many people in need of medical
attention, and who were hurting
emotionally as well. Parents were
pacing or lying on the ground,
wondering where their little ones
were.
responders who had recovered
the children lost from the rubble.
These brave men and women
needed to process what had hap-
pened. Sergeant Daniels was the
one ready to listen if they needed
to talk. "My heart broke," he said,
"as I saw these men and women who
have committed their lives to saving
others watch the vans leave with
those that they could not save."
to heal a broken bone, but they
step in when they can to help heal
a broken heart; they do it with
hot meals, cold water, a hug and
a prayer because they know that
these small actions can be more
powerful than they seem.
on the ground included 150 vol-
unteers and 100 Salvation Army
officers and staff. "The Salvation
Army was part of these commu-
nities before these tornadoes,"
Major Tom Louden, Incident
Commander, said. "We will re-
main here long after these storms
have passed."
series of tornadoes to hit the
Oklahoma City region a week
later. Following a new spate of
storms in the region 11 days later,
EDS operations to include new
service areas.
disaster services agencies, provid-
ing relief to 1-2 million disaster
survivors and first responders
The Salvation Army is well-
versed in transitioning personnel
and resources from initial relief
operations--such as providing
food, hydration, and initial emo-
tional and spiritual care--to long-
term recovery operations.
Public Information Officer. "Some
people have lost their homes and
cars, their business or place of
employment--their livelihood.
Worse, some have lost loved ones.
Children might be the hardest hit.
They've been scared and confused;
they know things are different,
that their parents, guardians,
even their friends are terribly, ter-
ribly sad--or angry. In the weeks
since the initial storms, insurance
plans have been consulted, evalu-
ations and valuations completed
and judgments rendered. Parents
are making plans to build a future
from the rubble. We will see in-
creased requests for financial and
material assistance well into next
year. Strategies to deal with such
needs are underway."
and donation options, visit:
pile of rubble that once
was homes and schools.
thankful they were not forgotten
by Major Marion Durham.