PRESS RELEASE
Salvation Army Kettles at Friday Night Twins Game to Benefit North Minneapolis Relief
$1 million needed to
serve hundreds of families
May 27, 2011 – Salvation Army bell ringers will share the plaza and all five gates with Twins fans Friday from 5:30 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. as the Red Kettles make a come back to raise money for North Minneapolis Tornado Relief.
The familiar Salvation Army kettles typically only emerge during Christmas or times of extreme emergency. The devastation suffered by so many families in North Minneapolis certainly qualifies as extreme. Hundreds of people remain homeless.
As of late Thursday evening, The Salvation Army had raised and spent more than $120,000 on providing emergency assistance to 4,238 people, which includes $86,000 in financial support and 56,000 pounds of food and hygiene products. This does not include the more than 3,800 people served meals and snacks from Salvation Army mobile kitchens which have been active since the night of the May 22 deadly tornado.
Salvation Army officials are hoping to raise an additional $1 million to be used to provide housing assistance to the families who have been rendered homeless due to the destruction of Sunday's storm.
"Our crisis intervention relief has drawn to a close and we are moving to long-term assistance," said Major Darryl Leedom, Salvation Army Twin Cities Commander. "The funds we are now raising will go to provide means for families to access stable housing."
The public response will determine The Salvation Army's ability to assist the estimated 300 to 400 families who need to find new housing, either in the long-term or while repairs are made to homes which are currently uninhabitable. The Salvation Army must wait for city officials to complete an assessment which indicates which families must relocate.
The bell ringers will be the youth group Kids to the Rescue, which was started by two local grade-school girls during the 2005 Hurricane Katrina disaster. The group was organized to encourage kids to raise money to help other kids in distress. Kids to the Rescue has been active with The Salvation Army every year since the Katrina effort responding with resources and volunteer muscle with each disaster touching Minnesota families.
For those fans without cash, at least one credit-card machine kettle will be available. In addition fans may text "blessing" to 85499 to make a $10 donation which will be added to donors cell phone bill.
"We are grateful to the Twins for helping us in this effort and supporting The Salvation Army's relief efforts to North Minneapolis families," said Leedom.
Monetary donations for tornado relief can be made online at www.thesalarmy.org, by calling 800-SAL-ARMY (725-2769) or by sending a check to The Salvation Army, 2445 Prior Ave., Roseville, MN 55113. Make sure to designate your gift “metro storm.” You may also text "BLESSING" to 85944 to make a $10 donation, payable on your cell phone bill.
To receive tornado relief text alerts from The Salvation Army (up to three times per week), text "TORNADO" to 27138 and follow the prompts.
The Twin Cities Salvation Army serves more than 214,000 people a year through its 25 local centers of operation. Daily it serves 2,100 hot meals and shelters 900 people. More than 33,000 local volunteers help The Salvation Army provide these and other services, from child daycare to senior housing. To volunteer, call 651-746-3400.
