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The War Cry | AUGUST 2015
Disaster Response
Tailored to Meet
Varying Need
by
MAJOR FRANK DURACHER
KATRINA +1O
Y
ou can fi nd no better example of the fl exibility and effectiveness of the
Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services (EDS) than its response to
Hurricane Katrina. It has been 10 years since Hurricane Katrina laid waste to
the Mississippi Gulf Coast and nearly erased New Orleans from the face of the earth.
Thanks in part to EDS, the devastated areas have rebounded considerably.
"Each disaster is different; no two are alike," says
USA Southern Territorial Disaster Coordinator Jeff
Jellets. "Each one creates its own special needs. The
core of the Salvation Army's disaster program consists
of several basic services. Our disaster relief is also
flexible. We adapt services to specific needs." Jellets
adds that emotional and spiritual care counselors have
played a vital role in relief. And the addition of
partner organizations like Southern Baptist Disaster
Relief and HopeForce International has freed Salva-
tion Army officers to take on duties as pastors to vic-
tims, as well as relief and recovery workers and
volunteers.
New Orleans Area Command Captain David Wor-
thy observes, "If the levees in New Orleans had not
breached, we wouldn't be having this conversation.
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