Welfare and emotional support pressing needs in Christchurch

The Salvation Army is reporting an escalation of welfare needs in Christchurch. Agencies have expressed appreciation at the manner in which Salvation Army officers approach people and so easily deflate difficult situations where people may be feeling upset or angry.

The Salvation Army is currently assisting in welfare centres at Pioneer Stadium, Burnside High School and in Rangiora. Its personnel fed 4500 meals to approximately 1800 people yesterday.

The Cowles Stadium welfare centre, closed yesterday due to health and disease fears, reopens today as a drop-in centre serving with light refreshments. The Salvation Army is also providing food to 200 people at Springfield Road Marae.

Overnight, a fresh influx of reinforcements from around the country means that there are now 90 on the ground in The Salvation Army’s psychosocial team. Twelve Australians are scheduled to arrive on Monday.

Sixty-two Salvation Army personnel are out today as part of ‘Suburban Squads’. Each Salvationist is part of a team of 10 that includes representatives from EQC, engineers and Christchurch City Council. The Salvation Army team member interviews people, asking them whether they have sufficient food and water, whether they have any medical needs and how they are doing.

A further 12 people are assigned to ‘Flying Squads’, which start operations today. Flying Squad members can be brought in whenever there is a need for an intensive psychosocial response, either taking over from the person who is delayed, or taking their place and moving on with the rest of the assessment team.

The balance of the Army’s psychosocial team is being deployed at welfare centres.

The Salvation Army is also on hand to speak to bereaved family members who attend Police briefings on the missing and confirmed dead, working alongside other agencies such as Victim Support.

Yesterday was an extremely busy day for staff at The Salvation Army’s Community Ministries. At Linwood Community Ministries, staff carried out 490 interviews, with food parcels provided as required. Four hundred food additional food parcels were delivered to those identified as in need by Suburban Squads during the day. Sixty drivers, including volunteers from other churches, delivered the parcels. Demand is expected to be just as high today.

As with the 2010 earthquake, The Salvation Army is receiving excellent support from its partners at World Vision. World Vision staff are answering calls and staffing our Christchurch headquarters in Sydenham and will provide additional call response resources at Territorial Headquarters in the upcoming week. A World Vision logistics expert is assisting in Christchurch, and a World Vision staff member with expertise in large-scale disasters is assisting at Linwood Community Ministries.

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