The Salvation Army’s Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) is providing food, beverage, and spiritual support to survivors and first responders following the severe tornado activity and damage in Oklahoma yesterday and today.

The Salvation Army is currently mobilizing disaster response units to serve hard-hit areas in Central Oklahoma, including Moore and South Oklahoma City.

The Salvation Army has been responding to many impacted areas throughout Oklahoma today, including:

• • In Pottawatomie County: The McAlester, OK and Shawnee, OK disaster response teams served multiple locations in the Shawnee area, including devastated neighborhoods and rural areas throughout the night and day.  Around 3:00 PM all units were pulled into safety as tremendous storms threatened the area. Response teams will be out once again upon an all-clear.
  • In Lincoln County: The Enid, OK canteen provided breakfast, lunch & dinner to the Carney, OK area throughout the early morning hours and all day today.
  • In Cleveland County: The Central Oklahoma Area Command Disaster Service Unit responded to the Little Axe area with breakfast, lunch & dinner today.  The Salvation Army was responding, even as one of our Salvation Army family member’s home was destroyed.

Monetary donations are the most critical need as supplies and personnel are mobilized.

Donors are encouraged to give online at www.SalvationArmyUSA.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769).

You can also text the word “STORM” to 80888 to make a $10 donation through your mobile phone; to confirm your gift, respond with the word “Yes.”*

Donations in the form of checks designated to Oklahoma Tornado Relief may also be mailed locally to:

Please designate as “Oklahoma Tornado Relief” on memo line

Your donations make a real difference.

• A $10 donation feeds a disaster survivor for one day.
• A $30 donation provides one food box, containing staple foods for a family of four, or one household cleanup kit, containing brooms, mops, buckets and other cleaning supplies
• A $100 donation can serve snacks and drinks for 125 survivors and emergency personnel at the scene of a disaster
• A $250 donation can provide one hot meal to 100 people or keep a hydration station operational for 24 hours
• A $500 donation keeps a Salvation Army canteen (mobile feeding unit) fully operational for one day

Salvation Army Statements

 Major Steve Morris, Divisional Commander of the Arkansas-Oklahoma Division of The Salvation Army

• “The Salvation Army is calling on everyone to pray for all of those impacted by the devastating tornadoes in Oklahoma.”

•  “Many of these impacted communities will take months or even years to recover. The Salvation Army is committed to being there with them throughout and providing aid wherever it’s needed.”

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About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 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 The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.

*A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Message & Data Rates May Apply. All charges are billed by and payable to your mobile service provider. Service is available on Verizon Wireless, AT&T, Sprint and TMobile. By participating you certify that you agree to the terms and conditions, that you are 18 yrs. or older, or have parental permission, and have authorization from the account holder. Donations are collected for the benefit of The Salvation Army by the Innovative Giving Foundation and subject to the terms found at igfn.org/t. Privacy policy: igfn.org/p. Text STOP to 80888 to stop; Text HELP to 80888 for help.

Saturday, June 1st

75th Annual National Donut Day Fun Facts:

During National Salvation Army Week, The Salvation Army was out at  Cherry Vale Mall thanking donors in Winnebago County who have helped contribute more than $800,000.

To see video click here.

All 4,000 plus cans of food are being donated to The Salvation Army Food Pantry.  Volunteers are needed for tear down on Saturday, June 1st from 8 – 10 pm. Closed toe shoes are required and you have be able work use a box cutter, bend, pack cans into boxes and lift boxes.  You can signup online at www.ringbells.org or call 815-962-7207.

Many thanks to SAM FURMAN of the GroundUP, Rockford AIA Architects, and volunteers for building the AmeriCAN Flag.

Many, many thanks to Rockford’s Out of the Box community initiative, the brainchild of the the Superintendent of Rockford Lutheran Schools, Don Gillingham and Communications Director, Nancee Long. For more information on community events please visit http://www.rockfordlutheran.com/outofthebox/

Be the first of your friends to show you are part of the solution. Click here to download your National Salvation Army Week resources now!

Contact us here at the corps to learn what we have in store for the week.

The Salvation Army will distribute clean-up kits in Winnebago County through the Sheriff’s Office in the communities of Blackhawk Island, Machesney Park and Edgemere Terrace.  For more information about the Rockford distribution, call (815) 226-4400.  The clean-up kits include a bucket, gloves, mask, mop, brooms, sponges, garbage bags, bleach and other cleaning agents.

The Salvation Army will also offer long-term flood relief efforts, including emergency financial assistance for furniture, clothing, food, rent and utilities for those who qualify.  Eligibility will be determined on a case-by-case basis.  For information regarding emergency assistance, call The Salvation Army Help Desk at (773) 205-3520.

“Because we have a permanent local presence here in Chicagoland, with 28 corps community centers and other facilities, we were here serving the community long before the floods hit, and we will continue to be here for the long haul to support the local communities affected by these historic floods,” said Lt. Colonel Ralph Bukiewicz, Metropolitan Divisional Commander. “Because of our local presence, The Salvation Army is particularly well suited to delivering long-term disaster recovery assistance.  In addition to our response efforts currently in Boston and West Texas, we are also still providing long-term relief assistance to the East Coast communities affected by Hurricane Sandy; Joplin, Missouri; Haiti and other areas affected by disaster in recent years.”

As the waters recede, The Salvation Army recommends flood victims heed the following safety measures to remain safe as they return to their homes:

• Return home only when officials have declared the area safe.
• Stay out of any areas of the house that remain flooded. Wet wiring is an electrocution hazard. Call the utility companies to have your power and gas turned off.
• During cleanup, wear protective clothing, such as rubber gloves, eye protection and rubber boots.
• Do not use water that may be contaminated to wash dishes, brush teeth, prepare food, wash hands, make ice or make baby formula.
• Do not mix bleach with ammonia.  This produces dangerous, toxic chlorine gas.

The Salvation Army will continue to distribute updates throughout the flood relief efforts as additional information becomes available.  For up-to-date information, please contact Melanie Scofield, Director of Communications at 708-289-9047 (cell) or 773-205-3254 (office).

How to Help

The most effective way to support The Salvation Army response in the Chicagoland area is by making a financial contribution:

• Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY or
• Go to http://www.salarmychicago.org/flood

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About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination for more than 130 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 The Salvation Army spends is used to support those services in 5,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to www.salvationarmyusa.org.

Inaugural Can-Struction Project

Rockford’s “Wright Out of the Box” Community Initiative invites you to help build an AmeriCAN flag out of canned foods

Donations of red, white & blue cans needed for construction:

 Progresso Soups -  18.5 oz cans

Chunk Light Tuna – 5 oz cans

Swanson Chicken Breast in cans – 4.5 oz cans

Goya or La Costena vegetables (various styles) – 11 oz cans

La Costena whole pinto beans – 19.75 oz cans

Various Products (ie: Rolland water chestnuts)  – 5 oz cans

15 oz cans will also work – but we’d need less of these

Donation barrels at CherryVale Mall center court April 22 – May 7

Cops N Kids 2013

Rockford Police Officers distributed over 1,400 books to children at Orten Keys, Fairgrounds and Dennis Head Start schools.  The Cop N Kids program promotes early literacy, community awareness and relationship building.   Major Karlene Lenz, a retired Salvation Army Officer/Pastor coordinates the program.

This year 700 children will receive one new book through the Cops N’ Kids program.  Last year over 500 children received two new books. 

Besides promoting early literacy, the Cops N Kids program also improves community relations between young children and local law enforcement.  Preschoolers don’t always see police officers in a favorable light so through interaction the child is able to learn to trust local law enforcement officers. This is demonstrated by Officer Smith and Sgt. Welsh (photo) has they interact with a young child as she receives her new books.

Through the generosity of the Alpine Kiwanis and a local donor over half the budget needed has been raised to accommodate (1) new book per child.  In the past, the Cops N Kids program has supplied (2) new books to be taken home with the child to encourage family time and promote early literacy.

WE NEED YOUR HELP…

• Helping put labels on books
• Being a delivery driver transporting books to Head Start programs on specific dates
• Being a distribution helper in assisting the police officers on specific distributiondates

FEMA FUNDING AVAILABLE FOR UTILITY ASSISTANCE

AT THE SALVATION ARMY

February 12, 2013. Rockford, IL.  – Funding is available for utility assistance through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Utility Assistance Program at The Salvation Army of Winnebago County.  Applicants must be residents of Winnebago County and funding is for one month’s assistance.

The following documentation is required at the time of appointment:

1. Photo ID for all adults in the household
2. Social security card for everyone in the household
3. Proof of income
4. Most recent utility bills (NICOR, ComEd, City of Rockford Water)

For additional information or to make an appointment, please contact Gloria Sjogren at 815-972-1135. Funding is administered through The Salvation Army Social Service Department at 416 S. Madison St, Rockford, IL.

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