When families are need, especially in time of disaster, where do they look? For many people, it’s The Salvation Army. Originally founded in 1865 to help hungry and the destitute people in London, England, today there are more than 9,000 Salvation Army centers and local neighborhood units in the United States.
The Salvation Army's New Jersey state headquarters received a $10,000 grant from the Verizon Foundation to support the relief organization's efforts to assist people impacted by the devastating effects of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee in Paterson and the surrounding area.
The grant will help fund the critical relief services the Salvation Army is providing locally and will enable it to assist between 50 and 75 families impacted by the storm.
"The Salvation Army appreciates the support from our corporate partner Verizon," said Brenda Beavers, state director of human resources for The Salvation Army New Jersey Division. "While the waters have receded and the weeks have passed, many families are dealing with unmet needs. This grant from Verizon will help us to address these long-term recovery issues."
In the aftermath of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee, Paterson and other communities across New Jersey experienced near historic flooding and storm damage. The Salvation Army of New Jersey established an emergency response center to maintain ongoing contact with other nonprofits and Salvation Army units working throughout the state in relief and recovery efforts. The Salvation Army also set up a mobile command center in Holmdel that was equipped with satellite television service providing weather and news channels. In addition, Verizon Wireless set up a wireless hot spot in the command center and provided equipment to charge laptops and mobile phones.
"Whenever there is a large-scale disaster or crisis, the Salvation Army is always one of the first to respond, and this grant helps to support the Salvation Army's mission of service to those in need," said Doug Schoenberger, vice president of corporate responsibility of Verizon New Jersey.
