BOYERTOWN >> The Boyertown Salvation Army has been deployed to Florida to assist the victims of Hurricane Irma.
A team of three, including Lieutenant Joseph Smith, took The Salvation Army’s Disaster Canteen early Tuesday morning, Sept. 12, to meet others and then drive to Florida to help with the relief efforts following Hurricane Irma.
When Hurricane Harvey hit Texas earlier this month, the Boyertown crew was on standby with their canteen to go whenever needed. On Sept. 10, they received word they would be deploying.
Volunteers Russ Phillips and James Hartman are joining Smith. They will join other Salvation Armies in North Carolina before heading further south.
“Once we get to Florida, they will direct us in the direction we need to go and what town we’re needed most in,” said Smith. “Our instructions have been to load our canteen for enough food to feed 15,000 meals for the first three days.”
As of Monday, Sept. 11, the crew was still planning meals and getting all needed materials together such as plates, utensils, coffee, and things of that nature.
Following the two-week deployment, the crew will be relieved and replaced. They will be leaving their canteen there for use and will pick it up when they’re finished.
“I believe a lot of the help in Florida is in Texas, helping. We’re going to help in Florida because they’re not there,” said Smith. “We received a call right after Harvey hit Texas for us to be on standby. We got a crew and we got the canteen ready to go.”
Volunteer Russ Phillips said “It’s a very exciting thing. I do an awful lot of volunteering, this is a blessing to me to be able to go out and do this.”
“The word of advice from headquarters is ‘be flexible’ because you just don’t know what you’re going to run into or where you’re going to have to go or what you’ll have to do,” said Smith. He added how their main objective will be to serve food and fresh water. He will also be offering spiritual and emotional care.
Lt. Rebecca Smith will be serving as support and manning the unit in Boyertown.
The Salvation Army is currently accepting monetary donations for the effort and is also teaming up with Campbell Fittings which has offered warehouse space and shipment to Texas.
Charles Neubauer, plant manager for Campbell Fittings, explained how the company has a stocking warehouse in downtown Houston, which fortunately was spared major damage. Once Hurricane Harvey hit, the owner of Campbell Fittings immediately wanted to see how they could help. The company is now collecting donations.
“We are receiving and storing items through the end of the month,” said Neubauer. “Our owner, Mr. Tom Paff, has decided to absorb the labor to package these items in nice shipping cartons and skids and arrange and pay for a truck to haul the donations wherever needed. We feel by doing it this way it will be more organized on the receiving end for distribution.”
Donations sought include: non-perishable goods, cleaning supplies, pet foods, rags, paper towels, bottled water, etc. Those items persons will need to help them start the cleanup process. Used clothing, etc. will be accepted by the Salvation Army.
Neubauer added how the company manufactures pipe fittings and some are directly used for disasters such as these, and how they have already sent out to tractor trailer of product to resupply the warehouse.
Items can be dropped off at our 10 E. Second St., Boyertown facility, from 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. weekdays and Saturdays if there are vehicles in the lot until 2 p.m.
“We are coordinating a final ship to with the Salvation Army when the time comes. We are relying on them for the information and they are relying on us for the logistics,” said Neubauer. “It is a great relationship and has been working seamlessly. Lt. Smith and his staff welcomed the idea with open arms and it is Campbell Fittings way to give back to our neighbors in need in the disaster zones.”
