Thank you, says Army leader

The Salvation Army continues to serve people in welfare centres. Major aftershocks are still being felt, and our people report seeing some very distressed people. Last night saw an influx of 250 people from the evacuated suburb of Redcliffs.

Today, 56 psychosocial Salvation Army staff are at work. Forty of these as part of suburban support teams, with the remainder shared between welfare centres and five Work & Income centres, including one in Ashburton. Those working in this area are now encountering numbers of bereaved people.

A fresh team of approximately 50 reinforcement personnel start work on Monday as one shift
ends and another takes over. 

The Salvation Army is currently asking for cash donations from elsewhere in the country at the moment, preferring these to donations of food or other goods. A long-term response will be required of The Salvation Army, and there will be plenty of opportunity to support people in Christchurch in different ways in the future as needs are more clearly understood.

The Army continues to receive strong support from the public and business sector. The Army’s aim is to support the economy of the local community in Canterbury wherever possible in the use of donated funds. The Salvation Army in Canada has donated $50,000 to strengthen the earthquake response work.

The Salvation Army’s South Island commander, Major Clive Nicholson, says ‘Thank you to the many people who are helping The Salvation Army in this terrible time. I thank our staff and volunteers too for all their dedication and hard work to meet the needs of those who are suffering so much as a result of this second and most severe earthquake.’