The Western Division of the Central Territory includes: Iowa; Nebraska and South Dakota. The Western Divisional Headquarters is located in Omaha, NE.
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The Salvation Army Update on Haiti Relief Operations
Port-au-Prince, Haiti: Highlights of The Salvation Army's relief work for January 27 include the following:
Team members in PaP accepted a shipment of 18 pallets of food and 4 pallets of bottled water sent over from the logistics team in Miami. The 18 pallets of food represent over 213,000 meals.
Food sufficient for 11,000 meals was given to support a group of Haitian technicians who are working to restore the communication system in Haiti. Lack of good communication remains one of the significant challenges that continue to hamper the effective coordination of relief efforts.
Over 100 preschoolers attended classes again today.
Approximately 250 patients received medical attention from doctors at The Salvation Army compound.
Arrangements to facilitate a food and water distribution in Petit Goave were finalized in preparation for what is believed to be the first major delivery of relief aid that will reach earthquake survivors in this coastal community.Salvation Army personnel continued to network with other agencies to coordinate essential services for the thousands of families we are standing alongside of in Port-au-Prince.
Team members in Haiti continue to be supported by logistics managers and many hundreds of volunteers as food and other critically needed supplies are purchased, repackaged, and then shipped to the warehousing facility in Miami to be readied for final shipment to Haiti and ultimately distributed to families who have been displaced and rendered homeless by the earthquake. This is truly a massive effort that must be managed throughout the entire process in order to ensure that an uninterrupted supply of relief goods are available to the people of Haiti while the country's infrastructure is rebuilt and normal supply chains are reestablished.
Monetary donations and prayer are the two most critical needs as supplies and personnel are mobilized
Donors can text the word HAITI to 52000 to donate $10 to The Salvation Army's relief efforts via their phone bill. It is important for donors to confirm their donation with the word, "yes."
Monetary donations can also be made through:
www.givesalvationarmyorg
1-800-SAL-ARMY
The Salvation Army
Disaster Relief Fund
3612 Cuming Street
Omaha NE 68131
*Please note that your donation is for Haiti Earthquake relief*
Even before donations are processed, The Salvation Army is committing and spending money on relief efforts in Haiti. Donations are critical now and also help ensure that the long-term needs of the Haitian people are met.
The Salvation Army has had a presence in Haiti since 1950 and its personnel who were affected by the earthquake are now working to assist others in need The Salvation Army operates schools, clinics, hospital, feeding programs, children's homes and church-related activities through some 60 Corps community centers across the country.
For more information on the Haiti relief effort, click here
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SUPER LOVE SENDER LAUNCHES ON TARGET FACEBOOK PAGE IN
CELEBRATION OF VALENTINE'S DAY AND THE BIG GAME
Online Community to Help Target Give $1 Million to Select Charities
Target, which gives $3 million a week to support education, the arts, social services and volunteerism nationwide, invites the online community and its more than 725,000 fans on Facebook® to participate in Super Love Sender, a two-week-long giving campaign on its Facebook Page (facebook.com/Target).
The campaign, which runs from January 31 through February 14, 2010, combines football and love just in time for Super Bowl XLIV and Valentine's Day, and allows participants to choose how five national charities will receive a portion of $1 million from Target to fund educational programming.
The five charities are:
· Kids In Need Foundation
· St. Jude Children's Research Hospital®
· The Salvation Army
· United Through Reading® Military Program
· United Way
Through Super Love Sender, everyone can upload a personal photo and customize one of three quirky Valentine's Day, football-inspired video cards to send to friends and family in support of the select charities. Every time a video card is sent, the guest-chosen charity will receive one vote. The total percentage of votes will correlate to the charities' portion of the $1 million received in a one-time donation from Target.
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SALVATION ARMY ACCEPTING CALLS FOR HEAT ASSISTANCE
Heat Aid Fund to Operate Year-Round
The Heat Aid hotline is 402-898-5966. The Heat Aid Fund was established by M.U.D. in 1983 and is administered by The Salvation Army. The Fund has served more than 25,000 older and physically or mentally challenged customers since its inception. Beginning January 11, the Heat Aid Fund will operate on a year-around basis to provide older and disabled neighbors with greater access to funds for utility bills. Previously, the program ran for six months out of the year.
Monetary donations can be made through monthly billing statements, on-line at givesalvationarmy.org or mailed directly to The Salvation Army, 3612 Cuming Street, Omaha NE 68131. The Salvation Army also partners with utility companies outside the M.U.D. service area including Black Hills Energy. Residents who reside in these areas (outside the Omaha MUD area) can contact The Salvation Army Service Extension Office at 1-800-699-3439 ext. 5885 directly for more information. Assistance is also offered year-round. Residents of Council Bluffs may contact the local Salvation Army for heat assistance by calling 712-328-2088. Applicants must make their first request for aid through the government programs.
Those who qualify for assistance must have received a heating service shut off notice; be of age 60 or older, or suffer from a medical disability. The Salvation Army will also take the applicants' payment history into consideration.
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SALVATION ARMY WINTER NIGHT WATCH BEGINS ITS 21st YEAR
For 21 years, The Salvation Army's Winter Night Watch program has helped make cold winter nights bearable for the homeless and near-homeless of Omaha. This year, the mobile feeding program will make its first run of the season on Tuesday evening, December 1, departing at 5:45 pm from the Lied Renaissance Center, 3612 Cuming Street.
Winter Night Watch takes aid directly to the streets, providing low income and often homeless people with a hot meal and warm clothing. While the program meets the immediate physical needs of people, it also offers individuals counseling and the opportunity to move off the streets.
"It may be the only hot meal a family or an individual will eat all day," said J.J. Kuzma, The Salvation Army's director of disaster services. "What we're doing is what The Salvation Army is all about. We help people in times of need."
Kuzma added that The Salvation Army expects to feed as many as 400 individuals per night at the height of the season. Last winter, the Winter Night Watch served more than 16,000 meals and distributed thousands of coats, hats, gloves and scarves. This year, however, Kuzma said he expects those numbers to increase as a result of a weak economy.
The Salvation Army canteen will patrol the streets of Omaha five nights a week (Monday-Friday), 6:00-9:00 p.m., from December 1 through the month of February, 2010. The canteen stops and multiple locations where the homeless and near-homeless gather each evening.
Monetary donations are needed to purchase food, fuel and paper products. Donations can be made on-line at www.GiveSalvationArmy.org, or mailed to The Salvation Army, 3612 Cuming St., Omaha, NE 68131, earmarked "Winter Night Watch." Contributions to the red kettle also support Winter Night Watch.
Media representatives are invited to accompany Winter Night Watch volunteers on any evening of the program. Please call 898-5908 in advance.
Photo opportunities: December 1 - 5:30 p.m., Lied Renaissance Center, 3612 Cuming Street
Salvation Army staff and volunteers load mobile unit with food and winter
outerwear.
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SALVATION ARMY OFFERS HOPE IN TIMES OF STRESS
With today's economy, just making it through the day can be tough. That's why The Salvation Army provides an array of mental health programs and services. Last year, The Salvation Army helped more than 540 people in the Omaha area manage their mental health challenges.
The Salvation Army Transitional Residential Program (TRP), focuses on assisting individuals experiencing a behavioral health crisis. The program offers workshops in self empowerment, stabilization and transition into community based services. The Salvation Army also offers an Emergency Community Support Program (ECSP), a 90-day program designed to help individuals control their behavioral health issues with advocacy, crisis management and service coordination.
Another Salvation Army service, known as the Peer Support Program, allows individuals facing mental health problems to talk with someone who has been in their shoes. Tom Rundall, a peer specialist for The Salvation Army, was once a participant in ECSP and TRP. He said that the Peer Support Program can make recovery from mental illness a reality.
"Having lived through similar experiences as the people I'm serving, we are able to relate to each other in ways that other service providers are not," Rundall said. "The changes that have taken place in my life serve as evidence of what can be accomplished when hope, support and encouragement are provided."
For more information on The Salvation Army programs and services, visit www.givesalvationarmy.org.
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The Salvation Army Lied Renaissance Center
Omaha, Nebraska
The Salvation Army in Omaha, Nebraska has an established history of providing high quality comprehensive care to people needing assistance in the Omaha area. Currently, The Salvation Army operates a multi-service campus located at 3612 Cuming Street, providing a variety of services to individuals and families across all life stages and circumstances. This facility is unique in the nation in terms of the variety of diverse programming offered on-site: including child and youth care; material assistance; case management and community support; behavioral health services; transitional housing programs; socio-educational and support groups; jail outreach, senior services and spiritual care if requested. The Lied Renaissance Center campus is a micro-comunity with more than 200 people living on the campus on any given day. Such an array of residential care and services provide unparalled access within a holistic, integrated, and caring community environment. Below are some of the faces that have travelled through one of our programs.
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