Salvation Army captain from Warren arrives in Puerto Rico for disaster aid
Salvation Army captain from Warren arrives in Puerto Rico
Trending
WARREN -- While many prepare for Hurricane Ian to hit parts of southwest Florida, a local Salvation Army representative is doing what she can to help people in Puerto Rico, which was hit recently by Hurricane Fiona.
Capt. Chris Williams of the Salvation Army of Trumbull County said his wife, Capt. Kiley Williams, arrived in San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Monday and then went to Caguas, where she will spend two weeks helping with hurricane relief, such as food preparation and emergency needs.
Caguas is a half-mile from San Juan.
Kiley Williams left from the Pittsburgh International Airport after agreeing to have her name placed for possible selection to help in Puerto Rico. She is an emergency disaster relief member representing the Salvation Army.
"She received a call last Saturday that her name was among those selected to go to help in Puerto Rico. She is prepping food and meals and delivering the meals to those who have been affected. She is also doing hygiene kits for those in need. The island does not have power in many parts," Chris Williams said.
Hurricane Fiona hit Puerto Rico on Sunday as Category 1 hurricane. While not as strong as Hurricane Ian, which hit land as a Category 4 storm, Fiona caused damage in Puerto Rico.
Kiley Williams is scheduled to return to Ohio on Oct. 9. She is among more than 20 Salvation Army responders with an additional 20 expected to arrive by end of this week.
"We already had people from the Salvation Army in Puerto Rico when they reached out for others to volunteer and work at the emergency disaster warehouse. There is also a command center near the warehouse handling the relief efforts addressing housing and food needs. Because there is no power, they are running on generators," Chris Williams said.
Chris said he and wife communicate by text so he knows how she is doing and what she has done.
"She has only been to San Juan and Caguas so she has not seen all the damage. She told me she will be going to other places later this week with food deliveries. She told me she is doing well," he said.
She said her assignments could change during the next two weeks. She knows she and the others have to be as flexible as possible, Chris said.
Chris said he and Kiley have helped with hurricane relief in parts of the United States, but this is the first time one of them has served out of the country.
"I helped during Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Irene. Kiley has also helped at different ones," he said.
Chris said 18,000 people have received assistance in Puerto Rico.
The Salvation Army each year spends millions of dollars on disaster relief and 1.2 million meals.
"The Salvation Army is in this for the long term. I remember with Hurricane Katrina, we helped for 10 years afterwards," he said.
Jim McIntyre, regional director of communications at American Red Cross of Northern Ohio said one person from the Canton area already is in Florida providing aid as Hurricane Ian swept inland.
He said the volunteer arrived to prepare for the hurricane by creating shelters and emergency care sites.
"We have a half dozen other volunteers on standby. We are waiting to see what happens before we send anyone else," McIntyre said.
Offering help
Support Hurricane Fiona relief efforts by donating at give.helpsalvationarmy.org, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY (1-800-725-2769) or mail donations, made to: The Salvation Army, Gift Processing Center, P.O. Box 3095, Harlan, IA 51593-0159, "Hurricane Fiona Relief."
While the Salvation Army is not accepting in-kind donations for Hurricane Fiona relief efforts because of the logistical challenges of bulk shipping to Puerto Rico, local Salvation Army Thrift Stores depend on such donations to fund rehabilitation centers.