(Press release)

The Salvation Army has been working since September 11th – prior to Ike’s landfall – feeding evacuees and providing for their needs. Once Ike arrived, The Salvation Army moved into affected areas immediately to continue feeding first responders and victims of the horrific hurricane that battered the shores of Texas.

In conjunction with meeting the physical needs of people on the front lines, The Salvation Army is striving to meet spiritual and emotional needs as well. During Ike’s recovery phase, we have prayed with more than 1,000 individuals, bringing peace and reassurance to them during a time of uncertainty. One person said, “Just seeing the Army brings comfort to my spirit.”

The following accounts are from Salvation Army disaster workers, as told by Captain Stephen Story, Public Information Officer at the Texas City Incident Command Post:

David McQueen, a Salvation Army employee, said, “Every where I’ve gone today, people have stopped me and expressed their thanks for what The Salvation Army is doing for the community.”

Juan Gomez, another Salvation Army employee, told the following: “I was talking to a lady today who had moved to Galveston Island after being in Hurricane Katrina. She lost her apartment in Katrina, and had significant damage to her home on the island. She told me that she feels like she has gotten more help in this disaster, and that it has mainly come from The Salvation Army. She got a little teary-eyed while expressing her thanks for what we were doing.”

Ben Cannon, serving in Bayou Vista, related the following account: A woman came by the Canteen for assistance and stepped on a nail. She was a cancer victim and was concerned about an infection. Ben was applying first aid to her foot, and while he was kneeling down and holding her foot, he looked up at her and said, “I’m sorry, but I forgot the glass slipper.” He prayed with her, and gave her some words of encouragement. He said, “She was smiling as she left the canteen.”

Hugo Balderas, Salvation Army volunteer, was serving on the McAllen, Texas, canteen when a couple came up to them in need of help. They told of an elderly couple who arrived at their second floor apartment to find that the stairs were gone and they were unable to get in. In the process, the elderly woman began to have a heart attack. The canteen workers were able to get an ambulance to them to give assistance.

Major Henry Gonzalez, Divisional Commander for The Salvation Army of Texas, commented that The Salvation Army is full of people who are full of compassion. They are committed to helping others by going into the hardest hit communities, taking their neighbors by the hand and suffering alongside them for as long as is needed. “Whether the need is for a warm meal, a listening ear, or someone to pray with, The Salvation Army is here for those who are suffering,” said Major Gonzalez.