oklahoma Division of The Salvation Army is responding to multiple areas where tornadoes touched down on May 10. A series of ten tornadoes crossed the state and meteorologists believe they were all part of one big super cell.   Five fatalities have now been confirmed and search and rescue efforts continue.  A second search is being conducted of the 49 square mile area hard hit in rural Oklahoma County.   Governor Brad Henry has declared a State of Emergency to exist in 56 Oklahoma counties due to tornadoes and severe storms that ripped through the state yesterday.

Currently, in Oklahoma County, preliminary reports are of 40 homes damaged, between 40 and 50 destroyed; 40 businesses destroyed. 46 patients, 2 of which are critical; and 2 confirmed fatalities.  In Okmulgee County:  No injuries; many homes with minor damage; Major damage to the
marina; 1 business sustained substantial damage.  In Seminole County: Three-quarters of the Seminole Municipal Airport is destroyed; 50 homes damaged; undetermined number of injuries.

Currently the Arkansas-Oklahoma Division has six mobile feeding and hydration units responding to the following areas:  involved in the following:

• The Central Oklahoma Area Command (COAC) canteen is located at 1-240 and Anderson Road at the Incident Commander Center providing meals and hydration to emergency responders. The Shawnee trailer unit deployed to Tecumseh and will be deploying emotional and spiritual care team as well due to fatalities.
• The Ardmore canteen is deployed in the Norman and Cleveland County area.
• The Enid canteen is deployed to Little Axe, east of Lake Thunderbird.
• The McAlester Canteen is deployed to assist Shawnee with response efforts in various parts of Seminole and Pottawatomie Counties.
• The Shawnee hydration unit is deployed per the request of County Emergency Management to help with utility workers and county workers near Seminole.
• The Tulsa canteen is deployed and will be at a fixed site in Seminole.

Devastation in Haiti

The Salvation Army is rapidly mobilizing and responding to the devastating magnitude 7.0 earthquake that shook Haiti yesterday. To better understand the tragedy this country is facing, please take a moment to read the letter at the end of this post from Bob Poff, the Salvation Army’s Divisional Director of Disaster Services in Haiti, regarding his account when the earthquake hit. CLICK READ MORE BELOW TO SEE BOB'S LETTER.

With many people missing, injured, or killed, and much of Haiti’s infrastructure damaged, the Salvation Army needs your help to provide much needed aid.
The Salvation Army is accepting monetary donations to assist in the effort via:
• Online Credit Card Donations
• 1-800-SAL-ARMY
• postal mail at:
The Salvation Army World Service Office
International Disaster Relief Fund
PO Box 630728
Baltimore, MD 21263-0728
(*designate checks and money orders to ‘Haiti Earthquake’)