ALEXANDRIA, Va. — The Salvation Army has received a $10 million grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to support ongoing emergency response and long-term recovery for those affected by Hurricane Ida from Louisiana to New England and by wildfires across 10 western states. The additional support will be pivotal for the nation’s largest private provider of social services as it meets the needs of communities affected by natural disasters while continuing a multi-year response to COVID-19.
“I have seen the impacts of recent hurricanes and wildfires firsthand, which has shown without any doubt that needs will continue long after initial responses are over,” said Commissioner Kenneth G. Hodder, National Commander of The Salvation Army USA. “It’s because of support from Lilly Endowment that The Salvation Army can provide essential services now and continue with long-term recovery services for those who lost their homes and livelihoods.”
The grant will help thousands of families across more than a dozen states to get back into their homes and find stability. Emergency response has included meeting the urgent need for food, clean water, safe shelter and critical hygiene supplies. Long-term recovery will focus on various forms of financial assistance, continued distribution of critical supplies, and disaster case management.
The Salvation Army will continue providing emotional and spiritual care to survivors and first responders from response through recovery. All services are conducted with additional COVID-19 safety measures to ensure disaster workers and survivors are safe while entrusted to Salvation Army care.
In response to Hurricane Ida, The Salvation Army has deployed disaster leadership teams to Louisiana, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York to lead emergency relief operations and mobilize more than 55 feeding units to provide food, drinks, and emotional and spiritual care to affected communities.
The Salvation Army response to Hurricane Ida as of 9/17:
- 393,118 meals
- 204,736 drinks
- 104,732 snacks
- 10,128 cleanup kits
- 12,424 hygiene kits
- 3,327 PPE
- 34,962 hours of service
- Emotional and spiritual care to 19,560 people
The Atlantic Hurricane Season begins on June 1 and continues through November 30. Recent hurricane seasons have been busier than usual, which has required increased services from The Salvation Army.
The Salvation Army Western Territory has responded to 27 wildfires across 10 states in 2021 with emergency assistance that includes provision of meals, food boxes, drinks, snacks, personal protection equipment, hygiene kits, cleanup kits, debit cards, medicine, and vouchers for clothing and furniture.
The Salvation Army response to Western Wildfires in 10 states as of 8/31:
- 82,728 meals
- 93,546 drinks
- 44,856 snacks
- 602 cleanup kits
- 7,529 PPE & hygiene kits
- 26,727 hours of service
- Emotional and spiritual care to 611 people
The Western Wildfire Season lasts six to eight months each year, beginning in May and ending in December. The 2021 season’s wildfires have ranged from small rural incidents that are fully contained within weeks, to some of California’s largest wildfires in history, burning for months and threatening heavily populated locations.
The Salvation Army’s presence in every zip code of the United States—with more than 7,600 centers of operation—makes it possible to help before, during, and after disaster events of all sizes.
“Lilly Endowment has a long history of supporting the disaster relief efforts of The Salvation Army,” said Ronni Kloth, the Endowment’s vice president for community development. “We are pleased to be able to help as The Salvation Army works to provide compassionate care and support in communities across the country that have been affected by devastating natural disasters.”
For more than 70 years, Lilly Endowment has supported The Salvation Army’s efforts to help people in need, most recently amid COVID-19 and natural disasters, and including work to help low-income families around the country break the cycle of poverty through the Pathway of Hope Program.
To learn more about The Salvation Army’s ongoing relief efforts, or to make a donation, visit www.salvationarmyusa.org. You may also donate by phone by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769).
