Help is on the way from Lubbock this morning as the Lubbock Salvation Army emergency disaster team goes to the Florida coast. They embarked on an 18-hour drive to assist Hurricane Michael victims.
The Salvation Army has placed all disaster relief resources across the state of Florida. They’ve sent mobile-feeding kitchens, trained personnel and supplies. A team of three is also driving the Lubbock canteen with food and supplies.
“When we get there, we’ll be going out into the area, providing food and fluid and snacks. We have phone chargers ability on the canteen,” Dave Freriks, disaster coordinator for the Salvation Army. “It’s apparently turned out to be a really bad situation.”
They will be feeding more than 1,000 people a day.
“The meals are very important out of the mobile kitchens because when people are in these disasters, their homes are gone, their food is gone,” said Lt. David Beckham, assistant corps officer.
They are helping the victims get through some of the worst times in their life.
“For me, my draw to the Salvation Army was disaster work, and the opportunity to meet someone at their time of need when they’ve lost everything really touched me,” Beckham said.
Freriks, who has been sent out to multiple natural disasters, says everyone’s story impacts him.
“For us, the experience, there’s always everything every time you go out, it’s the one person that you do something for that makes it worthwhile,” Freriks said. “In Oklahoma, it was the lady that was standing in just the slab of her house, holding a rose bush that her husband had planted before he was killed.”
Volunteers and staff will serve for about 14 days at a time, but for Hurricane Harvey, the vehicle was down there for seven weeks.
To donate money, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY.
