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Fall 2013
L i fe Sto r i e s
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G o d ’ s P e o pl e
After Sandy The First Year
Offering Help And Hope For Superstorm Survivors
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God’s Megaphone
R
ecently I came across this quote from C.S. Lewis: “God whispers to us in our pleasure, speaks to us in our conscience, but shouts in our pains: It is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.”
This past year has been filled with heartbreaking news, from the raging storms of a
hurricane, furious flames of wildfires, earthquakes shaking foundations, tornadoes blowing away life’s dreams, and sadly, the losses of dear loved ones, taken long before anyone expected a final goodbye. Looking to God’s Word, I was drawn to the book of Daniel. Chronicled here are the lives of four young men whose worlds were ripped away from them as they were thrown into a foreign land, Babylon, and surrounded by practices and teachings in complete opposition to their beliefs and customs. How did they make it? First, I believe their time of difficulty brought them closer to God. Through days of testing, they stayed true to what they had been taught. Daniel 1:17 says, “To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding.” Thrown into a “boot camp,” the young men forged a new bond, one so deep that later in life, three of them were willing to face death together. God provided this friendship, not as a replacement for the loss of family they had suffered, but as a means of strength, encouragement, and the mutual support needed to face new circumstances. Although this was not the future these young men had planned for themselves, or what their parents might have dreamed or desired for them, God gave them a meaningful and influential future. Daniel was placed in a high position and lavished with many gifts. His friends were made administrators over the province of Babylon. More important, God used their lives in incredible ways to demonstrate His involvement in people’s lives. We may never know the full extent of their influence in that society. I have often wondered if their impact moved through generations to that one day when the Magi felt led to follow the star to Bethlehem. This edition of Priority! features the stories of people affected by challenging circumstances. As you read, I pray for you today, whatever your experiences are or have been. May you hear God in the whispers and especially through God’s megaphone of pain. God Himself felt such pain when He watched His “only begotten son” die on the Cross. It is through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus that we know we have a God who loves us. “God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’ So we say with confidence, ‘The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.’ ” (Hebrews 13:5–6) Trust in that.
Lt. Colonel Cheryl A. Maynor Secretary for Communications USA Eastern Territory
Special Issue
®
After Sandy: The First Year
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Ministry of Presence: ‘Isn’t that what life is about?’ Mike Orfitelli, who coordinates disaster services for the Salvation Army’s USA Eastern Territory, considers his work ‘frontline ministry.’
FEATURES
20 ‘Church Every Day’
At the heart of the New Jersey Division’s response to Superstorm Sandy, Brenda Beavers says she loves her job because no two days are alike.
26
‘It’s a Real Calling’
28
Retiring into Superstorm Response
As a steamfitter, John Smith just didn’t find his job fulfilling, and he was working ‘crazy hours.’ Now he spends his days helping people at a Salvation Army assistance center in Ortley Beach, N.J.
When she retired, Major Betty Israel had no idea that three months later, she would be helping Sandy victims.
NEW JERSEY
10
New Jersey Response: ‘More Than the Hot Dog and a Cup of Coffee’ Along the devastated New Jersey Shore, The Salvation Army has provided physical help, but more important, emotional and spiritual care for Sandy victims.
On the cover: Captain Antonio Rosamilia on the scene just after Sandy. Above: Brenda Beavers © Getty Images/Laura Pedrick
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NEW JERSEY SHORTS ‘Paws Up’ to This Duo Another Kind of Sandy Rescue
C
5 Years! ting 1 a r eleb
RITY! PRIO
Helping People Find Jesus Just a Cup of Coffee?
Fall 2013
Volume 15 No. 3
GREATER NEW YORK
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Filling the Gaps: Responding to Sandy in New York In the early days, The Salvation Army stepped in with help for the most vulnerable, to unclog city streets, and to deliver supplies. Today, the focus is on helping families with continuing need.
46 48
Providing Long–Term Help on Long Island NEW YORK SHORTS When Rebuilding Is Not an Option Red Kettles in July Filling Unmet Needs Starr Sisters
Southern New England
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60
On the Connecticut Shoreline After meeting the immediate needs of storm victims, this Army division has focused on long–term case management.
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND SHORTS
Photo © Getty Images/Mario Tama
Getting Personally Involved Stepping Up in Bridgeport Meeting Needs in Stamford
My take
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A Word of Hope An Open Door Faith Not Shattered But Affirmed A Volunteer’s Experience
Through The STorm, Through the Night God is our refuge and strength, an ever–present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
…promoting prayer, holiness, and evangelism through the life stories of God’s people
The Salvation Army
I
n this special issue, we’re looking back at a year of the Salvation Army’s service following Superstorm Sandy. And as I write, I’m wondering whether, by the time this magazine “hits the stands,” another devastating storm will have
swept onto our shores.
Territorial Leaders USA Eastern Territory Commissioner Barry C. Swanson Commissioner Sue Swanson
Chief Secretary Colonel William Carlson
Because, you see, the storms will always come. They seem to be arriving these
Editor
days with ever–increasing frequency and strength. The people who have suffered so
Linda D. Johnson
much in the wake of recent hurricanes and tornadoes can testify to their ferocity. The storms have robbed so many of homes, livelihoods, precious keepsakes, even loved ones.
Art Director Keri Johnson
Senior Designer Saoul Vanderpool
God didn’t cause these storms, but He’s there both during and after them as our “ever–present help in trouble.” As the chorus goes:
Contributing Editors Warren L. Maye, Robert Mitchell
Contributing Writers
He knows, He knows The storms that would my way oppose; He knows, He knows, And tempers every wind that blows. So many storms come into our lives, and it can be really hard to walk into the wind. That’s not something we should ever try on our own; we need the One who can go before us to quiet the storm.
Carol A. Bassett, W. Todd Bassett, John Berglund, Darell Houston, Betty Israel, Barbara & Bill MacLean, Debby Morgan, Kenneth Speranza
Graphic Designers Joe Marino, Reginald Raines, Lea Greene
Circulation Deloris Hansen
Marketing Christine Webb
Sometimes that tempering of “every wind that blows” can come through human channels of His grace. If there’s one constant you’ll find in this issue, it’s the emotional and spiritual care The Salvation Army has been providing continuously following Sandy. Storm victims found more than just material help when they came to Army centers. They found caring officers, staff, and volunteers who listened to their stories and provided counsel, comfort, and prayer. Yes, the storms will always come. But we have no need to fear, for He is our “ever–present help in trouble.”
Editor
SALVATION ARMY MISSION STATEMENT The Salvation Army, an international movement, is an evangelical part of the universal Christian Church. Its message is based on the Bible. Its ministry is motivated by the love of God. Its mission is to preach the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to meet human needs in His name without discrimination. Priority! is published quarterly by The Salvation Army USA Eastern Territory. Subscriptions are $8.95 per year; bulk rates available. Write to: Priority!, The Salvation Army, 440 West Nyack Rd., West Nyack, NY 10994–1739. Volume 15, No. 3, Fall 2013. Printed in USA. Postmaster: Send all address changes to: Priority!, 440 West Nyack Road, West Nyack, NY 10994–1739. Priority! accepts advertising. Copyright ©2013 by The Salvation Army, USA Eastern Territory. Articles may be reprinted only with written permission.
USA National website: www.SalvationArmyUSA.org
EVANGELICAL EVANGELICAL
PRESS ASSOCIATION
PRESS ASSOCIATION
Upfront: Superstorm sandy by the numbers
Sandy wasn’t even a hurricane anymore when she made landfall at Atlantic City, N.J., at 8 p.m. on Oct. 29, 2012. She had been downgraded to a tropical storm. But Sandy still deserved the title Superstorm.
179
People killed in a wide swath from the Caribbean to Canada.
Photo © Getty Images/Mario Tama
2.5 million Cubic yards of sand and silt on roads and in waterways in New Jersey
820
27.76
Miles wide at time of landfall in Atlantic City.
Tweets about Sandy between Oct. 27 and Nov. 1, 2012
496,393
Inches of barometric pressure at Sandy’s eye, the second lowest Photo © iStockPhoto reading of any storm north of Cape Hatteras, N.C. Only the hurricane of 1938 registered lower pressure. The lower the pressure, the more intense the storm.
#Sandy photos posted from Instagram Photo © iStockPhoto
CORRECTION In the Summer 2013 issue, the introductory letter was signed Lt. Colonel Barbara A. Hunter. Commissioner Barry C. Swanson, territorial commander of the USA Eastern
www.armyconnections.org
Territory, actually wrote the letter. (The online version bears Commissioner Swanson’s signature.) In an article in that issue, “Success Academy in a Soup Kitchen,” the location for the soup kitchen should have been Richmond, Ky., not Richmond, Va.
5
Photo © AP Images/NOAA
20 million
Photo © Getty Images/Scott Olson
2 DAYS
People without power in 15 states on Oct. 30. Many without power for weeks.
Photo © iStockPhoto
In February 2013, National Hurricane Center estimates Sandy will be the 2nd costliest tropical cyclone on record, after Hurricane Katrina of 2005.
13.88
Feet of storm surge at Battery Park in New York City. Surpasses old record of 10.02 feet set by Hurricane Donna in 1960. Subways and tunnels swamped.
THIS END UP F U R N I T U R E
C O M P A N Y
Proudly serving the Salvation Army for over 20 years (800) 979-4579
thisendup.com
Photo © AP Images/John Minchillo
8 million
#2 RANKING
Photo © Getty Images/Mario Tama
Closure for the New York Stock Exchange. The Blizzard of 1888 was the last time the NYSE was closed for two consecutive days.
On the Job
Ministry of Presence
‘Isn’t that what life is about?’ by Robert Mitchell
On the Job
M
ichael Orfitelli sees Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) as more than a hot sandwich or a cold drink. To him, it’s “frontline ministry.” “When I got here, one of the things I wanted to do was make disaster services a real ministry,” says Mike, the USA Eastern Territory’s disaster services coordinator since 2004. “I saw the potential during 9/11. We had great, great stories coming out of 9/11 of lives that were being changed just because someone spent some time with them. We now refer to that as the ministry of presence. “This opened my eyes up to a different kind of evangelism. The idea of sitting with somebody and sharing with them [about] God’s love in what we do—whether it’s some cold water or a blanket—being there and talking with them and just allowing them to tell their story. That’s powerful.” Mike says he has helped write three The Superstorm Sandy team meets at Salvation Army Territorial Headquarters in West Nyack, N.Y.
Salvation Army EDS courses, and they all center on the ministry of presence.
Impromptu prayer “I see the great spiritual potential, not for conversion because obviously it’s not the right time for that, but the ability to express God’s love and compassion is so powerful,” he says. “I’ve seen it over and over again.” One place Mike saw it recently was in Pittsburgh when he accompanied an EDS canteen feeding the homeless under the city’s many bridges. The Salvation Army crew met a woman who had just learned that her son has cancer. “I began to say, ‘Oh, I’ll pray for you.’ Then I thought, wouldn’t it be better if I prayed with her now? I said, ‘How about we pray?’ She said, ‘I would love that,’ ” Mike recalls. The group formed a prayer circle right there on a busy highway as vehicles whizzed by.
“I thought, of all the open–airs [outdoor meetings] I have done, this is equally as powerful,” Mike says. “It was an opportunity to show love and compassion. She was definitely moved by a simple prayer for her son.
Rock band ‘redemption’ “So much of the Army thinks that all we do is serve coffee at a fire, and that’s an important aspect of our work, but we’ve expanded that so that we now look at crisis services. If we can show people God’s love and compassion, that’s a powerful thing. That’s a powerful ministry.” Mike, a lifelong Salvationist, is no stranger to sharing God’s love. Raised in the Manchester, Conn., Corps (church), as a young man, he would spend Jersey Shore summers playing in a Salvation Army rock band called “Redemption.” “Today we talk about contemporary music,” he says with a laugh. “I was playing in a contemporary rock band in 1971, 1972, 1973.” The band, which recorded an album called “Gone Fishing,” included several other Salvation Army youth who would go on to great heights as musicians. There was Phil Smith of the New York Philharmonic; Charles Baker of the New Jersey Symphony; Major Len Ballantine, a Salvation Army composer; and vocal soloist Jude Hulteen Gotrich.
Summer days “Redemption” would play on the boardwalk in Asbury Park and other locations along the Shore. Mike played the 8
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Mike on an Easter Sunday preparing for an open–air meeting.
trumpet, and the band featured horns, guitars, drums, an organ, and vocals and had a sound like the groups Chicago and Blood, Sweat & Tears. “It was a great experience,” Mike says. “We had daily devotions, so it was a group of 20–year–olds who basically were dealing with evangelism, but we were also dealing with our own spirituality. It strengthened our spirituality. It was a great time, leading young kids to accept Christ.” Mike doesn’t play on the boardwalk anymore, but he is still involved in Salvation Army music and has been the bandmaster at the Manchester Corps for an amazing 45 years. He grew up playing in the band’s cornet section and was asked to “fill in for a little while” as bandmaster when he was still in high school. Mike has been at it ever since and leads the 26–member band in concerts and weekly worship. “It’s the Sunday to Sunday that I www.prioritypeople.org
really enjoy more than anything else, that opportunity to minister on Sunday morning,” Mike says. “I love to see people moved by our music.”
On the road constantly During the week, though, it’s not uncommon for Mike to be traveling throughout the territory to view disaster damage or oversee EDS operations. “I’m out in the field probably 70 to 75 percent of my time,” he says. “I’m on the road constantly.” It was quite a twisting road Mike traveled to arrive at his current EDS post. He taught junior high and gifted children, sold insurance, worked for a phone company, and owned his own logistics business before he was asked to help run Salvation Army warehouses after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. He was then asked to run EDS for the Southern New England Division before going to THQ in 2003 as a train-
ing coordinator. He got the job as EDS coordinator the next year.
He feels privileged Mike says growing up in The Salvation Army taught him commitment. “Even today, that is part of why I do what I do. I’m committed because I see the potential for transformation that ministry can have. My commitment is sort of driven by the fact that I can make a difference in someone’s life by doing the things that God has allowed us do. The opportunities that God gives us are phenomenal. “When you get a chance to sit down and talk to people who have lost so much—their belongings, their home, or a loved one—it’s an incredible privilege to be able to connect and have that kind of meaningful interaction. “When your path crosses with someone in that way, isn’t that what life is about?” 9
New Jersey
Photo Š Getty Images/Mario Tama
New Jersey
‘More Than the Hot Dog and a Cup of Coffee’ by Linda D. Johnson
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I
hot dog and a cup of coffee,” Beavers says. The Army’s intensive emotional and spiritual care ministry after that disaster resulted in a new corps (church) being established in Bound Brook. At that time, the New Jersey Division also moved the disaster response function out of community relations and development and into human services. Then came the 9/11 terrorist attacks. “We were there on the spot,” says Beavers. Like the Greater New York Division, the New Jersey Division continued to serve for the long haul. “We had been on that bus for five to six years,” Beavers says. “People learned that no matter what, The Salvation Army is going to be there.”
Photo courtesy Kathleen Bearcroft
n New Jersey, the Salvation Army’s response to Hurricane Sandy began even before the superstorm hit on Oct. 25, 2012. “We had been ramping up a week before, doing some feeding for evacuees and setting up a task force and search and rescue teams,” says Brenda Beavers, state director of human services for the New Jersey Division. (See feature on p. 20.) The ability of the Army in New Jersey to respond to such a disaster began even further back than that, in 1999, when floods hit Bound Brook, N.J., a borough in Somerset County. “We discovered then that our response needed to be more than the
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New Jersey
Going out to the people Major Barbara Kelly coordinated the 9/11 response for the Army, working with case managers, support groups, and emotional and spiritual care efforts. She’s performing the same role post– Sandy, and she’s noticed a big difference. “At 9/11, everybody came to us,” she says. “We were at Liberty State Park. With Sandy, we are going out to the people.” The Army served victims and first responders with mobile canteens and set up distribution centers in affected areas around the state. That effort began in a chaotic atmosphere. Most people were out of power, including the Army’s divisional headquarters. But that didn’t hamper response efforts. “We operated out of the Montclair, N.J., Corps, where we opened a command center,” Beavers says. Salvation Army personnel began pouring in from the Army’s Northeast Ohio, Massachusetts, Empire State, Western Penn-
127,000 1.2 million
Families served Total persons served
490,345 Beverages served
47,360 Volunteer hours
19,360 Blankets
Salvation Army
41,115 Items of clothing
75,810 Snacks served
sylvania, and Eastern Pennsylvania & Delaware divisions in the USA Eastern Territory, as well as from the three other U.S. territories and Canada. The Army in New Jersey already had strong ties to local agencies. Over the years, Beavers says, partnerships with law enforcement and such organizations as Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster (VOAD) have “grown by leaps and bounds.” “The Community Food Bank down the street [from divisional headquarters in Union, N.J.] is run by the chair of VOAD. We have a phenomenal relationship with the food bank.” The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) asked that the Army not give out gift cards but provide emotional and spiritual counselors instead.
What Army is and does “What was really unique for this [disaster] and even for us was the emotional and spiritual care we provided,” Beavers says. “It resulted in a significant
acknowledgment from the community that this is what the Salvation Army is and does. We provided this care for victims and first responders,” Beavers says. “To this day.” After the initial emergency response, the Army was able to give out gift cards as part of long–term recovery efforts. Feeding efforts continued throughout affected areas. The Army also distributed in–kind products: heaters, food, clothing, toys, diapers, linens, boots, facemasks, water, and Gatorade®. Then the effort shifted to long–term recovery mode. “We are involved in more in–depth case management now that may take months, even years,” says Beavers. “Could be as long as five to six years,” says Bram Applin, community relations team manager, who, with his wife, Jana, are to enter training to become Salvation Army officers. “A lot of people have just been hurting,” Applin says. “They are asking, ‘Why did this happen?’ Being able to
simply pray with someone, hug someone, to be able to show the love of Christ in the little things. It’s a privilege that The Salvation Army can do this on a broad scale with people who are really hurting.”
The future: support groups “We now have new support groups in Monmouth, for example, where a distribution center had been,” says Kelly. “We discovered that so many people were coming to our centers just to be around people.” The Army began using a smaller facility in the area once the distribution center closed so that the support groups could continue. Kelly says the Army plans to follow that pattern in seven New Jersey counties. She says that New Jersey Hope and Healing, a mental health organization, has been working with the Army since the beginning. Kelly has found that the people who come in to Army centers—whether *From October 2012–June 2013
Service in new jersey
4,699
Debit cards
6,102
Cases receiving long–term help or counseling
14,450
Clean–up kits
17,805
Items of furniture
17,693
Personal care kits
New Jersey
it’s for blankets or sweatpants or just a listening ear—say they are grateful. “I have prayed with more people than I did at 9/11,” she says. “It’s something with the Holy Spirit. People just wanted to be prayed with; I never had anybody who said I couldn’t pray with them. They are looking for that sense of comfort when they are at the end of their rope. They’re saying, ‘How much can we take?’ ”
Sensitive to need Beavers recalls that one client came in to the Ortley Beach center looking for assistance, and he started talking about suicide. “We saw that he was admitted to the hospital. This place to come and talk to someone is a godsend.” One woman came into the Cranford, N.J., center with a newborn and a 2– year–old. As she was delivering her baby just three days before Sandy hit, her husband was deported. Her basement flooded during the storm and everything was destroyed. “Our support staff really took her under their wing,” says Beavers. “Captains Keith and Pam Maynor happened to be providing emotional and spiritual care that day,” says Applin. “Pam asked the woman if she had been to a doctor since the delivery and if she had a car seat for her baby.” The Maynors, who have two young children themselves, used their own carseats to take the woman home and brought her supplies. Staff continued to support the woman; with Salvation 16
Lieutenant Darell Houseton and Bram Applin man an ATV.
Army help, she and her children were able to leave for Mexico legally to be reunited with her husband. Beavers says that the “spirit of emotional and spiritual care has permeated this office [headquarters].” “Brenda’s faith and steadfastness has
rubbed off on the staff,” Bram says. She’s learned a lot herself post– Sandy. “I never thought I would have to know about forklifts and how many pallets can fit on a box truck,” she says. www.prioritypeople.org
Gov. Chris Christie speaks at a state recovery center. Homeland Security chief Janet Napolitano is at left.
Help from many quarters Many employees have been part of the recovery effort. Elyse Jankowski did “everything web” for Sandy, keeping the public informed. “It was a huge help for our effort,” Beavers says. “Social media became our way of communication with the corps.” Judith Anderson, volunteer manager, had started a database of volunteers right before Sandy hit. “Everybody wants to help, but we need trained people,” Beavers says. “We have trained hundreds of new volunteers.” At the end of June, Michael Orfitelli, Emergency Disaster Services director at the Salvation Army’s USA Eastern Territorial Headquarters (see www.prioritypeople.org
More than 6,000 people received case management or emotional and spiritual care services from The Salvation Army in New Jersey from October 2012 to June 2013. The work continues …
feature on p. 7), conducted two days of emotional and spiritual care training at New Jersey headquarters for those who wanted to join the effort. Applin says that retired Salvation Army officers have helped too. “At Christmas, when all the active officers were busy with the Christmas effort, we got a great response from retired officers,” who stepped in as volunteers. The officers, all pastors, often saw that people were looking for more than just comfort or a meal. Beavers says in just one week at the center in Hazlet, a team of officers led eight people to the Lord. (See story on p. 36.) Help comes from unexpected quarters too. The producer of “Ice Loves Coco,” 17
New Jersey
a TV reality show featuring Ice–T of “Law & Order” fame and his wife, Coco Austin, contacted the Army saying that Coco and her friends were looking for a way to give back. Territorial headquarters gave permission for the group to go to Hoboken and give out food, snacks, and donated supplies that filled a mobile canteen. “They really rolled up their sleeves,” says Applin. Their efforts were filmed for 18
the TV show, which brought attention to the Army’s ongoing efforts.
ongoing operation The Army’s post–Sandy operation in New Jersey is funded through September 2014—with the help of local donors, territorial headquarters, companies, and foundations. The governor’s wife, Mary Pat Christie, started a foundation, Hurricane Sandy New Jersey Relief
Fund, to aid and rebuild communities most affected by the storm. Beavers says the Army has received great support from Gov. Chris Christie and especially from Lieutenant Gov. Kim Guadagno. One group even brought in comfort dogs. Donations helped too. Territorial headquarters sent 10 ATVs that had been provided by Polaris Industries. (See story on p. 34.) www.prioritypeople.org
“The streets were so full of sand, they had to use snowplows to move it,” Beavers says. “We could take the ATVs out to serve food and beverages. It gave people cleaning up houses a meal and a time to share.”
The trauma continues When rains brought new flooding in early June, people who were working on their houses near the shore got flooded again. This time, they couldn’t get help from FEMA. The plight of the people in New Jersey is deeper than most people realize, Kelly says. Some homeowners haven’t been able to get back into their houses since Hurricane Irene hit in 2011. And many more are still displaced because of Sandy. “Some people are living on the second floor of their homes,” Kelly says. “Some are just coming back. [When] the warm weather [came], the smell of mold was overwhelming. … There are very serious concerns about it.” Referring to the rebuilding of the boardwalk and shore attractions, Beavers says, “It’s important that the economy come back, but it’s important to remember that so many people are still not back in their homes.” In early summer, a new blow came for people who had already started rebuilding and elevating their homes.
“They learned that in September, the rules would change, and houses will have to be built even higher,” Beavers says. Many people have had the impression that everyone living on the shore is well off. But, Kelly says, there are many retired older adults living on limited incomes. And in places like Hazlet, Union
News 12 Connection
N
ews 12 is the last statewide TV channel in New Jersey. When the station wanted a way their viewers could help Hurricane Sandy victims, officials called The Salvation Army. ‘We had developed a relationship with News 12,’ says Bram Applin, community relations team manager for the Army’s New Jersey Division. ‘They wanted to do a drive, and we had a connection with Simon Malls in Livingston,
Beach, and Fort Lee, many people are poor; some are illegal and can’t get aid. And for everyone affected by Sandy, the pain continues. “People have lost their homes and all their memories; they’ve lost things they can’t replace,” Kelly says. “There’s nothing easy about this.” Menlo Park, and Ocean County. ‘We told them what we needed: nonperishable foods, new products, cleanup supplies. They advertised on–air, and the [Army’s] Adult Rehabilitation Centers allowed us to use their trucks to get donations to the warehouse. ‘I don’t think any of us anticipated what it would turn into. We got enough donations in three days to fill 38 trucks.’ The Army’s partnership with News 12 is ongoing. The station has dedicated time slots to the recovery effort and has had Salvation Army officers on the air to talk about it. ‘They [News 12] understand that we’re here to stay,’ Applin says. ‘The Salvation Army is the first group there, and it’s always the last to leave.’
Photos © Getty Images/Laura Pedrick
All That I Am
‘Church every day’ by Robert Mitchell
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“I
go to ‘church’ every day when I go to [New Jersey] divisional headquarters and work at my job,” says Brenda Beavers, state director of human services for The Salvation Army. “It’s not necessarily sitting through the sermon and putting the money in the plate, but it’s being able to reflect a ministry and an organization and what it represents. To me, that’s what religion is all about.” It took a “God thing” to get Brenda to work for The Salvation Army in the first place. In 1972, she was a senior majoring in social work at Newark State College (now Kean University). She was less than pleased when a professor from the Union, N.J., college announced that Beavers would do her senior internship at the Family Services Bureau in Newark, N.J., with The Salvation Army. Brenda admits she didn’t know much about Newark at the time except for what she had seen on television during the 1967 riots. She knew even less about The Salvation Army, those funny people she would sometimes see playing music on the corner outside her grandmother’s house. “I said to him, ‘There is no way. I am not going to Newark and stand on a street corner and ring a bell. That’s just not what my parents are paying this college for,’ ” Brenda recalls. The professor pleaded with her to give it a try. Brenda excelled and was hired by The Salvation Army the next year. Except for one four–year hiatus, she has been there ever since, a total of 36 years. www.prioritypeople.org
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All That I Am
Never a dull moment “The only way I can explain it is it was a ‘God thing.’ There’s no reason that this girl from the suburbs of New Jersey should have been in downtown Newark doing social services,” Brenda says. “Therefore, I just feel that God has His hand on everything we do, from placing me in that position to carrying me through ever since.” As the state director of human services, Brenda oversees several Salvation Army departments, including Emergency Disaster Services (EDS), correctional services, childcare, literacy, programs for the homeless and hungry, and outreach to veterans. “With few people, we have a very busy operation,” Brenda says. “Someone asked me, ‘How have you lasted at the Salvation Army for as long as you have?’ It’s because no two days are ever the same. It’s exciting. It’s like, ‘What day and what hat?’ You just keep going. You just have to be very flexible.” Brenda says she sits down on Sunday nights to make a list of all she wants to accomplish in the coming week. She goes into work Monday mornings feeling organized, but it can all change in a moment, as it did when Superstorm Sandy hit and Brenda coordinated the state’s EDS response. (See “More Than the Hot Dog and a Cup of Coffee,” p. 10).
Trusting God “By Monday evening, I’ll pull out my list and realize I’ve crossed very little off, but you just have to be flexible and go with 22
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All That I Am
the flow and trust that you’re going to have the support and the wisdom that only the Lord can provide,” Brenda says. Even with such a hectic schedule, prayer is a regular part of Brenda’s life, but it’s not scripted. And it’s on the go. “It’s driving in the car, lying in bed, sitting in the office. We [God and I] certainly have a way of communicating,” says Brenda, who was raised Presbyterian and now attends an Episcopal church. “Faith is what carries you—and knowing that the Lord is going to meet the needs of the people we are assisting and the needs of those providing the services.” Brenda is also involved in myriad professional organizations, groups, and boards because she believes the Army cannot be an island unto itself. “The Salvation Army needs to be networked,” she says. “We cannot do all that we do independent of being part of partnerships and other organizations. Therefore, it’s key that we participate not only in policy–making groups, but also at the same time, funding groups.
community networks “One of the things I often say to the officers is, ‘If you want to participate in the meal, you have to be at the table.’ If you’re looking for funds, you’ve got to be a part of these community networks to know who’s doing what, how they’re doing it, and where the funds are.” Brenda found this out during the only break in her Salvation Army tenure, when she left for four years to work for the state of New Jersey and a nonprofit 24
mentoring group. She called it a “tremendous opportunity” to serve as the assistant director of the New Jersey Division of Women from 1987 to 1989. “I made tremendous contacts and learned a lot about state government,”
‘It’s hard to develop policy and program if you’re not touching it.’ Brenda says. “Coming right from school to The Salvation Army, it wasn’t like I had a lot of political background or connections. That was a wonderful opportunity. Many of the people I still deal with were contacts and resources that I learned about and came across during that time.” From 1989 to 1991, Brenda worked with One to One/New Jersey, a Newark mentoring program. She gained experience with fund–raising as she dealt with the corporate and philanthropic worlds. “It’s really been helpful for The Salvation Army and good for me professionally to know how systems work,” she says.
Back to the Army The experience has paid off for Brenda and the Army. When she returned in 1991, her experience working with homeless groups in Newark helped her
put together Army programs for that troubled city. “The Salvation Army name will carry you far,” Brenda says. “Just representing The Salvation Army will open a lot of doors.” Brenda says what motivates her most are the opportunities afforded to an organization as respected as The Salvation Army. “There’s a lot of opportunity in the Army to create,” she explains. “It’s been very exciting to be able to come up with some interesting programs.” For example, she helped develop a corrections program that allows incarcerated women to see their children one weekend a month at the Army’s Camp Tecumseh in Pittstown, N.J. “We can do that because we have a camp,” she says. “We’re rich in buildings and resources.” Brenda says she tries to get out of her office at divisional headquarters in Union, N.J., and see the programs firsthand “because it’s hard to develop policy and program if you’re not touching it.” “Sometimes you get a little too far removed and you forget what it’s like to be out there in the streets and doing the work,” she says. One way Brenda gets out in the field is Vets Camp, a five–day respite program for veterans in outpatient care held every August at Camp Tecumseh. The program marked its 20th year in August. The Salvation Army also holds a Christmas party for vets and works to connect them with social services. “That’s when it becomes very real,” www.prioritypeople.org
she says. “You can sit in your office, but until you get out there and observe and watch, then you really don’t understand what’s going on.” Looking back, Brenda says her time serving others has been rewarding. “The most rewarding thing is to see that people are getting some wholeness in their lives and that they have hope that life will be better for them,” she says. “But if you’re looking for that immediate gratification, then you’re in the wrong business.” www.prioritypeople.org
Delayed gratification Brenda recalled The Salvation Army once getting a note of thanks from a pro tennis player for his first pair of tennis shoes, a gift from the Army, but she says those moments are rare. “Those are the kinds of things that make it all worthwhile, but if you expect to go home every day and see the results, that’s not going to happen,” she says. “A lot of what we do is planting seeds. If we can add a little water and fertilizer, that’s good too.”
Brenda still remembers that college professor, Conrad Graves, who asked her to give The Salvation Army a chance, and she is thankful to him for that “God thing” moment. “The fact that he decided that was where my field placement would be and that I was going to go there and stick it out, that led to a career,” she says. “Through The Salvation Army, I’ve been able to touch a lot of lives and make a difference. It’s not me. It’s the Lord working through me.” 25
Serving with Joy
‘It’s a real calling’
Photo © Getty Images/Laura Pedrick
by Linda D. Johnson
J
ohn Smith had been a highly paid steamfitter for seven years. But he wasn’t happy. A single father with two kids, he was working “crazy hours,” sometimes leaving at 4:30 a.m. and not getting home until 8 at night. Now he’s making half the money, but he says, “I actually enjoy my job. It’s a real calling.” The new job is good for his kids too. “Daddy comes home in a
26
good mood; it’s a big difference.” John’s job is working for The Salvation Army as site manager for the Emergency Assistance Center for Southern New Jersey, located in Ortley Beach. He had been volunteering for the Army for several years, helping out with the Christmas effort. Then, last year, he was hired as the seasonal (Christmas) coordinator for College students came from Concord, N.H., to volunteer. the New Jersey Division. www.prioritypeople.org
When Hurricane Sandy hit, he moved into setting up the Ortley Beach Center, which opened Feb. 1. As of July, his contract was extended for another 15 months, and he couldn’t be happier about that. “The joy and fulfillment that I get out of helping people is amazing,” he says. Many people have come to the Ortley Beach Center for help. “From Feb. 1 through June 28, 18,069, family members came into my facility,” he says. That was in Phase 1 of the recovery effort. In July, the Army moved into Phase 2, which meant acquiring a smaller building for ongoing service to clients. John says that when clients come into the center, workers determine their eligibility for help and what their needs are. John then goes out to clients’ homes to verify those needs. Clients receive vouchers or are sent to vendors for things like furnishings and appliances. But it’s not just about paperwork or evaluation at the center.
It’s personal “You are on a personal level with each client,” he says. www.prioritypeople.org
“Every client knew who I was. It’s a very warm atmosphere.” Many people came in with pictures of their destroyed homes. Some openly wept. “I try to be there with a big shoulder to cry on,” John says. “If I touch one person a day, I am happy. But it’s much more rewarding for me than for them. I get so much out of helping people.” Each day, when John opens the place up, clients are waiting outside. When they come in, they are offered coffee. The workers who interact with them are familiar faces.
in another disaster. “I’m talking about Lauri Yoncak, Marcy Miles, Edi Newchurch, Kathleen O’Connell, and so many others who gave up so much of their time simply to be there to help others. These people stayed the course.” For John, the work with clients is always personal. But becoming so involved sometimes carries a price. “It’s hard when you get to know these people. You see them once a week, and you get to care for them,” he says. That means that when something happens to one of them, such as a client who passed “The true heroes are the away from cardiac arrest, the volunteers,” John says. “Not loss is deeply felt. the ones who volunteer one On at least two occasions, day because it’s the cool thing clients told emotional and to do. I’m talking about the spiritual counselors that they people who gave up everyhad been having suicidal thing to help: the college kids thoughts. Crisis personnel who took an alternate spring were called, and the suicides break and came for weeks at were averted. Both clients a time to help out instead of came back after that; one playing games and acting like shook John’s hand and said college kids; the retired ofthank you. ficers who came for weeks at a John, a Sandy victim time to help out. himself, can easily relate to “We have a couple, John clients. He lost his vehicle, and Myrtle Whitcomb, who his roof, and the exterior of gave us 11 weeks’ service his house in Brick, N.J. But between our two locations he knows it could have been [Ortley Beach and Hazlet] and much worse. have just deployed to help out “Water made it up to the
True heroes
porch. But my house was higher than my neighbors’ houses. A lot of them lost their first floors.”
Cocoa Comfort In the winter, he and his team were out with ATVs delivering hot cocoa and snacks to people working on their homes. “It’s crazy how appreciated a cup of hot cocoa can be. We have people who come back months later and say, ‘I remember when you brought that cup of cocoa. That meant so much.’ ” John realizes it was about more than the cocoa. “A lot of the people really just needed a friendly face and someone who understood what they were going through.” John’s faith plays into his work, but he says he’s no preacher, so he doesn’t push religion. But he does know that he’s right where he is supposed to be. “I believe I was called here to help these people. I believe I was actually put right there for the purpose. I’m truly blessed that I [am] in that position.” He adds, “What you feel inside makes it all worthwhile.” 27
First Person
Retiring into Superstorm Response by Betty Israel
Major Betty Israel (far right) and staff display donated children’s books.
O
n Feb. 1, 2013, the day I retired as an active Salvation Army officer, I had no idea that in six weeks’ time I would be sharing in the New Jersey Division’s Superstorm Sandy response. After being contacted by Divisional Headquarters (DHQ), I became the Emotional and Spiritual Care
28
(ESC) coordinator for our two Sandy response centers, located in the hard–hit areas of Hazlet and Ortley Beach. My home is located almost exactly halfway between the two sites, and I soon found myself regularly on the road between them, with an occasional visit to DHQ. www.prioritypeople.org
My responsibilities for the last 15 years had been mainly administrative, so I was grateful to have this opportunity to be part of hands–on, face–to–face ministry and service. Both centers operated on a six–day–a–week schedule. Every day, we worked with dozens of families, seeing many for the first time and many more returning for additional assistance and counsel. Although I was only part–time, because I spent time in both locations throughout the week, I quickly felt adopted into both communities.
committed volunteers When I joined the team, these remarkable people had been giving committed service to the Sandy survivors for almost three months. The staff included employees, both full–time and part–time, and volunteers. These included people who came on their own; student, corporate, and church groups; retired and active duty Salvation Army officers; and those who
Keeping the Lines Open
T
he resource center phase of Salvation Army emergency disaster response in Hazlet and Ortley Beach came to a planned conclusion, but the Salvation Army’s ministry and service continued as long–term disaster response with two key operations: case management services and community–based support groups. Case management services provide families and individuals who are still struggling with restoring their homes and lives to wholeness with one–on–one social work counseling and resource assistance. The community–based groups are open to all
www.prioritypeople.org
are part of sister organizations such as Hope and Healing, a local mental health services group, and Hope Force International, a Christian organization providing trained emergency disaster personnel. One of my primary responsibilities was to schedule our ESC counselors, primarily volunteers, so that both centers had at least one counselor on site every day. When we did not have adequate coverage, I had the opportunity to be on duty. The Salvation Army required a meeting with an ESC counselor for first–time applicants. At this meeting, the counselor would review the registration form to confirm and clarify information. That sounds bureaucratic, but it provided an opportunity for Sandy survivors to talk about their experiences, both during and since the storm. These became valued moments of emotional sharing in which people expressed grief, sorrow, frustration, and fear. Tears often flowed. The ESC worker would listen, encourage,
Sandy survivors who need ongoing emotional and spiritual support. Local mental health providers in partnership with Salvation Army ESC workers facilitate the groups. These leaders have been active in the resource center activities and are already well known to the participants. In the groups, participants have found a safe place to unburden themselves from concerns and frustrations that they generally have been keeping to themselves. By sharing their experiences, they help both themselves and others in the group. A remarkable sense of mutual support and hope has already begun to emerge.
29
First Person
provide resource referrals, counsel, and pray with survivors. Many survivors requested additional meetings with the ESC counselors on return visits, and these always took place. During times when there were no new applicants, the ESC counselor would work with volunteers accompanying families as they selected items available at the center. The informal conversation that occurred during the selection process would frequently be an opportunity for ongoing support and counsel. In this sense, every volunteer who walked with survivors served as counseling support staff; they would refer people to the ESC worker when needed. Survivors told of difficult, often heartbreaking, situations. • Many retirees who had purchased one–story homes so that they didn’t have to worry about stairs lost everything inside their homes, and often their homes themselves, to the power of the storm surge. • People who hadn’t purchased flood insurance because their homes were not considered to be in flood zones soon learned how little of their losses their regular homeowners’ insurance would cover. • Some homeowners found their garages whirled as if they had been in a superpowered washing machine that totally destroyed everything. • Renters whose homes were storm–damaged found it almost impossible to locate alternate long–term housing. That’s because homeowners with uninhabitable homes had turned to renting in order to maintain their mortgage payments. • Many people were out of work because their places of employment had been washed away by the storm. The Salvation Army Hazlet and Ortley Beach recovery programs became centers of refuge and community support for area Sandy survivors. [At this writing] Six months and ap-
30
proximately 4,000 families from the actual event, we are still walking beside the survivors of Superstorm Sandy. Our iconic tradition of “meeting need at the point of need” reflects the efforts of our employees and volunteers. Physical resources, including food goods, cleaning supplies, blankets, bedding, clothing, tools, and related items, along with gift cards to cover other immediate necessities, have been a part of the program design from start to finish. More difficult to describe, or measure, are the resources that have developed alongside. The centers themselves [now closed, with support groups continuing] became places of welcome and refuge. People came in without hesitation to access spiritual counsel and mental health resources. The staffs of the two centers became trusted friends and supports of the Sandy survivors. The memories of these relationships will last a lifetime. One of the most common responses from our Sandy friends has been, often with tears and a hug, “Thank you for being here.” In these moments, I believe that God is smiling. The writer is a retired Salvation Army major.
Major Israel (right) with a group of college volunteers
www.prioritypeople.org
New Jersey Shorts
‘Paws Up’ to This Duo by Robert Mitchell The girls are also motivated by their religious faith; the theme at their Catholic school this year was “Put Our Faith into Action.” “That’s exactly what we are doing,” Alex says. Lucy adds, “The faith has rubbed off on us.” The girls posted on Facebook when Do It Duo for Pets set up its first food pantry on March 16: Alexandra Dompier (left) and Lucy Rose Miles with awards they received from The Salvation Army
A
lexandra Dompier and Lucy Rose Miles, 11– year–old animal lovers from Mansfield, N.J., were watching a Superstorm Sandy benefit concert with Bon Jovi on TV last December. “They were playing like really sad music and they had pictures of the damage and everything and then all of a sudden there were some pictures of animals,” Alex explains. “I decided to ask Lucy 32
It felt so good to be able to help—people were taking stuff before we were even done unpacking!
to make a little group with me and we would start to help out the animals. We didn’t even think we’d still be going now. We thought we were going to do a couple of deliveries and then that would be it, but here we are!” The girls formed “Do It Duo for Pets,” which has provided pet food and supplies to The Salvation Army and other shelters, food pantries, and organizations in New Jer-
sey. Alex and Lucy often set up animal food pantries inside disaster relief centers. “We delivered over four tons of food and supplies to shelters,” Lucy says. Where does that compassion come from? Alex and her family have four dogs, a cat, and a guinea pig. Lucy’s family has three dogs and a fish. “We have like a built–in love for animals,” Alex says.
On March 30, the girls reminded everyone that while the TV cameras were gone, the need was not: People keep asking us what we are doing now that the hurricane is over. We are still focusing on the hurricane animals because many families and animals are still in need. The media has stopped talking about the hurricane but it is going to take a long, long time to recover. When we make deliveries, we interview people. Did you know that there are www.prioritypeople.org
The girls’ perky posts are sprinkled with phrases like “pawesome” or giving someone a “paws up.” “We have a lot of supporters on Facebook and Instagram,” Alex says. “A lot of people like positivity.” The girls, who also sent food to Oklahoma to help On April 21, a post with the animals displaced in described the girls’ help at a recent tornadoes, are working Salvation Army Center in on turning Do It Duo for Pets Ortley Beach: into a 501c3 nonprofit. “We’re going to make sure Today the girls delivered to everyone’s OK in the future,” the pet food pantry at the Salva- Alex says. tion Army center in Ortley to The girls were recently their friend, John [Smith]. They honored with the Jefferson delivered 396 cans of wet dog Youth Service Award by the food, 560 cans of wet cat food, New Jersey governor’s office. 189 lbs of cat litter, 96 lbs (32 Alex and Lucy come from bags) of dry cat food, 147 lbs two strong families. Lucy (21 bags) of dry dog food, 26 has two sisters and Alex has boxes of dog and cat treats, a brother and a sister who 20 stainless steel bowls, and often help out with the effort. a basket of assorted small pet Lucy’s mother, Mary, is also food. When they came home involved. this statue was in our garden Alex’s mom, Rhoda Domfrom their BFF’s dad, Mr. pier, says the parents are “very Bryan—reminding the girls proud” of the girls. once again, “Start by doing “We do a lot of things as what is necessary, then what families together,” Rhoda is possible, and suddenly you Dompier says. “Everybody are doing the impossible.”―St. participates, but of course Francis of Assisi. Lucy and Alex are spearheadstill over 300 families living in hotels? There are many more families who are living in temporary situations. That means the animals are not in their real homes and their families need a lot of help to take care of them. We still have a lot of work to do!!!!
www.prioritypeople.org
ing the effort. We’re extremely proud of them and their determination. They just won’t hear the word no.” Recently, courtesy of Brenda Beavers, state human resources director for the New Jersey Salvation Army, the girls received tickets to attend another Bon Jovi concert. “Huge paws up to Miss
Brenda and the whole Salvation Army,” the girls wrote on their website. “Our whole mission got started after seeing [the TV concert with Bon Jovi]. And now we are seeing him LIVE! Salvation Army rocks!” Do It Duo for Pets can be found at www.doitduoforpets.com, and on Facebook.
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New Jersey Shorts
Another Kind of Sandy Rescue Tim and Desta Hunt with grateful pickup truck owners
D
esta and Tim Hunt of Fergus Falls, Minn., had been deployed to Toms River, N.J., to provide food, drinks, and spiritual care to storm survivors. Desta did her job behind the wheel of a Polaris vehicle, one of 10 military–grade all–terrain vehicles that had been donated to the Salvation Army’s Sandy relief effort by Polaris Industries, based in Medina, Minn. As Desta was driving through one neighborhood 34
on an offshore island, she looked down an access road and saw three men standing on the beach next to a three– quarter–ton pickup, with a loaded flatbed trailer of heavy appliances, deeply mired in the sand. Desta gingerly made her way down to the spot where the men were working to free the truck and trailer from the sand. Without knowing the extent of their trouble, Desta had planned to offer them food and something to drink.
But she saw that the pickup was buried up to the hubcaps; when anyone tried to move the truck, its tires just spun.
The men declined the refreshments from Desta because of their apprehension about being stuck with a curfew www.prioritypeople.org
Just a Cup of Coffee? by Linda D. Johnson coming to get off the island. But they asked Desta if she would help pull them out. She knew she had to try. This would be an entirely new way to provide a “ministry of presence” to people in need. She did not know the capability of the vehicle, but she wanted to help in any way she could, so the men hooked a chain to the back of the Polaris and the front of the pickup. After a short prayer—“Lord, help me to do this”—Desta put the ATV into four–wheel drive and stepped on the gas. Before she knew, it the truck and trailer were out of their sandy prison. Afterward, the men—and the crowd that had gathered—enjoyed food and hot coffee from Desta, courtesy of the Army, its supporters, and Polaris. “Thank you, Polaris, for donating (the ATV) to assist The Salvation Army in achieving its mission of helping people,” New Jersey’s public relations team said. —Supplied by The Salvation Army Northern Division in Minnesota. www.prioritypeople.org
Bram Applin talks with Sandy survivors.
T
he Army’s efforts following Hurricane Sandy have been much more than a cup of coffee, but sometimes, a relationship can start with just that. Bram Applin, community relations director for New Jersey, was sent to the town of Brick just a few days after the storm. The mobile FEMA unit was there taking applications, and Applin was serving on a canteen from Ocean County.
“One of the individuals who came to us was eight months pregnant,” Applin says. “We offered her a cup of coffee and a sandwich for her daughter.” Then the woman left. Several months later, Applin was doing interviews at the Army’s emergency assistance center in Ortley Beach when he spotted the woman with her daughter and newborn baby and went over to her.
“She said that that cup of coffee in Brick was her first hot drink after the hurricane,” Applin says. “Her home was destroyed, and now a bedroom in her sister’s house is home. She said she comes to the center just to talk, and people watch her children. This gives her a place to rest. “And to think it all started with a cup of coffee in Brick, N.J.,” Bram Applin says.
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New Jersey Shorts
Helping People Find Jesus by Robert Mitchell
Ruth Pritchard, Marie Cole, and Joe Pritchard at the Hazlet center
M
ajor Joe Pritchard was surprised when a man he had prayed with the day before returned to the Emergency Assistance Service Center in Hazlet, N.J., and asked for him by name. 36
Pritchard and his wife, Major Ruth “Cookie” Pritchard, provided emotional and spiritual care in the wake of Superstorm Sandy and prayed with people all day long. The man was back to
see Major Joe—and this time he had brought a friend for prayer. The man’s friend, who struggled with alcohol abuse, didn’t want to hear about spiritual things or Jesus at
first, Joe says, but after a while “his whole countenance started changing.” “He opened up,” Joe says. “He called his daughter and talked about going to a [substance abuse] program. His www.prioritypeople.org
wife had recently passed away. He felt alone. He felt lost. He wasn’t living anyplace.” The Pritchards, who are retired officers, gave him some food and clothing, but more importantly, they kept talking to him about God’s love. “We just kept talking and … he became open to the Gospel and the idea that the Lord could really be a part of his life and change could take place,” Joe says. “He ended up saying a prayer of confession as well, asking Jesus into his heart and life.”
commanders of The Salvation Army. Major Carl Schoch, a retired former divisional commander in New Jersey, was also involved. “They helped organize it and coordinate it,” Joe says. “They set the standard from the very beginning.” Clients who sustained losses during Superstorm Sandy would come in and fill out an application. The clients could then see someone for emotional and spiritual care. “It became personal contact with the clients from the very beginning,” Joe says. “It was a real team effort.” Ruth says the Pritchards The man was one of eight developed friendships with people the Pritchards had some of the clients, who the privilege of leading to sometimes returned with rice the Lord while serving a pudding and other goodies for three–week stint in January as the counselors. She has also emotional and spiritual care written letters to some since counselors. returning home to Jamestown, “It refreshed our calling N.Y. once again that we have been called to win individuals to “We just fell in love with each Christ,” says Ruth. “It was other,” she says of themselves rewarding.” and the clients. The Pritchards were “We were there for them. trained and shown the ropes We cried with them. We by Commissioners Todd and Carol Bassett, former national laughed with them. We
On the ground
laughing, crying
www.prioritypeople.org
listened. That’s the important thing. You have to listen and be available and allow them to express their thoughts and what they’re going through.” She adds, “It was draining.” Joe says all but about a dozen people accepted prayer. The Pritchards also gave people the opportunity to express their feelings about what had happened. “We gave them the reassurance of the Lord, that He knows, that He understands, and wants a relationship with everyone,” Joe says.
to another, and we had the opportunity of sharing the Lord with them and how they could have a personal relationship,” Joe says. “There were eight folks who said they would like to say the prayer of repentance and accept Christ within their hearts and life. “It was a very rewarding experience.” He adds, “It was a very humbling experience as well.”
kept on their toes
The Pritchards were officers for 43 years, but Joe says God’s work is never done. The Pritchards shared Bible “It was something I needed verses and passages with the as well,” he says. “The Lord clients and let God’s Word can still use you whether soak in. Some of the verses you’re retired or active.” came from a book given out Ruth agrees. called “God Is Our Shelter “It was challenging,” she and Strength.” says. “It kept us on our toes, as The Lord has a way of far as quoting Scripture and opening up those things when knowing what to say. He’s working and the Holy “It was very, very rewardSpirit is working,” Joe says. ing for our Christian walk in “That’s what we rely upon.” life. We just thank the Lord. The team also gave out Bibles We loved every minute being provided by divisional headthere.” quarters. “In the course of conversation, one thing would lead
Holy spirit at work
37
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The Salvation Army Greater New York Division brought immediate material and spiritual aid to New Yorkers in need as soon as Hurricane Sandy hit. A year later, there are still thousands of New Yorkers rebuilding their lives and homes. The Salvation Army is hard at work meeting needs throughout the Division and will continue to be for years to come. For information on eligibility and assistance availability for those affected by Hurricane Sandy in New York, call 211. The Greater New York Salvation Army Disaster Case Management Office can be reached at (516) 478-4166 If you wish to make a donation please contact us at SalvationArmyNY.org
greater New York
Photo Š AP Photo/Metropolitan Transportation Authority, File
Greater New York
Filling the Gaps: Army Tailors Service to City Needs
Cars are submerged at the entrance to a parking garage in New York’s Financial District in the aftermath of superstorm Sandy.
N
ew York City—defined by emergency managers as a concentrated population with a condensed infrastructure—is a very complex environment on a good day. The hurricane brought considerable storm damage, flooded subways and closed bridges and tunnels. In lower Manhattan, there was no power or water, and throughout the city, gasoline supplies were limited. Thousands were impacted, and millions sheltered in place. Superstorm Sandy tested both the patience and the resilience of many a New Yorker.
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Lt. Colonel Guy Klemanski, Greater New York divisional commander, chats with a first responder.
www.prioritypeople.org
Photo © AP Photo/Richard Drew. Other photos courtesy Greater New York Division
by John Berglund
Photo © Getty Images/Robert Nickelsberg
Because the Salvation Army’s offices in Manhattan were completely shut down by the storm, the Army ran its emergency response operations from the New York City Emergency Operating Center of the Office of Emergency Management, adjacent to the Brooklyn Bridge. The Army was part of a coalition that included the mayor’s office, the National Guard, the New York Police Department, and New York Cares. In the first 12 days after the storm, the coalition delivered 2 million ready–to–eat meals and 700,000 bottles of water at 17 locations throughout the city. (See chart on page 45.) The Salvation Army also watched and assessed, then stepped up to fill appropriate service gaps. The first gap was for the most vulnerable people, those with “special needs” ranging from individuals requiring minor medical assistance to those with a caregiver, wheelchair patients, persons with medical equipment attachments, and frail seniors. For 15 days, The Salvation Army provided more than 40,000 low–sodium, vegetarian, and kosher meals for evacuees housed in the eight special needs shelters scattered throughout the city. Another gap was access to trucking. There was a need for trucks with certified drivers who knew not only the normal challenges of the formidable inner–city roadways but also how to navigate around closed tunnels and www.prioritypeople.org
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Greater New York
Commissioner Israel Gaither, then–territorial commander, talks with Lieutenant Travis Barton while Lt. Colonel Klemanski and Captain James Haun look on.
Setting up staging area
bridges. The Greater New York fleet of Salvation Army thrift store trucks and drivers took on the task, and a continuous convoy of Salvation Army trucks delivered both shelter meals and emergency supplies to various government, community, and Salvation Army distribution points. The same fleet of trucks and drivers addressed the area’s third “disaster”— unsolicited in–kind donations. The Sal44
vation Army took on the task of unclogging the streets from a sea of plastic bags filled with used clothing, most of which was neither sanitary nor appropriate for those in need. In turn, clothing vouchers for Salvation Army thrift stores were given out at the New York City Restoration and Long Island Disaster Recovery centers, which allowed those impacted by the storm to find clean and safe clothing as soon as possible.
A historic armory located in the Bronx, used year–round as a Salvation Army shelter for chronically homeless women, became the staging area for both purchased and donated emergency supplies. Pallet upon pallet of products from clean–up kits to diapers, were both donated and purchased for use by agencies and government partners involved in the rapid response. The organization and delivery of supplies, facilitated by The Salvation Army and delivered by Salvation Army trucks, was a testament to the multi– sector interagency communication and collaboration that had been developed over the years. Salvation Army teams worked side by side with myriad disaster relief partners, including traditional allies such as the American Red Cross, Southern Baptist Disaster Relief, and UMCOR (United Methodist Committee on Relief) to address the needs of all New York communities, leaning heavily www.prioritypeople.org
Greater New York Response Phase 1:
Phase 2:
Phase 3:
Response Efforts
Short–Term Recovery
Long–Term Recovery
Working with local coalition, Salvation Army supplies immediate needs.
Families and individuals apply at Salvation Army churches for continued emergency aid.
Beneficiaries work with Salvation Army case managers to develop long–term relationships and recovery plans.
Meals and water. 2 million ready– to–eat meals & 700,000 bottles of water distributed at 17 locations in first 12 days after storm. Special Needs Meals. 40,000 low– sodium, vegetarian, & kosher meals for evacuees in eight special needs shelters. Trucks. For 24 days, 20 Army Adult Rehabilitation Center trucks deployed for donations management in Hempstead, Manhattan, & Brooklyn. Clothing. Vouchers distributed for Salvation Army thrift stores in NYC & Long Island. Mobile Canteens. Beverages & snacks distributed on Long Island.
Gift Cards. 1,358 gift cards to families for grocery stores, big–box retailers, & construction supply stores. Transportation. 863 MetroCards (8,175 subway/bus rides) to allow easy access to points of resource for those affected by the storm. Beds. 940 regular beds & several specialty medical beds to replace destroyed beds. Household Needs. Vouchers for furniture & clothing from Army thrift stores as well as new furniture & appliances from national retailers. Payments. Help with utility bills, mortgage & rental fees, construction materials, labor for electrical/plumbing/foundation work, car insurance, etc.
Long–Term Needs. During this phase, families work with case managers to address needs, including ongoing emotional & spiritual care & the development of individualized recovery plans.
Oct. 29–Dec. 31, 2012
Jan. 1–June 30, 2013
July 1, 2013–June 2015
Case managers can also advance special cases to Unmet Needs Roundtables, which give these families access to additional recovery funds. Overall, fewer families will receive assistance, but those who do receive higher monetary contributions.
IN EVERY PHASE, THE OFFICERS, STAFF, AND VOLUNTEERS OF THE SALVATION ARMY PROVIDED SUPERSTORM SANDY VICTIMS WITH EMOTIONAL AND SPIRITUAL CARE. for assistance on additional key players such as the Tzu Chi Foundation and the United Sikhs. Throughout Greater New York, The Salvation Army’s traditional services— emergency feeding, roaming canteens, first–responder and shelter support, disaster supply distribution—were all served with the emotional and spiritual care for which The Salvation Army has become known. For the most part, the emergency response phase for Hurricane Sandy www.prioritypeople.org
took around three weeks to complete, although the amazing grassroots community reaction—always a factor in large incidents—continued for months, with local congregations assisting their neighbors, weekend volunteers helping to clean up, and crews from around the country coming in to be part of the recovery effort. The long–term recovery phase could take years. The Salvation Army is already present in all of the impacted communities, and it has no exit plan.
Mandated by mission, The Salvation Army will remain at the table, filling the gaps in provision whenever possible and all the while forming new partnerships in preparation for the next calamity. When Hurricane Sandy is a distant memory, the simple reply to survivors will be the same as it is after so many disasters: “Still in need? Go to The Salvation Army.” This article first appeared in the Salvation Army’s international magazine, All the World. It has been adapted for Priority! 45
Greater New York
Providing Long–Term Help on Long Island by Kenneth Speranza
Major Sue Wittenberg and Captain Ana Guzman perform ribbon–cutting duties while Major Steven Stoops and Major Jose Guzman look on.
I
n July, the Greater New York (GNY) Division of The Salvation Army officially opened the Long Island Sandy Recovery Center with a ribbon cutting and open house. The Island Park center has been in operation since
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May 15 when the program moved from its temporary space in Hempstead. It is the only such center of its kind in Island Park. “The opening of this center signifies the next phase in the Salvation Army’s
recovery services to survivors of Superstorm Sandy,” said Major Steven Stoops, associate social services secretary for the GNY Division, at the July 11 ribbon–cutting for the Island Park center on Long Island’s South Shore.
“We wrapped up our short–term relief efforts in 2012, then entered a recovery phase, and now have officially switched our operations to long–term recovery, as we, together with our partners, work to get people back into www.prioritypeople.org
their homes or into a new permanent home.” “I never thought anyone would come to help,” said Ellen Levitsky, a resident of Freeport, who received assistance from the Army in cleaning up her storm– ravaged home. “I am still in disbelief that you’ve been able to help. I feel like I should be pinched. I’m so thankful for the help that The Salvation Army has provided, and how quickly.”
active partner For eight months, The Salvation Army in GNY provided emergency financial assistance, information, and referral services to people in the hardest–hit areas of Staten Island, Queens, and Long Island. The Army has been an active partner with other nonprofits in bringing funding and services to those affected by Sandy. For example, representatives from the Army participated in community recovery meetings in Far Rockaway and Queens that www.prioritypeople.org
were coordinated through the Federation of Protestant Welfare Agencies. The long–term recovery center allows The Salvation Army to provide Sandy–specific services close to home for those affected by the storm. Salvation Army churches (corps community centers), which had served as key
and provides other resources to those who are not eligible for federal help. The Freeport Emergency Housing Rehabilitation Assistance Program, for example, offers repair, rebuilding, and refurbishing services to eligible homeowners in Freeport and surrounding villages, including Island Park.
I’m so thankful for the help that The Salvation Army has provided, and how quickly.” distribution points for disaster case management and emergency aid in the first weeks and months after the storm, have now returned to their regular community–assistance programs. Those programs have been in operation for decades. The Salvation Army makes eligible clients aware of Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) programs
Bed request program The Long Island Sandy Recovery Center serves as project office for the Freeport program as well as the unique Bed Request Program, which allows disaster case managers throughout Nassau and Suffolk Counties to provide clients with Sleepy’s mattresses. The center is also the main contact for all Sandy–related services on Long Island.
The Army is also a donor at the Long Island and New York City Unmet Needs Round Tables, a long–term, last–resort recovery resource that customizes assistance for Sandy survivors. The Health & Welfare Council of Long Island and the New York Disaster Interfaith Services facilitate the Round Tables. Through them, eligible survivors can receive discounts on goods for their homes. In addition to Sleepy’s, merchants on Long Island partnering with The Salvation Army have included Raymour & Flanigan Furniture, P.C. Richard & Son, and Carefree Air Conditioning & Heating. A similar recovery office was slated to open in late summer in the Rockaways on Long Island, and plans are underway for a third office in Staten Island. The Salvation Army in GNY anticipates Sandy recovery services to continue through June 2015.
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New York shorts
Photos courtesy Greater New York Division
When Rebuilding Is Not an Option
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rnold James and Kim Lurie are just two of the people who didn’t have any hope of returning to their homes after Sandy. Three weeks before the storm, Arnold had had major back surgery, which requires him to wear a hi–tech monitor constantly. He had been living in Seagate, located in 48
New York’s evacuation Zone A, and was relocated to Manhattan. He had no relatives or friends to stay with, and his apartment building and all his belongings were destroyed in the storm, so he had no clothing to get through the winter. Kim had been renting a home in Long Beach, Long Island. With three feet of wa-
ter in her property, everything was destroyed, including her home office. Kim also had a storage unit in Freeport that was completely lost. She initially stayed with friends while her landlord did minimal work on her building. Arnold stayed in three shelters before being placed in a FEMA hotel, where he
met The Salvation Army. The Army helped him work with a realtor and then provided him with leasing and broker fees so he could move into a new apartment in the Bronx. Because of his surgery, he’s out of work and can’t get around well. But now, he is adjusting to his new neighborhood and has found new local doctors. www.prioritypeople.org
Red Kettles in July Because repairs were not complete on Kim’s apartment, the fire department would not turn the electricity back on, so she was put in a FEMA hotel. She received furniture vouchers for Salvation Army thrift stores, so she was able to replace everything. The Army also helped her pay for a lease and broker fees so that she could relocate into Manhattan. After several months of turmoil, she is finally feeling like life is returning to normal. The Salvation Army in New York played an integral
part in FEMA’s Shelter Transition Task Force. From January to July, in collaboration with the American Red Cross, the Army had helped more than 2,000 people to transition successfully into longer–term apartment housing. Hundreds of survivors remain in New York City transitional housing funded through the Department of Homeless Services (DHS). Individual casework and assistance continues in both programs, as well as work with survivors with special needs.
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or the fifth consecutive year, it was “Christmas in July” in New York City, as the Salvation Army’s iconic red kettles and bell–ringers made an appearance on the streets for “Doing the Most Good Week.” Though the kettle fund–raising effort takes place every year from Thanksgiving to Christmas, since 2009, the Army has been collecting donations to assist to individuals and fami-
www.prioritypeople.org
lies impacted by the nation’s economic recession. Superstorm Sandy added another reason for the mid–year drive. “In the summer, most people are thinking about vacations and leisure time,” said Lt. Colonel Guy D. Klemanski, divisional commander of the Salvation Army’s Greater New York Division, in July 2013. “But the truth is that many of our neighbors aren’t planning vacations because 49
New York Shorts
Filling Unmet Needs
they’re too busy meeting basic necessities, like food, clothing and shelter. This is especially true for people still coping with the effects of Superstorm Sandy from last fall. These people continue to need our help, and we desperately need the support of the public in order to help them. The Salvation Army takes no summer vacation because, sadly, need doesn’t either.”
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ix months after Sandy, 95–year–old Marie Clark returned to her home of 60 years, thanks to The Salvation Army and other participants in the Unmet Needs Roundtable in Long Island, as well as community groups and volunteers. Marie’s Lindenhurst home was severely dam-
aged in the storm. She was devastated. She lives alone on a fixed income, and in order to repair the damage, she had relied on minimal insurance coverage and had spent all of her savings. Through the Long Island Unmet Needs Roundtable, The Salvation Army provided her with a specialized walk–in tub and the accompanying
plumbing work, a value of over $7,500. Other organizations at the Roundtable helped to fix her roof and driveway. The community celebrated her return on the eve of Mother’s Day with a police department escort and a cavalcade of fire trucks, family, and friends standing in salute.
www.prioritypeople.org
Starr Sisters
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he Starr sisters, Judy and Andrea, first visited the Salvation Army’s Hempstead Corps (church) in December 2012. They were seeking assistance for their neighboring family homes. Before the storm, their mother, Rivoli, had lived in one of the homes; their uncle occupied the other. After the storm, the houses were completely uninhabitable. The uncle was placed in an assisted living/nursing home; while there, he passed away. Rivoli was staying with her son. Judy and Andrea and other family members, who
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had been residing in the homes before the storm, were staying with family. Both homes were registered with FEMA, but no monetary assistance had come, and the family didn’t have flood insurance. With the help of The Salvation Army, which provided appliances for the sisters’ homes, they were able to hire contractors to rebuild the houses. The Starr sisters told their stories on the air as part of a Salvation Army radiothon at WOR/710 AM to raise funds to help other storm victims.
A Survivor’s Story
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aria Romagnuolo had survived breast cancer. Her twin sons, 14, both have disabilities and rely on medical equipment. A few years ago, she bought her home in a no–flood zone. She didn’t think her home would ever flood. Then, Sandy hit. Maria’s home was filled with four feet of water and sewage, which ruined her children’s medical equipment, along with almost everything else in the lower level of her home. The Salvation Army gave
Maria—and tens of thousands of other New Yorkers affected by Sandy—the help they needed to start rebuilding. “Everyone who works there is so caring,” Maria says. “To have a place that I can go to and not be ashamed to ask for help—it’s a blessing.” But, it wasn’t just furniture and clothing that helped her; it was acceptance and support. “The Salvation Army embraced me in a time of need. You don’t have to be embarrassed. There is love there,” Maria says. 51
Releases in October 2013! A New Samuel Logan Brengle Yearlong Devotional Book! Take Time to be Holy contains a year’s worth of classic selections from Samuel Logan Brengle, the Salvation Army’s “apostle of holiness.” Each day’s reading will deepen your understanding of what holiness is; how, through God’s grace, it is available to each of us; and how experiencing it will make God more real to you than ever. From Tyndale Momentum, an imprint of Tyndale House Publishers
Published in cooperation with The Salvation Army
“A splendid book.” —Leonard Sweet “Samuel Logan Brengle embodies for me everything I could imagine a holy person could be.” —Gordon MacDonald
Pre–Order Today
for Christmas Giving! A portion of all sales will benefit The Salvation Army.
Bulk Offer for U.S. Salvation Army divisions and territories (Retail Price: $15.99) More than 1,000 copies $4.00 per copy (75% off!)* Up to 1,000 copies $4.80 per copy (70% off!)* Bulk discounts apply to orders shipped to one address, ordered at the same time. To order, contact doris.marasigan@use.salvationarmy.org or call 845-620-7439. *Shipping not included.
SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND
Photo Š AP Photo/Jessica Hill
southern new england
On the Connecticut Shoreline by Linda D. Johnson
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hen Hurricane Sandy blew its winds and tides ashore in southern Connecticut, the Salvation Army’s Southern New England Division immediately sent mobile canteens to help. During and directly after the storm, the Army served nearly 17,000 people; provided 13,000 meals, drinks, and snacks; and distributed 1,000 hygiene kits, $10,000 in gift cards, and $17,000 worth of clothing.
Photo Š AP Photo/Jessica Hill
Ann Marie Karavas carries her son Jeffrey Karavas through floodwaters from Superstorm Sandy to get to their home in East Haven, Conn., on Oct. 30, 2012.
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www.prioritypeople.org
as long–term care providers.” Major David Champlin, divisional commander, says that in a way, Sandy was a “godsend” in terms of the Army’s preparedness in the region. “This is the fourth disaster we’ve dealt with in the past two years: Hurricane Irene and the October snowstorm of 2011, the February 2013 blizzard, and then Sandy.” By the time of Sandy, the division was ready to put permanent
systems in place rather than just being reactive, Champlin says. “The Sandy experience has put us in a good place to build a quality response program,” he says. In July, the Army hired long–term case managers for Bridgeport, Milford, Norwalk, and Stamford in Connecticut. Kelly Robertson is now in charge of disaster case management overall and Captain Todd Hughes works with
Photo © AP Photo/The Connecticut Post, Brian A. Pounds
But unlike in New Jersey and New York, many people who were evacuated had places to go: hotels or nearby homes. That doesn’t mean there wasn’t need. Here, even today, the Army is focusing on long–term recovery. Says Jim Gordon, director of public relations for Southern New England, “As we frequently say, ‘The Salvation Army is the first to arrive and the last to leave.’ One year later, we still have a presence
A man walks through floodwaters in the aftermath of Sandy on Oct. 30, 2012, in Milford, Conn.
www.prioritypeople.org
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southern new england
Robertson to ensure that emotional and spiritual needs of clients are met. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the American Red Cross send clients to The Salvation Army, whose case managers know all the resources that are available.
Fema Funds running out
Young ‘volunteers’ Kaylin Manning and Caleb Burwell, both 6, put smiles on people’s faces.
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With high rental costs in Connecticut, about 150 families are expected to exhaust their FEMA funds by November, well before the end of the 18–month period allowed for assistance. Many residents are also expected to lack necessary funds to complete repairs on their homes, says Brenda Downing, the www.prioritypeople.org
Photos courtesy the Southern New England Division and Lila Droz
People line up for a meal at the Stamford, Conn., High School gym. Captain Diego Bedoya and volunteers are serving.
division’s social services director. In total, she says, the best estimate is that 600 cases will need long–term disaster case management, and 1,800 more will need some level of assistance. That might come in the form of rental
assistance, help with permits and engineering work to elevate homes, and mold remeditation. In addition, the Army is prepared to help qualified applicants with everyday expenses such as clothing, utilities, groceries, hotel stays,
storage, and property taxes. “We are actively coming alongside residents rebuilding their lives in hopes of returning to some sense of normalcy,” says Downing. In some cases, that could take up to two more years.
Southern New England Shorts
Getting Personally Involved
Dave Altimari/The Hartford Courant. Other photos courtesy Southern New England Division and Lila Droz
by Linda D. Johnson
L
ike many Salvation Army officers running local churches in Connecticut, Captain Todd Hughes, corps officer (pastor) in Danbury, had to deal with immediate needs—with a handicap. “Our power was out for four days after the storm, so we couldn’t do much from there,” he said. “We did, 60
destroyed by fallen trees. But once the power came back on, a number of people started coming in for food because they had lost everything in their refrigerators and freezers. “I was also approached by the mayor’s assistant, Wayne Shepherd, to help the city of Danbury create a fund to help residents,” Todd says. He explains that some people on fixed incomes and retired people had gotten help from FEMA, but it wasn’t enough. The fund considers helping people with needs that are not always directly related to the storm. In the case of one woman, a tree had fallen on her house and taken out part of the roof. Her homeowner’s insurance had covered some of the cost, and she got a loan from however, make contact with FEMA to help cover other the Red Cross and sent people damage to the house, such over to their shelter. We have as siding. Then her car broke a volunteer who does all the down, and she learned it cooking for us, and they asked would cost $3,000 to repair. for him by name. For three “She had already burned days, he helped with meals at through all her savings,” Todd the shelter.” says. “Here’s a person who’s The damage in Danbury trying very hard to recover. was minimal, Hughes says, She’s done everything she was with just a couple of houses supposed to do, and one more
thing happened.” Todd’s emergency disaster services (EDS) role expanded after the Dec. 14, 2012, school shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn. “That happened about 10 miles from my corps,” Todd says. “I called [headquarters] to see if we had been called out to help.” The Salvation Army hadn’t been requested, but Todd ended up taking a mobile canteen to Sandy Hook on Saturday afternoon and Sunday [the shootings happened on Friday]. “I felt we needed to do something there,” Todd says. He then volunteered to attend the state VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) meetings. He and Kelly Robertson, disaster case manager supervisor, both attended weekly meetings, and Todd served on the emotional and spiritual care (ESC) committee. “A request for ESC would be referred to me and I would work on the case, either by myself or with the local corps officer,” Todd says. www.prioritypeople.org
Teaming Up in Stamford Since Sandy Hook, Todd has been the EDS coordinator for the state. “Some of the things we are running into now is that people are using assistance they received to pay a mortgage on a house they can’t live in [because of damage]. They also have rent or hotel fees to pay. People are burning through all their assistance money, and when it comes time for rebuilding, there’s not going to be any money left.”
The Southern New England Division, encompassing Connecticut and Rhode Island, is in the process of hiring a full–time emergency disaster services director. Todd will help that new person develop the EDS program in the division to make it even stronger. “We’re just going to continue,” he says. “There will obviously still be problems, and we will still be involved.”
Lost and Found
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aptain Todd Hughes tells of one story that took place right after Hurricane Sandy in New London, Conn. A call came into the corps (local Salvation Army church) from a Salvationist in Canada who was trying to locate a family member in nearby Groton, Conn. In her 70s, she lived alone, without any family members nearby, and the family in Canada was worried about her. Bob Hall, the disaster services director in New London, contacted his counterpart in Groton. He checked the emergency shelter, and there she was. She had made the decision to leave home to be sure she stayed safe during the storm. The family in Canada was pleased to know all was well.
www.prioritypeople.org
Lieutenants Walter and Lila Droz (seated) with a volunteer
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ieutenants Lila and Walter Droz, corps officers and pastors of the Salvation Army’s Stamford Corps (church) became involved immediately in Hurricane Sandy Relief. But they didn’t do the work alone. Soldiers (church members), volunteers, and the youth of the corps all assisted in serving more than 1,700 meals plus snacks and drinks at seven different shelters and drop–in center locations in Greenwich and Stamford, Conn. “The Bridgeport Corps pitched in and provided dinner from KFC for two nights, and the Norwalk Corps served and provided soup for a dinner as well,” says Lieutentant Lila. She adds, “We had a great partnership with the Red Cross, providing them with cots and personal
hygiene supplies as well as food for the food bank.” The Drozes and the Stamford Corps provided most of their service out of Stamford High School, but they were also ready to respond to need at a moment’s notice. “On one of our last days of service, we received a call from the city of Greenwich asking us to report to an apartment building that had been without power for over a week,” says Lieutenant Lila. “When we showed up, there were many hungry people (including many children) surrounding our truck. They were very happy, grateful, and relieved to see us. “Since our generator was down, we used several Sterno flames to heat up the hot dogs. Some children were so hungry, they were offering 61
Southern New England Shorts
Stepping Up in Bridgeport to take the hot dogs cold! We heated them up as much as possible and served more than 200 people that night. “Later, feeling weary but overwhelmingly blessed, we stopped by a local diner with another volunteer for a bite to eat. We couldn’t help but talk about the great people we served and how God was working overtime, even without a generator. There was a young couple sitting by us who overheard our conversation and quietly paid for our meal as they left. “So blessed to be saved to serve Him!” says Lila. —Reported by Lieutenant Lila Droz
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I don’t really know how to begin to describe my gratitude. There are not words that can convey my thanks for all that you, your colleagues, and your organization has done for my family. …”
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his note came from one woman caseworker Pat Hidalgo helped at the Salvation Army’s Bridge-
We’re Still There! We’re Still There!
The Salvation Army Southern New England Division Serving Connecticut and Rhode Island www.salvationarmyct.org and www.salvationarmyri.org
port Corps (church). Sixty–two volunteers put in 163 hours and served 2,840 meals from Oct. 30–Nov. 8, 2012, in the days immediately after Superstorm Sandy slammed into the Connecticut coastline. That service included serving lunch and dinner at four senior citizen high–rise buildings that had no electricity from the time
As is frequently said, “The Salvation Army As is frequently said, “The Salvation Army is the first to arrive and the last to leave.” is the first to arrive and the last to leave.” One year later, we still have a presence along the One year later, we still have a presence along the Connecticut coast as long–term care providers. Connecticut coast as long–term care providers.
Because We Care! Because We Care!
of the storm until Nov. 5. Then came the long–term work. Between Nov. 8 and Jan. 25, 2013, Hidalgo distributed $4,140 in gift cards to 111 individuals. The corps also gave out food, water, blankets, heaters, clothing, toiletries, toilet paper, and other items. As of July, Carlos Rivera, the Bridgeport long–term recovery case manager, was working with families in the area to determine their needs. The numbers don’t tell the whole story. As the woman Hidalgo helped wrote in her note, “I am forever grateful and thank you from the bottom of my heart for all the help you provided. … Thank you!”
Photo Š iStockPhoto
Mytake
MyTake
Hope Remains by Major Debby Morgan
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n Oct. 24, 2012, my parents, retired Salvation Army officers Majors Wade and Joyce Watson, became homeless. They had driven to West Chester, Penn., earlier in the day to attend the annual Volunteer and Kettle Kick Off Dinner at our corps (church). Their plan to join us at the dinner and return home to south Jersey the following morning was quickly forgotten after we heard the weather report of a hurricane headed toward the East Coast. It was becoming increasingly apparent that Beach Haven West, Long Beach Island, where my parents lived, would take a direct hit. My husband and dad had just enough time to retrieve their dog, Sunshine, and gather some clothing and their medications before coming back to West Chester to wait out the storm. As the hurricane approached, our corps became a shelter for area personnel. My three sisters, their husbands, and all our children participated in a cell phone conference call specifically praying for my parents. A week after the storm passed, the National Guard’s strict guidelines prohibited anyone besides homeowners from entering my parents’ devastated neighborhood. Their town was almost unrecognizable. Debris including drifting boats, floating cars, hot tubs, and jet skis, none of which belonged to my parents, had landed upside–down in their front yard. Downed electrical wires made their area impassable. There was no electricity or running water.
A treasured remnant Once the National Guard lifted the ban and we could go in to survey the damage, we saw that they had lost everything, including furniture, appliances, clothing, family photographs, and irreplaceable treasures. But one prized valuable sat in a special place on my dad’s dresser. A few months before the storm, my 7–year–old niece had 64
cut off a piece of her favorite blanket, which had been given to her at birth. She gave this remnant to my dad, as a token of her love, when he was having a heart procedure done in the spring of 2012. My niece had given her very best and most cherished valuable to her grandfather. Even though a powerful www.prioritypeople.org
We had a sinking feeling as we helped my sisters and brothers–in–law remove polluted floors and mold–covered walls and pile all of my parents’ personal belongings in their front yard for an inspector to review. As we spray–painted a sign on a broken doorframe that read, “Do not remove, waiting for FEMA,” I suddenly realized that the home where our family had created memories for more than 40 years was now uninhabitable. Flashbacks of summer barbeques, family reunions, and Christmas mornings filled my heart. Their home had been a place of solitude, a spot to escape the business of life, a quiet location to drink morning coffee on the outside swing that once belonged to my grandmother. Every morning dozens of ducks would waddle up their boat ramp waiting to be fed, and we would spend evenings sitting under the apple tree as we watched the sun set over the lagoon.
A stenciled Scripture verse
hurricane had ripped through my parents’ home, the remnant remained safe and untouched, a reminder of love. Instantly, truth became real for me. Simple, yet powerful— God is love. He gave His matchless gift, His One and Only Son, to die for me. www.prioritypeople.org
As I walked through their demolished home of contaminated sludge, my eyes were drawn to a Scripture verse that we had stenciled on the border of their dining room ceiling just three months before the storm: “With God, all things are possible.” God is faithful and blessings are on the way. I was reminded of this when my nephew donated his money, all $13 of it that he had saved from his allowance, to the “Rebuilding Fund.” We praise God for the numerous volunteers who continue to provide help to us. Although this situation seemed hopeless, I recalled the truths that had been taught to me as a child, “You, Lord, are my hiding place. I hope in your Word” (Psalm 119:14), and “My hope and expectation are in You” (Psalm 39:7). Yes, the damage is devastating in all aspects, and my parents have lost everything, but they still have friends, family, and faith. They may be homeless, but they are not hopeless. The writer, a Salvation Army major, is the Watsons’ daughter. 65
MyTake
Seeking the Important by Darell Houseton
Gov. Chris Christie talks with Lieutenant Darell Houseton.
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www.prioritypeople.org
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ictures! It wasn’t the $500 television or a gaming system. It wasn’t the expensive couch or even the comfortable mattress. It was pictures. Shortly after the storm hit, I was allowed with a few fellow officers to accompany the residents of Seaside Heights and Seaside Park back into their communities. We were based out of the parking lot of a nearby mall in Ocean County just outside of Tom’s River, N.J. Bus after bus was loaded with displaced persons as they mentally prepared themselves to head back to whatever was left of their homes and lives. To the passerby, it must have resembled a reverse exodus. Instead of fleeing from slavery and death, hordes of families boarded yellow school buses to re–enter a place once called home. No sea was parted, but as we crossed the bridge, the hard reality of what was to come began to set in on the people. The closer we got to the residential areas of the Jersey Shore, the more the mood changed. Conversations went from happy ones at seeing former neighbors to a silence that screamed out the harsh truth that everyone on those buses was now homeless. Captains Keith and Pamela Maynor and I traversed the once bubbly town offering prayer, water and help to help remove debris from water saturated apartments and homes. These people worked fast. They were resolved to clean up the mess left by Superstorm Sandy. But it was their vision that impressed me. Their eyes were on what was right. As they sifted through heaps of mildewed belongings, they weren’t trying to salvage their valuables; they were trying to recover the in–valuables. They were looking for pictures. Frozen moments
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of people they loved in places they visited, creating memories. They went after what important because everything else could be replaced. We gave them food. We gave them drinks. We even gave them advice on where to find shelter. We gave them all we could, but God gave them peace. Henry David Thoreau said, “It’s not what you look at that matters; it’s what you see.” The setting suggested defeat, but God displayed victory in the strength of the people who returned to the Shore and saw what was important. They lost all they owned but gained a second chance to make the most out of their lives. The writer is a lieutenant serving at the Army’s Newark Ironbound Corps (church).
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MyTake
A Word of Hope by Carol A. Bassett
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he people needed to tell their stories. “The water rose so fast … ” “We were up in our attic—all night long. The cold wind was blowing in the open window; it was dark; we saw a boat, but they didn’t see us, and they couldn’t hear us. We were afraid.” “My son went out to move the car from the street, and the water was coming so fast, and it was taking the car and him away. He had the presence of mind to open the window and jump out before the car was swept away.” “We lost everything on the first floor—appliances, furniture, clothes—but thank God, we are safe.” “Our first floor is gone and we’re living in the upstairs.” “We have no electricity. It’s dark and cold.”
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Then they learned that The Salvation Army could help. “I can have all of this?” “You can help us with new clothes, with household items, shoes, food, a heater, cleaning supplies, toiletries, water, and gift cards … even toys and games?!” “Thank you!” “We’re so grateful.” Those are some of the words that people shared with me during the days I was privileged to help at The Salvation Army Disaster Distribution Center in Hazlet, N.J. I provided emotional and spiritual counseling and helped with the distribution of greatly needed items to victims of Sandy. In preparation for my role, I had selected several appropriate Scripture verses for this very difficult time and printed www.prioritypeople.org
An Open Door E
by W. Todd Bassett
them on card stock paper as Scripture Promise Cards. During the intake process, the needs of each person or couple were privately assessed. The Scripture Promise Cards were laid out on my desk, and while we were discussing their needs and obtaining necessary information, many times people would be looking at the verses of Scripture and ask if they could have one. My answer was always, “Yes, of course.” This was a welcome opportunity to share with them words from the Bible; people would often ask for more than one card. Here are some of the Scriptures I shared: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.” (Psalm 46:1–2) “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:6–7) I concluded the time with each person by allowing them to select one or more verses and offering to pray with them. In the two weeks I served, only two people did not welcome and greatly appreciate this time of prayer; and a few people asked to be contacted by a local corps officer [pastor] for further association with a corps [church] and pastoral care. Many tears were shed, many hugs given, many needs met, many words of gratitude spoken, many prayers shared. And people were grateful to have the words of Scripture to keep as an encouragement and reminder of God’s love and care and hope for the future. The writer is a retired commissioner and a former USA national president of women’s ministries for The Salvation Army. www.prioritypeople.org
motions and surface feelings had all but disappeared from the faces of the people coming into The Salvation Army Disaster Distribution Center in Hazlet, N.J. By now two months had passed; it was the Christmas season; and the seeming indignity of being bounced from agency to agency and hotel or motel room to home had taken its toll. A few minutes into almost each interview, eyes began to glance at the small pieces of paper on the desk. As the request for documentation and information continued, a hand would reach out to finger the small card. A verse of Scripture that brought assurance and hope, a statement from God’s Word that spoke of His unfailing love, was handled gently. “May I have one of these?” the request came. The door was open for us to share with these seemingly hardened victims of the storm’s fury. “The Salvation Army is a part of the Christian Church, and we are here to bring what assistance we can, but we do so in Jesus’ name. We do not believe that this storm was brought by God but that God allowed the storm,” we would say. To a person over the next two weeks, no one voiced a complaint to or about God. Most allowed the emotional barriers to come down and opened up about their early lives, when faith was important. Some said that the very verses of Scripture on our table had been shared around their dinner table, but that practice had disappeared over the years. “We have to begin again,” some said. Others spoke of their once–regular trips to church and Sunday school. Only once in two weeks did a person reject the opportunity to reach out their hands to be grasped as we prayed together. We can simply trust God that the witness of food and clothing, cleaning supplies and bric–a–brac will spark a remembrance of the promise of God on that card; and the time of prayer will once again light the way to Faith in Christ and the Lord’s words of “a cup of cold water given in my name.” The writer is a retired commissioner and a former USA national commander of The Salvation Army. 69
MyTake
Faith Not Shattered But Affirmed by Barbara and Bill MacLean
It took six months to restore the MacLeans’ home.
many who have sustained even greater loss. We were displaced for six months, but we were privileged to continue in unbroken fellowship at the Ocean County Citadel Corps [a Salvation Army church]. Opportunities for worship and service and interaction with our “faith family” buoyed our spirits and alleviated stress and frustration. Particularly uplifting were the ministry of our corps officers, Majors William and Heather Garrett, and rehearsal and performance with the songsters, led by Lt. Colonel Norman Bearcroft.
Singing hymns & Choruses
A
s we approached retirement, we chose a home by the water in Mannahawkin, N.J. We never expected, however, to be in the water—that is, until Superstorm Sandy came calling. We were 600 miles away at the height of the storm. We had traveled to Ohio to bid farewell to our grandson, Timothy Ryan MacLean, who was being deployed on military service to Afghanistan.
‘Where Do we begin?’ Our initial reaction to the devastation of our home and the loss of all furniture, appliances, and cherished possessions, together with the daunting task of mold remediation and restoration was, “Where do we begin?” With the realization that it was more than we could handle, we prayerfully turned it over to God. He has been faithful through the years, and why would we doubt His continuing guidance and care? Our faith is not shattered but affirmed. Although our loss is considerable, our hearts go out to the 70
Our sister–in–law, Major Janice MacLean Angster, opened her home to us. During the 60–mile round trip on an almost daily basis, we sang hymns and choruses. We were blessed to have neighborhood volunteer teams who removed ruined furnishings and memorabilia as well as walls, ceilings, and floors. Other acts of kindness were meals graciously provided in the homes of our faith family and the little girl who went from home to home to share cookies and brownies. Of particular blessing was a visit early on from our then– territorial leaders, Commissioners Israel and Eva Gaither, and our New Jersey divisional leaders, Majors Donald and Vicki Berry. Beyond count are the number of cards, phone calls, and e–mails from family and friends. Following the restoration process, our home by the water is in better condition than when we first acquired it 15 years ago. As it relates to the Garden State, the response of those afflicted has inspired the slogan “Jersey Strong.” Through it all, we have gained increased levels of spiritual strength and confidence in the guidance of our Heavenly Father. The MacLeans are retired lieutenant colonels. www.prioritypeople.org
A Volunteer’s Experience W by Gabriela Rangel
hen I arrived in New York City on Jan. 14, almost three months after the storm, I was assigned to serve in Nassau County. As I was driven into Long Island, I was told that some people were still living in hotels. Just a few days later, I went to one of the hotels along with people from other agencies to make our services available to those who could not come to our offices. As the days progressed, the need became almost overwhelming, but now the people were not numbers; they were stories with names and faces of hurting and discouraged people. So it was with one woman who came to me for assistance. From the beginning of the interview, I saw that she was not going to make it easy. As I asked questions, her answers were aggressive and her facial expressions conveyed anger and frustration.
After a few questions, I put my pen down and said, “You know, all these questions are to complete your paperwork. I understand you might be frustrated, but this is part of the process.” Her reply came before I finished talking. She had been ready to retire early since she suffers from MS [multiple sclerosis]. She had worked for the Department of Transportation for many years, her house was paid for, and she had saved enough money to complement her pension. After she vented her frustrations, we had a wonderful conversation about trust. I really had nothing to give her to alleviate her uncertainty, so we talked about what God could do for her and the thousands of people like her, who, in just a few hours, had lost it all. We prayed and she left with a smile on her face, not for the few gift cards I was able to give her, but because of the reminder that God is Lord of our lives even in times of disaster and is waiting for us to come to Him with our needs.
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Salvation Factory is an imaginarium in which engineers of Salvationism focus on innovation in research, development and design, providing resources and training which support and enchance the mission of The Salvation Army.
Research
Understanding the essentials of Salvationism and the ever changing culture—researching the past, the present, and the future.
Develop
Exploring the best strategies to save souls, disciple, train and mobilize Salvationists—developing the best resources, programs and tools for ministry and mission.
Train
Facilitating specialized formal and informal learning—training Salvationists to use the new tools developed by the factory.
Design
Engineering the interface between Salvationist essentials, the next generation and new technologies— designing new media infrastructures to accelerate Salvationist mission.
Resource
Collaborating with the front-lines in order to research, develop and design the best tools that will enhance the mission—resourcing with time, personnel and products. USA Eastern Territory
Salvation Factory www.salvationfactory.org
www.womensministries-tsa.org
The Salvation Army USA Eastern Territory Commissioners Barry C. & Sue Swanson Territorial Leaders