Salvation Army Hurricane Survivors Rescued after 6 Days in New Orleans shelter

After waiting for more than five days without food and dwindling water supplies, 290 people, including 14 children and three gravely ill kidney dialysis patients, were airlifted from The Salvation Army facility in New Orleans and are recovering in Texas.


National Guard and Coast Guard helicopters arrived at 2:00pm (CDT) Friday to begin the successful rescue operation.


Major Richard and Fay Brittle, the New Orleans Area Commanders, were among the group that took refuge from the storm last Sunday after deciding they could not safely move many of the people in their care in time to escape the storm. The Majors reported that everyone was safe a day after the storm, then lost mobile telephone contact with his colleagues in the several days preceding the rescue.


Brief contact was made on Thursday when the Brittle's were able to get word that were still trapped in the Corps center, with dwindling supplies and in desperate need of rescue. During the mid-afternoon airlift, Major Richard Brittle was injured while helping people load the helicopters.


RELIEF EFFORTS CONTINUE TO EXPAND AS MORE SUPPORT ARRIVES


The massive relief effort continues to expand from across North America. An additional 60 mobile feeding canteens and personnel are enroute to supplement the 50 canteens that have been serving since the storm hit. The relief teams will start arriving on Saturday and continue throughout the weekend, joining others from more than 30 states and Canada.


While canteens and relief workers continue to arrive from all over the country, many local residents are pitching in to help The Salvation Army.


In Houma, LA, The Salvation Army has been serving three meals a day to hurricane victims seeking shelter at the Houma Civic Center, but it would not have been possible without the help of the local community.


"We had no food, no ice and no water to give to the four hundred and fifty people that came on the first day seeking shelter," said Liz Daigneault, service center director for The Salvation Army. She put out a plea to the local media and the community responded. "I was crying because I didn't know how I was going to feed all these people. I left for a few hours and when I came back, the freezer was full."


The Salvation Army was able to serve 1,300 meals that first day and now with seven staff members and 100 volunteers, the Army is serving approximately 1,200 people now living in the shelter.


The Houma story is similar to many others across the southern states, as Army facilities are being opened to help the storm evacuees. At least 200,000 people are expected to be seeking help in Army shelters in 12 states by the middle of next week, and in the past three days, approximately 150,000 meals have been served in dozens of communities throughout the South.


HOW THE PUBLIC CAN HELP


Donations


Financial donations are needed for what the Army expects will be the largest single emergency response in its history within the United States. The area of destruction is nearly one-third larger than that of the area affected by hurricanes in Florida last year, and efforts in that state are still on-going. Donations can be made by calling
1-800-SAL-ARMY or on line at salvationarmyusa. Checks can be sent to the local Salvation Army and earmarked "Hurricane Katrina - Disaster Relief"















Gifts In Kind


Donations of gifts in kind are not being sought at this time because of the shortage of storage space throughout the affected area. The Army is working closely with emergency response officials to secure adequate space for these types of donations, and will keep the public informed. Corporations wishing to make donations of large bulk items can call 1-888-363-2769.


Volunteers


People wishing to register to volunteer can do so by logging on to salvationarmyusa. The Army asks that volunteers register first, and avoid visiting locations without proper clearance or training.


Searching for lost relatives


Those looking for lost relatives can register with SATERN (Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network at salvationarmyusa. The network had logged more than 30,000 calls in six days.


About The Salvation Army:


The Salvation Army, an evangelical part of the universal Christian church, has been supporting those in need in His name without discrimination since 1865. Nearly 33 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. About 83 cents of every dollar raised is used to support those services in nearly 9,000 communities nationwide. For more information, go to salvationarmyusa.