Salvation Army Mobilizing Resources To Aid With Haiti Relief

Salisbury, MD (January 14, 2010) – Just as the world is reacting to the horrific tragedy in Haiti, local residents have been calling the Salisbury Corps of The Salvation Army asking how they can be of help.

“Our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti at this time and especially our Salvation Army officers and employees throughout Haiti,” said Captain Cameron Henderson, Corps Officer for The Salvation Army in Salisbury.

According to Henderson, who has been in touch with fellow officers serving in Haiti, “words cannot describe the devastation that has taken place in and around Port au Prince”.

The Salvation Army has had a presence in Haiti since 1950 and currently operates schools, clinics, a hospital, feeding programs, children's homes and church-related activities spread across two major facilities in Port au Prince, close to the epicenter of the earthquake and at other locations in the country.

One of the facilities, or compounds as it is referred to, includes a home for more than 50 children; a school with a daily attendance of 1,500 children; a medical clinic caring for 150-200 people daily; and a church that on any typical Sunday welcomes nearly 1,000 people. The facility is less than 10 minutes from the National Palace and is in an area known as St. Martin that’s home to predominantly poor living in the nation’s capital.

The second compound that houses Salvation Army administrative offices is being used as an emergency operations center; damage was slight to this compound, according to Salvation Army reports from Haiti. The Salvation Army hospital in Fond-des-Negres (75 miles west of Port-au-Prince) reports some minor damage, but no injuries.

"Corps Officers in Port au Prince report no one in the compound was injured during the earthquake, but the children’s home, the clinic and church suffered major damage,” said Henderson. “Several smaller buildings, including residences, have collapsed completely. People were sleeping in the parking lot overnight, while severe aftershocks continued to affect the country.”

The Salvation Army is mobilizing resources and personnel to assist with the international relief effort in Haiti following the severe earthquake Tuesday.
The Salvation Army’s World Services Office, based in Alexandria, VA, is prepared to commit more financial resources, as well as food, water and other emergency supplies, to assist in the recovery.

The organization is preparing to send more than 44,000 lbs of pre-packaged emergency rations to the country, along with emergency disaster teams. The Salvation Army is working with other agencies to identify appropriate transportation for the food. As with all such relief efforts, The Salvation Army will be a part of the initial emergency response while assessing longer term needs of the residents.

“Right now, the best thing that local organizations and individuals who wish to help can do is to donate money,” said Henderson. Donations can be made online, by phone or by postal mail by logging on to  HYPERLINK "http://www.salvationarmyusa.org"
www.salvationarmyusa.org, calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY or sending donations to The Salvation Army World Service Office, International Disaster Relief Fund, PO Box 630728, Baltimore, MD 21263-0728 or locally to The Salvation Army, P. O. Box 3235, Salisbury, Maryland 21902.

“We want all donors to know that 100% of their donations will go directly to the relief effort,” said Henderson. “Please be sure to either include a note or write Haiti Relief on your check,” he concluded.