Youth Councils 2010 ~ March 5-7 ~ Camp Redwood Glen

These photos display damage to Salvation Army properties in Chile in the wake of the earthquake, as well as Salvation Army relief efforts to displaced individuals and families. Our work is ongoing. View more photos from The Salvation Army National Blog.

Remember, 100% of all donations to The Salvation Army’s Chile and Haiti relief fund will go directly to efforts on the ground in Chile and Haiti, respectively.

Released 27 February 2010 via www.TSAGoldenState.org

Salvation Army Provides Immediate Response to Chile Earthquake

On-the-ground personnel provide support and urgently needed supplies

(February 27, 2010) – In the waking hours of a devastating 8.8 magnitude earthquake in Chile, Salvation Army emergency services were immediately mobilized to provide support and supplies to the effected and displaced Chileans. Salvation Army’s International Headquarters has already pledged financial assistance to assist with these efforts.

Currently, The Salvation Army in Chile is already distributing food, water, first aid kits, emergency packets, blankets, candles and other urgently required supplies. The Salvation Army mobile canteen is one of the key relief vehicles on site. In addition to financial assistance for the initial relief response, assistance coordinated by The Salvation Army’s International Headquarters Emergency Team will provide assistance in coordinating ongoing relief in the medium and long term.

Water, gas and electricity have been cut off in affected areas and will stay disconnected until emergency crews can assess the damage and prioritize immediate needs.

“People have flocked to the streets as numerous aftershocks continue to pummel the country, severely affecting older buildings in the more historical areas of larger cities,” said Lt. Col. F. Bradford Bailey, Chief Secretary for The Salvation Army in South America.

The Colonel adds communication with Salvation Army centers throughout the country has been extremely difficult, as all phone lines (mobile and landlines) have been disrupted.

To assist in this effort, the public may contribute to The Salvation Army’s “Chile Earthquake” fund.  Donors may give via http://www.salvationarmy.org and designate donations as “Chile Earthquake” on the online form.  Also, donors can give by phone at 1-800-SAL-ARMY and through the mail at: The Salvation Army, Chile Disaster Relief, PO Box 80066, Prescott, AZ. 86304-8066 with designation “Chile Earthquake.”

The Salvation Army has had a presence in Chile since 1909 and operates schools, day-care centers, senior housing, children’s and foster youth homes, churches and provides a myriad of other services to the people of Chile.

Click for more info on The Salvation Army’s role in Haiti Relief

Haiti Disaster Relief 60 sec PSA from Communications Bureau on Vimeo.

More ways to donate:

Give Online
www.SalvationArmyUSA.org. Please note that there are now two different links available on the website to donate. This is due to the tremendous outpouring of support in recent days — our online system was overwhelmed and slow to respond at times. We’ve activated a second donation system to accommodate this increase in website traffic. If any lengthy delays are experienced, its advised that donors try again with the “option 2″ link.

Give via Text Message
Through your cell phone, just text “Haiti” to 52000 and $10 will be donated directly to The Salvation Army World Service Office. Once you have submitted your text, you will receive a confirmation text message — be sure to confirm your donation by replying “yes” to this follow-up message.

Give by Phone
1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769)

Give by Mail/Check**
The Salvation Army
Attn: Haiti Disaster Relief
PO Box 80066
Prescott, AZ 86304-8066
**Designate checks/money orders to “Haiti Earthquake”

Donations of Material Goods
Donations of materials goods are not being requested at this stage in the relief effort. The collection, sorting, shipping, and distribution of clothing, food, water, etc., is not cost-effective and is impractical in a disaster zone where air travel has been severely limited and many of the roads blocked by earthquake damage. We appreciate your understanding.

Volunteers
We are currently compiling an “on-call” list of willing/able volunteers so when The Salvation Army’s Western Territory is called upon for assistance, we’ll be ready. Please sign-up with our Emergency Disaster Services program by creating an account at http://disaster.salvationarmyusa.org/volunteer.

Updates on The Salvation Army’s efforts in Haiti: http://blog.salvationarmyusa.org/

Via The Salvation Army USA’s blog:

For those following the tragic events in Haiti, watch the following MSNBC interview with the Salvation Army’s Robert Poff who serves as Director of Disaster Services in Haiti and is involved in the relief effort firsthand:

The Salvation Army’s Bob Poff Breaks Down in Tears While Describing the Scene of the Devastating Earthquake in Haiti to MSNBC’s Tamron Hall

Flickr Photo Stream

Major Busroe Interview with MSNBC from Communications Bureau on Vimeo.

Birdies For Charity

The Salvation Army Monterey Peninsula Corps is participating in Birdies for Charity. It is a fun way to help our cause, and your contribution will be enhanced 10% by the Monterey Peninsula Foundation.

How Does it Work?

You may pledge one cent or more per birdie scored by PGA TOUR players during the tournament, or you may pledge a flat donation of $20 or more.

For more information on Birdies for Charity or to pledge online visit: https://birdies.attpbgolf.com/give.php and select “The Salvation Army” from the drop-down box. You can also pick up donation forms from our office at 1491 Contra Costa St, Seaside, CA or call 831-899-1335 ext 1710.

Guess the Birdies Deadline: 4 p.m. Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Donations will continue to be accepted through February 26th.

Looking for activities to get involved in this year? We have plenty! Check out our calendar below and give us a call at 831-899-4911 if you have questions!

Still interested in helping a family provide toys to their children this Christmas? We’re wrapping up our Angel Tag program, however we still need toys! The list below outlines some of our most popular gift requests this season and can be picked up locally at Target or Wal-Mart. Toys can be dropped off at our main office at 1491 Contra Costa St, Seaside, CA. One of our biggest needs is toys for the 10-12 age group.

Final weekend of packing toy bags…if you want to donate, call Melissa at 831-521-5552!

• Barbie dolls, Princess Dolls
• Cars & trucks & remote control cars
• Sports equipment: Soccer and basketball especially
• Action Figures: Transformers, Star Wars, Spiderman, WWE, etc…
• Legos
• Elmo, Barney, SpongeBob
• Nerf guns/toys
• Bakugan (what’s this?)
• Disney toys
• Hannah Montana
• CD players, mp3 players
• Bikes, Scooters & Skateboards
• Board games, educational items
• Stuffed Animals
• Clothing of all sizes

This week only, Dec 6-12–Buy select Hasbro toys and games at Target in store or online, and Hasbro will donate 5% of the purchase price to The Salvation Army. Better you, you can even donate the toys to us and help even more people in need this Christmas season!

Shop now!