• Lt. Jared Martin

The Salvation Army Speaks Hope to Tragedy

Brunswick, GA (September 15, 2017) – Tragedies have a tendency to pile up. Just three months ago a mother of three attended her husband’s funeral. He was only 43. When the mayor ordered an evacuation for Hurricane Irma, she spent her rent money taking her children to safety. When she returned home she had 42 cents and a landlord demanding payment.  She had never asked for help before, but she didn’t know what to do.

The Salvation Army’s social worker, Audrey Easterling, greeted her with open arms. The Salvation Army paid her full month’s rent, and provided a box of food and fresh water. Aubrey encouraged her, “Don’t you give up.” She responded, between tears, “God has never failed me and my kids and I am not going to stop trusting him now. There are some storms out there on the horizon but we are not going to give up trusting him.”

It is that very trust in God that motivates The Salvation Army to do the most good for the most people in the most need. Captain Billie Powell, officer of the Brunswick corps, said, “We are supposed to be the hands and feet of Jesus. People should not be hungry or thirsty.”

The Salvation Army has four mobile feeding units feeding over 1200 meals a day. Captains Powell started serving people as they escaped, and they are meeting people in their moment of need as they return. Hurricane survivors can find food, bottled water, ice, clean up kits, and emotional and spiritual care at The Salvation Army’s Center for Worship and Service.

How to help those Harvey and Irma Hurt

A financial contribution is the best way to help.  A cash donation allows charitable relief agencies to use monetary contributions to purchase exactly what disaster survivors need.   Monetary contributions are also easy to get to the disaster area. Moving a container of donated goods can sometimes cost more than the value of the items. Getting a donated commodity into containers and onto a ship, or onto a truck, across the sea or across the country to the disaster site, through the port costs and the customs’ tariffs, quality checked, quantity checked and sorted, and organized into warehouses, incurs a cost at each step. Supplies can almost always be purchased locally at the disaster site and provide savings in multiple ways.  Finally, money used to purchase needed items locally can support local and state economies, helping local businesses and workers, which have suffered losses in the wake of the disaster event.

Online: helpsalvationarmy.org

Donate by phone: 1-800-SAL-ARMY

Mail checks to: The Salvation Army P.O. BOX 1959 Atlanta, GA 30301

Please make checks payable to The Salvation Army and designate 'Hurricane 2017' on all checks.

To receive a donation link via text: Text STORM to 51555

The Salvation Army does not place an administrative fee on disaster donations.  If you donate to hurricane relief efforts (and designate your gift to a specific disaster) 100 percent of the gift will be used in support of that event.  It may be used to provide food and drinks to survivors, cleaning supplies and other essential commodities, direct financial aid to those effected, or to support disaster relief workers serving in the area.