The Salvation Army-Fargo

The Salvation Army continues to provide support in the 2011 flood response as in some areas the sand bag dikes are beginning to be taken down and in others the water continues to rise. 

Canteens have been deployed in Clay county the past couple of days to support crews removing sandbags.  At the same time supply vehicles have been making daily trips to Kindred, Davenport and Harwood. 

The Salvation Army has had totally awesome volunteers come alongside our ministry to be the ‘hands and feet’ to prepare and deliver the sandwiches, snacks and beverages served during the 67 days since the sandbags started to be filled on Feb 14th.  589 volunteers have invested 3,597 hours serving their friends and neighbors.  Thanks to each individual who has shared your time and talent!

Happy Easter everyone!

With flooding in Fargo/Moorhead mostly contained, Salvation Army disaster teams have shifted much of their focus north of town, where flood waters have closed roads and inundated homesteads.

The Salvation Army spent the weekend “providing supplies to small communities up and down the Red River Valley, almost to Grand Forks,” said Captain John Joyner, Incident Commander for the Fargo Salvation Army.  Currently there is a supply vehicle enroute to Perley & Hendrum, MN.  

Interstate 29, a main artery to the north, closed on Sunday.  “North of Fargo you have the Red River and Sheyenne River running parallel – everything in between them is a lake,” Joyner said, adding that there is a possibility The Salvation Army will bring supplies to communities via airboat.

Meanwhile, disaster teams aboard two mobile kitchens continue to rove the streets in Fargo/Moorhead and serve residents and relief workers, with two more mobile kitchens ready to be deployed north once the roads open.

Another mobile kitchen has been reserved for other emergencies. “I bet that mobile kitchen has already responded to six or seven events not even related to the flood,” Joyner said. “On Saturday there was an ammonia leak in Horace (southwest of Fargo), then last night there was a fire in town.”

Up to 75 Salvation Army staff and volunteers a day have been providing food, drinks, emotional care and other support to thousands of residents and relief workers in the Red River Valley since mid-February. 

“Wherever there is a need, we meet it,” Joyner said.

Case in point: Last week, volunteer Dave Hinkley saw a big line of dump trucks and began serving all the drivers, who’d been hauling loads of clay to dike construction sites.

“These guys drive for hours at a time,” Hinckley said. “Most of them have no one to talk to or interact with. It’s in the truck, to the pit, to the site, dump and repeat. So when they see us their faces light up, the smiles come out, and they really appreciate the water, sandwiches and chips. You really know that you’re making a difference in their day.”

Most of the drivers were in a rush and didn’t have time to stop their trucks. So Hinckley and fellow volunteers delivered drinks and snacks by passing them through the truck windows drive-thru style.

One driver, however, made it a point to stop and get out of his truck. His father had been a member of the North Dakota National Guard when a devastating tornado struck Fargo in 1959. Assigned to a traffic control point, he wasn’t relieved from his post for more than 12 hours. Toward the end of his shift, a Salvation Army truck stopped to offer him coffee and food, and let him know they appreciated what he was doing. 

“This trucker wanted to make sure that we knew that both he and his dad would never forget the kindness shown to them by The Salvation Army,” Hinckley said.

To donate to the Fargo Salvation Army mail a check to 304 Roberts St., Fargo, ND 58102.

Fargo Salvation Army finally in full response mode

FARGO, N.D. – April 5, 2011 – After months of preparation, the Fargo Salvation Army is in full swing serving the community as it battles the rising waters of the Red River. Until today, unexpected precipitation and freezing cold had delayed the community’s flood response. 

Salvation Army staff and volunteers aboard five mobile kitchens are providing sandwiches, snacks, coffee and cold drinks for local residents and relief workers throughout Fargo/Moorhead. Additional disaster teams are serving from a fixed meal sites at Nemzek Arena in Moorhead.

“If the river continues to rise at current rates, it is likely to reach 39 feet by Sunday evening, barring any additional rainfall,” said Captain Bill Mealy, Fargo Salvation Army administrator. “We are prepared to offer everything we can, every single day we are needed.”

Here is a snapshot of the Fargo Salvation Army’s flood response:

Personnel: More than 400 trained volunteers ready to serve. Six extra disaster professionals arrived last week. Up to 75 staff and volunteers serving every day.  

Supplies: Warehouse inventory stocked with a semi-load of water, a dozen pallets of food, cleaning kits and much more. Capable of making and distributing 10,000 sandwiches daily.

Logistics: A command center has been established, complete with large-screen TV technology used to map and manage mobile feeding units.

To donate to the Fargo Salvation Army, call 800-SAL-ARMY or mail a check to 304 Roberts St., Fargo, ND 58102. Be sure to designate your donation “Fargo floods.”

FARGO, N.D. – April 1, 2011 – Another twist in the Red River flood saga has put the Fargo Salvation Army disaster team on standby…again.

Sandbagging efforts in Fargo and neighboring Moorhead were to begin today, when Salvation Army staff and volunteers would serve food and drinks to local residents and relief workers striving to save their community from potentially record-breaking floods. But another round of freezing temperatures and a potential snowstorm Sunday have forced officials to postpone the sandbag rollout. Sandbags can’t be put in place in freezing weather because the cold reduces their effectiveness. 

“Now it looks like the rollout will begin on Tuesday, with the placement of sandbags beginning on Wednesday,” said Captain John Joyner, Salvation Army Incident Commander. “Barring any more weather issues, The Salvation Army’s response should be in full swing next week.”

Meanwhile, 60 miles west of Fargo in Valley City, Salvation Army disaster teams have been providing food and water for residents and relief workers since March 30.

The Salvation Army’s primary role in Fargo will be to provide food, water and emotional/spiritual care to local residents and relief workers during the flood fight and subsequent cleanup. The Salvation Army has spent months preparing.

Here is a snapshot of the Fargo Salvation Army’s flood response:

Personnel: More than 400 volunteers are on standby after recently attending Salvation Army disaster training. Nearly 100 of them are approved to drive one of the Fargo Salvation Army’s four mobile feeding units. Six extra Salvation Army disaster professionals arrived March 30. Once in full response mode, up to 75 staff and volunteers will be serving every day.  

Supplies: The Salvation Army’s warehouse inventory is stocked with a semi-load of water, a dozen pallets of food, a large number of cleaning kits and much more. Staff and volunteers are capable of making and distributing about 10,000 sandwiches a day.

Logistics: A command center has been established, complete with large-screen technology that will be used to map and manage mobile feeding units. Contingency plans are in place should the command center be forced to evacuate.

Nearly 300 Salvation Army volunteers already have given 1,300 hours serving food and drinks to more than 11,000 community members filling sandbags since Feb. 14.

To donate to the Fargo Salvation Army, call 800-SAL-ARMY or mail a check to 304 Roberts St., Fargo, ND 58102. Be sure to designate your donation “Fargo floods.”

We are planning an additional Flood Response Training session for new volunteers interested in helping to provide food services.  If you 17 years of age or older and are interested in joining our volunteer team please plan to attend.

Mon, April 4        7 PM (training takes about 90 min)

The Salvation Army Chapel, 304 Roberts Street, Fargo

Fargo Salvation Army well prepared for flood response

 

FARGO, N.D. – March 25, 2011 – With hundreds of local volunteers on standby, staff reinforcements arriving next week and a warehouse packed with supplies, when the floods strike, the Fargo Salvation Army will be well prepared to join the fight.

The Salvation Army’s primary role will be to provide food, water and emotional/spiritual care to local residents and relief workers during the flood fight and subsequent cleanup. 

The Salvation Army has spent months preparing for what could be the largest flood in Fargo/Moorhead history.  “Going into the record flood of 2009, we had 42 inches of snowfall for the season – this year we are at 82 inches,” said Steve Carbno, Fargo Salvation Army Disaster Services Director.

Here is a snapshot of the Fargo Salvation Army’s flood response:

Personnel: More than 400 volunteers are on standby after recently attending Salvation Army disaster training. Nearly 100 of them are approved to drive one of the Fargo Salvation Army’s four mobile feeding units. Six extra Salvation Army disaster professionals will arrive Wednesday. Once in full response mode, up to 75 staff and volunteers will be serving every day.   

Supplies: The Salvation Army’s warehouse inventory is stocked with a semi-load of water, a dozen pallets of food, a large number of cleaning kits and much more. Staff and volunteers are capable of making and distributing about 10,000 sandwiches a day.

Logistics: A command center has been established, complete with large-screen technology that will be used to map and manage mobile feeding units. Contingency plans are in place should the command center be forced to evacuate.

Nearly 300 Salvation Army volunteers already have given 1,300 hours serving food and drinks to more than 11,000 community members filling sandbags since Feb. 14.

With reports of flooding in southern Clay County, Carbno expects The Salvation Army’s response to be in full swing very soon.  

“We are seeing some overland flooding of roadways due to field runoff that has filled ditches to capacity and beyond,” Carbno said of the situation in Clay County. “These and other problems could arrive here, and soon. If and when they do, we are ready for the fight.”

To donate to the Fargo Salvation Army, call 800-SAL-ARMY or mail a check to 304 Roberts St., Fargo, ND 58102. Be sure to designate your donation “Fargo floods.” To volunteer, call the Fargo Salvation Army at 701-232-5565.

I stopped by the Cass County Sandbag Warehouse in West Fargo today around lunch time.  The volunteers were all enjoying burgers or fish sandwiches and fries courtesy of McDonald’s.  It has been amazing to see how generous various eating establishments have been randomly providing meals during the course of the ‘sandbag filling’.  THANKS!

Ken, Eric & Melanie, The Salvation Army trio of volunteers, were having a lively exchange of conversation and laughs with the volunteers.  As I listened to the warm exchange it struck me the orange color of the clothing worn by the volunteers was neutral in the eyes of the conversation participants. 

Soon the lunch break ended and the crew headed back to the spider and their task of filling sandbags.  The team at the end of each tube through which the sand was dispersed was soon into an efficient rhythm.  I was struck by the smiles and laughter my eyes observed although I couldn’t hear the sounds over the hum of the machinery. 

Standing beside a Cass County Deputy who was observing the operation in an official capacity I commented to him how much the inmates seemed to be enjoying their work.  He said it has been amazing to hear the reports the men and ladies would share later back in the jail with their peers.  The comments have included how many bags their team had made that day and how squarely the bags sat on ‘their pallet’….the pride the speaker took in the work he or she had done that day.  I was touched to hear the compassion in the voice of the deputy as he shared what he has heard at the end of previous days of labor.

In Romans 12:3-5 Paul ‘s message to his audience is “Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.  Just as each of us has one body with many members, and these member do not all have the same function, so in Christ we who are many form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.”

Preparations to battle the pending rising waters has brought together some unlikely individuals and groups for one common purpose.  Each contributing what they had to offer for the ‘good of the order’.  What a beautiful example of how the Lord desires us to serve one another!