Salvation Army strives to aid persons in hurricane-affected areas

FOLLOWING the devastation caused in parts of the United States of America and the Caribbean by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, the Salvation Army’s General, André Cox, is exhorting all Salvationists and friends, wherever they are, to do the following:

• Pray for the emergency services who are still responding and serving on the front line
• Pray for our own emergency services as they respond to support the statutory emergency services and the local people impacted by this disaster
• Pray for good working relationships between local, state and national governments, as well as between NGOs
• Pray for a spirit of generosity, compassion and helpfulness to prevail
• Pray for people’s safety in the anticipated rain and floods to come
• Pray that people will turn to God as a source of hope when everything around them is lost
• Pray that everyone would work together for the rebuilding and transforming work that must be done in the years ahead.

The General is calling the worldwide Salvation Army to action, noting that it has now launched an international fundraising appeal to support the Storm Harvey emergency response. More information can be found on the IHQ’s website (www.salvationarmy.org/harvey)

Meanwhile, in the Caribbean, Divisional Commander of the Guyana Division of the Salvation Army, Major Matignol Saint Lot, after witnessing the devastation caused by the two hurricanes has concluded that: “Without God, we are really nothing on this Earth, and we should stop to engage in sober introspection.”

He has urged that we be thankful that we have a chance to make things right with God, with family and friends, and be at peace with ourselves and each other, instead of fighting over things that are here now and could be gone in a matter of minutes.
In a WhatsApp message over the last few days, Maj. Saint Lot wrote: “Seeing all those videos and pictures of the devastation of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma, made me realise more, that we are really nothing on this earth and the material things that we lose sleep over, lose friendship over, are not really worth it.”

He continued: “The position, the stature that we want everyone to know we possess, would not save us. Look at the way Barbuda in minutes, lost 95% of their infrastructure. In minutes people lost their homes, their businesses, their crops. Thank God they have life.
Today, let us go out and really think about how thankful we should be, for we have life and a chance to make things right with God, with family and with friends. Let us go out and love more, smile more, help more and make peace with each other, instead of fighting over things that are here now and could be gone in a matter of minutes,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, according to the International Leader of The Salvation Army, General André Cox in a statement released on September13, 2017, The Salvation Army has activated all of its U.S. and Canadian emergency disaster response assets, in an unprecedented response to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma which have wrought devastation across large areas of the Caribbean and southern USA.

As at September 13, 2017, The Salvation Army had already served “more than half a million meals to people who have been displaced or have had their homes damaged by Hurricane Irma in south-eastern states of the USA. This is in addition to the Church and Charity’s ongoing emergency response in many of the Caribbean islands and in reaction to Hurricane Harvey in Texas,” the report said.
General Cox says the units are able to provide food, shelter and emotional and spiritual care to those impacted by this ongoing devastating weather event.

“As you would expect, The Salvation Army was quickly deployed, as we are always ready to respond to human need. The Salvation Army in the USA is well resourced, trained and networked to be able to respond instantly and work in partnership with other agencies,” General Cox said.
He outlined that The Salvation Army is not just there for the immediate crisis. “We are there for the duration – to see people through the immediate disaster and to help them rebuild lives, homes, businesses and communities,” the General assured.

Meanwhile, Captain Derick Miller, officer-in-charge of operations on the Turks and Caicos Islands in the Caribbean, reports that The Salvation Army’s facilities there have been badly damaged, and most corps (church) members have lost their homes.
The Salvation Army in the Bahamas, Captain Miller says, is responding in both Freeport and Nassau. The Salvation Army’s Haiti Division is also mobilising in areas affected by flooding and storm surges. And in Antigua, Salvationists continue to offer food, water and other practical support to people from nearby Barbuda which has almost been completely evacuated.