Salvation Army Alberta Flood Relief
Through its ongoing flood relief efforts in Alberta, The Salvation Army has served more than 10,000 people with food, hydration, emotional and spiritual care.
In Medicine Hat, there are still 170 homes evacuated and it is anticipated that 40 to 50 of them will be evacuated long-term. Salvation Army personnel on site at the evacuation centre are arranging accommodation, providing clothing vouchers and gift cards.
In Calgary, the Centre of Hope has reopened. The elevator is currently inoperable, preventing some residents and staff from returning. Basement areas, which were damaged by flooding, are undergoing significant repairs.
In High River, we continue to provide food, hydration and emotional and spiritual care in Blackie at the evacuation centre. We are serving 1,200 meals per day. Three Community Response Units and teams are rotating in and out of the Emergency Operations Centre providing food, hydration and emotional and spiritual care to the responders who are diligently working to restore the town so residents can return as soon as possible.
The Salvation Army received a request from the Province to have emotional and spiritual care personnel in High River for the foreseeable future to lend support on buses as residents tour their neighbourhood, as well as at the rodeo grounds and airport as they register to find out the condition of their home. Numerous emotional and spiritual care personnel have been deployed, who are also roving streets to support residents as they clean out from the destruction.
High River Salvation Army officers/pastors Lt’s Cory and Kelly Fifield toured their neighbourhood. Their home was marked “some damage, but inhabitable and repairable.” Once they are allowed access, they can better determine the extent of the damage.
The Salvation Army has been allowed access to its Thrift Store and Community and Family Services (foodbank), which suffered extensive damage. There is still a foot of water in the basement of the Army’s church (corps) building, but access was allowed. Both properties will require considerable cleanup and repair before services can resume. The Salvation Army is working on obtaining a temporary site in order to get the Community and Family Services and local relief efforts up and running as soon as possible.
In Nanton we continue to provide food, hydration and emotional and spiritual care to more than 700 people per day.
At this time we are accepting monetary donations only. If you wish to support the flood relief, click here.
