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 in Haiti
Bringing Healing, Wholeness, and Hope
The Salvation Army continues to be a beacon of hope for individuals and families whose lives were devastated by the earthquake. While the Haiti Relief Team maintains support and provides assistance for 20,000 individuals in an area adjacent to their compound in Port-au-Prince, they have reached out to other areas of the country - diligently meeting needs at the point of need at the time of need. There has been a steady, marked improvement in the overall situation in the four weeks since the earthquake. Our own operation has been refined with improved local logistics, communication, accommodation. In addition, better coordination of air traffic means transportation for freight is improved, as well. Relief ministries include the following:
· The Salvation Army Relief Team has established service compounds in three communities - Port-au-Prince, Petit Goave (Satellite), and Jacmel (Satellite). In addition, services are provided to the communities of Croix-des-Bouquets (6 mi east of PAP) and Balan (18 mi east of PAP).
· After being alerted by personnel from the Canadian Military, The Army's Jacmel Assessment Team investigated Decouze, which is a rural site between Port-au-Prince and Jacmel. The team discovered 500 families who had been completely without outside help since the earthquake. The community was clearly in shock but grateful that, finally, "someone from a foreign land had noticed their plight." A determination of future service will be made in the coming days.
· The Salvation Army is being recognized internationally as an expert in effectively and efficiently handling this crisis. WORLD Magazine published an article on February 2nd highlighting this phenomenon. Excerpts include the following: "The UN estimates that as many as 1 million people are homeless, and UN emergency coordinator John Holmes acknowledged that aid delivery remains painfully slow. But in other parts of town, private aid groups are quietly getting work done...[The Army distributed] an estimated 552,000 meals [in] less than four hours...While the UN grapples with the maddening conditions of delivering aid in Haiti, groups like The Salvation Army are proving a point: Some of the best aid is coming from the groups with long standing connections on the ground...Despite the damage, within days Salvation Army staffers formed a plan to be the lead group providing care for a crowd nearing 20,000 people near their compound. At a UN meeting last Monday, The Salvation Army was one of just five non-governmental organizations with a concrete plan for managing a camp."
· In order to increase efficiency, a UPS Trackpad Project is being developed. The Trackpads, provided by UPS, are laptop/handheld scanner/laminated ID cards with barcodes, which will monitor which families receive food at the Point-au-Prince distribution point. This project is expected to begin within the coming weeks.
· The Salvation Army distributed food, blankets, kitchen sets, plastic sheeting, and hygiene kits to 600 families from the Jacmel compound.
· In collaboration with World Concern, The Salvation Army distributed hygiene kits at the Port-au-Prince distribution point.
· Well over 200 people being treated each day.
THE SALVATION ARMY PRESENCE IN HAITI (PRE-EMERGENCY)
The Salvation Army has been officially working in Haiti since 1950. Our present assets in the country include:
· 63 Commissioned Salvation Army Officers
· 161 Employees
· 39 Corps and 23 Outposts (Worship and Community Centers)
· 5 Social Institutions (Clinics, Children's Homes)
· 46 Schools with 443 Teachers
INITIAL EMERGENCY PRIORITIES
The Salvation Army's initial Emergency Assessment has confirmed the following priorities, in order of immediate importance:
1. Water - Safe drinking water
2. Nutrition - Food
3. Medical Assistance - Medical supplies and treatment
4. Shelter
5. Trauma, grief, and spiritual counseling
SHORT TERM RECOVERY
Once the initial needs have been met, the next step will be to provide sustainable solutions to make necessities available to the affect population:
· Repair/reestablish local water sources
· Provide water filtration capacity
· Provide assistance to local population to rebuild permanent, more earthquake resistant housing
· Develop strategic plans for long term Salvation Army Program and Facility Reconstruction
INTO THE FUTURE
The Salvation Army was active in Haiti before the earthquake. We will rebuild our damaged faculties, while continuing our already well established programs. We are committed to standing by the Haitian people as they move into the future.
· Medical clinics
· Education
· Long Term Relief and Reconstruction
· Community Development Projects / Income generation / Child Nutrition / HIV/AIDS
· Advocacy
Monetary donations and prayer are the two most critical needs as supplies and personnel are mobilized
· The Salvation Army had raised more than $9 million for relief efforts.
· 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.givesalvationarmy.org
· 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.
Haiti Disaster Statistics as of February 6, 2010
FOOD TOTAL
Numama Rice delivered 2,041,400 meals
MEARS Ready Eat delivered 6,900 meals
Bottled Water 20oz delivered 23,328 servings
Jugs of Water delivered 6,720 gallons
Water Filtration Systems 30,000 gallons/day
Total Water Supplied 500,000 gallons
SHELTER
8x8 Tents delivered 2,900 tents
Cots delivered 480 cots
MEDICAL
Patients Served 16,110 individuals
MASH Tent delivered 1 tent
Medical Supplies delivered 8,710 lbs
Hygiene Kits delivered 1,500 kits
MISC
Rubbermaid Coolers delivered 480 coolers
Duffel Bags delivered 310 bags
Canvas Tote Bags delivered 10,000 bags
SHIPMENTS
Cargo Flights 10 flights
Cargo Items 556,000 lbs
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.
About The Salvation Army USA
The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for 129 years in the United States. Nearly 30 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through the broadest array of social services that range from providing food for the hungry, relief for disaster victims, assistance for the disabled, outreach to the elderly and ill, clothing and shelter to the homeless and opportunities for underprivileged children. 82 cents of every dollar spent is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.
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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