Salvation Army Gives Hope to World’s Most Vulnerable
Unimaginable devastation and living conditions continue to numb the world. Active in more than 120 countries, and in some of the poorest communities, The Salvation Army’s wide range of services help the world’s most vulnerable approach the future with hope.
The volcano was inactive for decades. Then suddenly it exploded. In June 2011 the Puyehue Volcano in Chile made the news mainly because an enormous ash cloud rising from the eruption caused chaos for air traffic. What was less well publicized, however, was the devastation unleashed by the volcano to people living nearby.
Argentina was in a state of emergency as the constant fall of ash caused health difficulties and structural problems. The Salvation Army met an urgent need for face masks, eye drops, water, mattresses and blankets. Zinc and plastic sheeting were also required to repair roofs that had collapsed due to the weight of the ash.
Salvation Army World Services not only exist to provide immediate and long-term assistance following a disaster, but to support and strengthen the poorest of communities with a broad range of services such as health education; hospitals and medical clinics; feeding and nutritional education programs; HIV/AIDS treatment and prevention programs; elementary and secondary schools; microeconomic and agribusiness programs; vocational training; children’s homes and family shelters; drug and alcohol rehabilitation and prevention programs.
Because of The Salvation Army a child in Liberia has a steady supply of safe, clean drinking water; a family in Argentina has a roof over their toilet; a teen in Paraguay is taught personal hygiene that prevents disease; a father in Malawi has new skills that allow him to support his family; a young woman in Kenya can feed her children as the country’s drought continues to take a greater hold.
The Salvation Army’s mission is the same in every land. It is committed to meeting the physical, emotional and spiritual needs of individuals and communities. Its creative, compassionate approach has made The Salvation Army a leader among the world’s non-governmental social service and emergency relief agencies. The Army’s mission and success allow it to cooperate with international relief agencies and individual governments around the globe to meet people’s needs.
For more information on Canada’s role in giving hope to the world’s most vulnerable, click here.
