Salvation Army of Eastern Pa. and Delaware send volunteers south to help after Hurricane Helene

Philadelphia, Pa. — In response to Hurricane Helene's devastation of the southern U.S., the Salvation Army is mobilizing its Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) network to provide food, shelter, clean-up support, personal hygiene kits, and emotional and spiritual support to survivors and first responders.

On Sept. 29, volunteers from the Salvation Army Wilkes-Barre Corps arrived in Tampa, Florida to begin a two-week deployment to help with hurricane relief. The responders, Chris Winborn and Mark Jacukowicz, deployed from The Salvation Army’s Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Divisional Headquarters in Philadelphia. They drove an EDS box truck filled with 11 pallets of clean-up kits.

"The Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Division of The Salvation Army will be deploying personnel to support on-the-ground efforts and logistics in the devastated areas over the coming days and weeks. Our dedicated teams and volunteers will provide more than just meals—they will offer comfort, compassion and support to individuals and families as they navigate this challenging time," said Luke Rodgers, the Division’s director of EDS. "Thanks to the continued generosity of the public, we will remain on-site as long as we need to uplift and rebuild the affected communities."

Since Hurricane Helene struck states including Florida and Georgia last week, an extensive network of disaster relief professionals and volunteers from The Salvation Army has been on the ground to help.

“The Salvation Army’s presence in every zip code of the United States makes us uniquely capable of mobilizing from anywhere in the country for a disaster event like this,” said Robert Myers III, EDS coordinator for The Salvation Army USA Eastern Territory. “We were preparing response efforts before the storm made landfall, and we will be helping these communities recover long after the flood waters recede."

During times of disaster, 100% of designated donations to The Salvation Army are used for immediate response and long-term efforts.

To donate towards the Salvation Army's Hurricane Helene relief efforts, visit www.HelpSalvationArmy.org , donate by phone by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769), or donate by mail by sending a check to: The Salvation Army, P.O. BOX 1959, Atlanta, GA 30301. Please designate checks to Disaster Relief - Hurricane Helene.

The Salvation Army is not accepting in-kind donations due to shipping costs. For more information on The Salvation Army’s response to this and other previous disasters, visit www.disaster.salvationarmyusa.org .