As states across the South continue to battle with the devastating aftermath of Hurricane Helene, the Salvation Army is mobilizing its national emergency disaster services network to provide food, shelter, cleanup support, personal hygiene kits, and emotional and spiritual care to survivors and first responders.

Chris Winborn and Mark Jacukowicz, volunteers from the Wilkes-Barre area, were deployed from the Salvation Army’s Eastern Pennsylvania and Delaware Divisional headquarters in Philadelphia. They departed driving a box truck filled with 11 pallets of cleanup kits.

“Our dedicated teams and volunteers will provide more than just meals — they will offer comfort, compassion and support to individuals and families as they navigate this challenging time,” said Luke Rodgers, the division’s director. “Thanks to the continued generosity of the public, we will remain on-site as long as we need to uplift and rebuild the affected communities.”

Since Hurricane Helene struck states including Florida and Georgia last week, an extensive network of disaster professionals and volunteers from the Salvation Army has been on the ground serving communities across southern states.

“The Salvation Army’s presence in every Zip code of the United States makes us uniquely capable of mobilizing from anywhere in the country for a disaster event like this,” said Robert Myers III, emergency disaster services coordinator for the Salvation Army USA Eastern Territory. “We were preparing response efforts before the storm made landfall, and we will be helping these communities recover long after the floodwaters recede.”

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida on Sept. 26 as a Category 4 storm before rapidly advancing northwest into Georgia.

The Salvation Army has more than 7,200 centers of operation across the country. During times of disaster, 100% of designated donations to The Salvation Army are used for immediate response and long-term efforts.

To make a financial gift to support Hurricane Helene relief, donate online at www.HelpSalvationArmy.org; call 800-725-2769, or send a check made out to “Disaster Relief - Hurricane Helen” to The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 1959, Atlanta, GA 30301.