Preparing for Impact of Hurricane Maria
Relief efforts continue in Puerto Rico and US. Virgin Islands after the devastation of Hurricane Irma
Families and individuals in Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands are facing another round of potential devastation, threatened by Hurricane Maria. The Salvation Army continues to provide food and hydration to the affected residents. To ensure the charity is prepared to serve following Hurricane Maria, The Salvation Army is working with local and national partners, like UPS, to send containers of water, food, and vital supplies to key areas of need.
“The Salvation Army continues to remain steadfast in its mission to serve those desperate for resources,” said Captain Luis Merced, Divisional Secretary of the Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands. “We continue to push our staff and partners to provide food, supplies, and emotional and spiritual care to those affected by the devastating weather events now and well into disaster recovery.”
Some key updates for Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico & Virgin Islands are:
- In Puerto Rico
- The Salvation Army is delivering an average of 8,000 meals per day in Loiza, Fajardo, Humacao and San Juan. This totals nearly 78,000 meals since the impact of Hurricane Irma.
- The Salvation Army has delivered hot meals and relief supplies to over 22,500 survivors in Loiza, Fajardo, Humacao, and San Juan.
- In St. Thomas
- In St. Thomas, The Salvation Army has partnered with the Dutch Reform Church to serve over 21,500 meals along with delivering food, water, and supply boxes to the poorest communities on the Island.
- In St. Thomas, we are serving nearly 2,400 families daily.
- On Sunday, September 17th, Emergency Disaster Volunteers distributed to prepare communities for the pending impact of Hurricane Maria.
- 3,300 bottles of drinking water
- 64 home cleaning kits
- A pallet worth of canned food
- 10 cases of hygiene items
As communities become accessible, The Salvation Army’s mobile emergency feeding teams, disaster response vehicles, and personnel are moving through the affected areas to provide food, supplies, as well as emotional and spiritual support. This will continue until it is no longer needed.
How People Can Help
Response efforts to this hurricane and flooding are expected be costly and last for years. The best way to help after a disaster is to make a financial donation.
Online:
Donate By Phone:
1-800-SAL-ARMY
Text to Give:
STORM to 51555
Mail Checks - ** Please designate “Hurricane 2017” on all checks.
The Salvation
Army
PO Box 1959 Atlanta, GA 30301
About The Salvation Army Disaster Services
The Salvation Army is uniquely positioned to serve those impacted by the storm, however long it takes, because they are there before, during, and after impact. Beyond serving immediate physical needs, they also meet the emotional and spiritual needs that are unique to catastrophic events. The Salvation Army:
- Delivers disaster relief to an average of 382,000 people annually.
- Serves every ZIP code in the United States and touches almost 25 million lives a year.
- Has served survivors of every major national disaster since 1900.
- Remains in communities until needs are met.
The Salvation Army, established in London in 1865, has been supporting those in need without discrimination for more than 135 years in the U.S. More than 25 million Americans receive assistance from The Salvation Army each year through a range of social services: 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. The Salvation Army tracks the level of need across the country with the Human Needs Index (HumanNeedsIndex.org). The Salvation Army has served survivors of every major national disaster since 1900. The Salvation Army does not place an administrative fee on disaster donations. During emergency disasters, 100 percent of designated gifts are used to support specific relief efforts. For more information, go to SalvationArmyUSA.org or follow on Twitter @SalvationArmyUS.