TYLER, Texas — Two East Texas Salvation Army Corps have sent crews to help in the flooding in Southeast Texas.
On Monday, feeding units and trained disaster teams from Tyler and other Salvation Army units provided meal service to communities impacted by flooding in Southeast Texas.
“We have quickly established our base camp of operations housed at The Salvation Army warehouse here in Houston,” Alvin Migues, Salvation Army emergency disaster services director for Texas, said. “This is an ideal location for loading and housing our mobile feeding units, setting up the Southern Baptist field kitchen, and accommodating our base camp facilities. Our Incident Management Team will coordinate operations from this location for the duration of the response effort.”
According to a press release, Capt. Jeremy S. Walker, from the Tyler Corps, is serving as Incident Management Team’s operations chief.
Walker left with a team and Tyler’s Rapid Response Unit is managing all direct services during this disaster relief operation, including mass feeding, provision of emergency assistance, clean-up, and recovery efforts, according to the Tyler Salvation Army.
“It is never easy to go to a disaster site and see the face of devastation. However, this is the very thing that The Salvation Army trains and prepares for and we are equipped to meet these displaced individuals in their time of great need. I consider it a privilege to care for and love our neighbors the way Christ commands us, whether it’s physically, emotionally, or spiritually,” Walker said.
The Tyler Corps is not the only East Texas group going to help. Capt. Jenifer Phillips, Lufkin Corps, will be the emotional and spiritual care officer on the IMT team. Phillips' duties will include looking after the emotional and spiritual well-being of storm survivors and the response team personnel.
“Today I had the privilege to pray with a young lady whose home and work location are both flooded. She works at a nursing home where all the residents have been evacuated due to rising water levels,” Phillips said. “The nursing home is now closed, and she doesn’t know when it will reopen. Not only is she worried about her own home and the damage there, but she is also unsure when she can to return to work, which is a significant financial concern. I was able to hand her a meal and a bottle of water, and we prayed together. After we prayed, she smiled and hugged me. In that moment, I was able to assure her of God’s love and care, even in the midst of this disaster.”
According to the press release, the Salvation Army has provided 2,402 meals, 1,290 drinks, 148 snacks, 48 cleanup kits, 30 hygiene kits as of Monday.
To make a donation to support The Salvation Army’s response efforts to Texas Floods (May 2024) click here.