As the Salvation Army continues to work to assist those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic and the Easter tornadoes in the Tennessee Valley, the organization is now turning to the community for financial help due to a depleted budget, according to a news release.
The organization says it has been participating in relief work for the past seven weeks, but is facing its own challenges in keeping employees due to increasing service in the area.
"We have never been so strapped financially," Salvation Army Area Commander Major Mark Smith said in the release. "We like many other companies and organizations have been affected by COVID 19 and had to furlough some employees who work at centers that have been mandated to be closed, while yet other employees are having to put in overtime to care for those affected by COVID-19 and the tornadoes that touched down over a week ago in our community."
Since the recent tornadoes, the Salvation Army reports it has served over 17,000 meals, thousands of drinks and snacks and provided 668 people with emotional and spiritual care in Hamilton and Bradley counties as well as Catoosa County in Georgia.
The organization has also been feeding people housed by the American Red Cross in area hotels and emergency relief workers at command posts while serving neighbors as they continue clean-up efforts, the release states.
The Salvation Army says it will continue to provide ongoing care in response to the COVID-19 outbreak, to the unhoused community and meet needs through its social services office with food and utility assistance in addition to tornado disaster efforts.
Donations to the organization for tornado relief can be made here. For more information about the Salvation Army, visit https://www.csarmy.org/.