The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services teams from across the Empire State Division continue to be engaged in disaster relief operations since flash flooding struck across five counties across Upstate New York 13 days ago. Teams and resources from across the entire Division are providing response and recovery services to impacted communities in Cayuga, Herkimer, Madison, Rensselaer and Oneida counties.
“Although the needs in each impacted community have varied in scope and timeline of this disaster, EDS has provided timely services to meet those needs,” said Empire Division EDS Director Michael R. Schwartz. “These services include feeding of survivors and first responders, providing emotional and spiritual care, providing short-term recovery and resources to working with our partners at the American Red Cross, United Methodist Committee on Relief, Team Rubicon, United Way and government agencies and officials across the impacted areas.
“Our number one focus has been on the survivors and our mission has truly been to alleviate suffering. These are our friends and neighbors, our own families have been impacted. That truly brings home the reality that a disaster can happen anywhere at any time. As the EDS team now transitions from response efforts to short and then long term recovery, the message is that this disaster is not over.”
The Salvation Army is committed to and still engaged in providing help to those in need and as residents ourselves of these impacted communities, we are here and will continue to be,” he said.
As of Thursday, July 13, 2017, The Salvation Army has provided:
- Meals: 1,056
- Snacks: 1,141
- Bottles of Water: 3,290
- Clean Up Kits: 799
- Hygiene Kits: 644
- Salvation Army Family Store Vouchers: 112
- Gift Cards: 100
- Emotional and Spiritual Care Contacts: 589
- Liaison to Partners: 1
Salvation Army disaster response vehicles deployed have been from Rochester, Canandaigua, Oneonta and Sidney, with over 725 volunteer hours devoted to helping those in need.
Funding for Emergency Disaster Services comes from generous donors. The Salvation Army does not receive any government funding. For further information or to help, text CNYFLOOD to 41444 or visit bit.ly/cnyfloodrelief.