The Salvation Army sends personnel and equipment for hurricane efforts

CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Salvation Army offices in Arkansas and Oklahoma are serving on the frontlines of the devastation from Hurricane, according to a news release from the Salvation Army.

The release states that many of the feeding units and deployed personnel “are serving at Ground Zero where residents are returning where many or most of the buildings and homes were destroyed.

In many areas, power is still not restored.” The response is the largest that The Salvation Army has served since Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

On Aug. 28, eight mobile feeding units arrived in Corpus Christi to serve Texas’ coastal bend area with

two more units arriving the next day. The feeding trucks, manned by a cadre of 18 Salvation Army officers, employees and volunteers, immediately began serving residents and first responders affected by the hurricane. Along with the feeding trucks, a team of 12 was deployed as an Incident Command Team to run the operation.

With additional

requests for specialized positions from the Texas Division of the Salvation Army fulfilled, there is a total of 33 people currently on the ground from the ArkansasOklahoma division of the Salvation Army. All those deployed are there for 14 days.

On Friday, nine additional feeding trucks, a Polaris Ranger, a Polaris Quad Runner

and a trailer were sent from the ArkansasOklahoma division to reinforce disaster response efforts in Texas. With the addition of the AOK feeding trucks to the disaster response, there are now 84 feeding trucks responding to provide aid in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

Feeding units from the Arkansas-Oklahoma division include units

from El Dorado, Fort Smith, Jonesboro, Mountain Home, Pine Bluff, Hot Springs, Fayetteville and Little Rock.

There are 14 people, a group made up of Salvation Army officers, volunteers and employees, on standby ready to help with relief efforts. The additional personnel may be deployed Friday.

According to the

release, financial donations are the best way to support relief efforts as the needs of those being served evolve daily. To donate online, visit helpsalvationarmy.org; by mail, The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 1959, Atlanta, GA 30301 and designate “Hurricane Harvey” on all checks; by phone at 1-800-725-2769 or text STORM to 51555 to receive a donation link.