September (Web-only) 2005

ARTICLE TOOLS

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Since Hurricane Katrina made landfall on the Gulf Coast on August 29, the Salvation Army has been on the front lines of ministry in Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana. To date, Americans have given a staggering $140 million to the Salvation Army for Katrina relief work.

Now with Hurricane Rita headed into the Gulf, Salvation Army Major George Hood, national community relations secretary, spoke with Christianity Today deputy managing editor Tim Morgan about their relief game plan.

With yet another major hurricane heading into the Gulf, what's on your heart and mind at this moment?

I said to somebody—running through the building—this has been the most stressful day for me since August 31, because we are up to our eyeballs in responding to the needs of people with Katrina. And we're now putting plans together on how we're going to respond to Rita. There's evacuation going on all over the coast of Texas right now because they anticipate a Category 4 hurricane to come in there, and they expect to have three different disaster sites if the storm stays as strong as they expect it to be.

We know always to pray, but what kind of counsel do you want to pass along?

The Christian community has just been phenomenal in supporting the Salvation Army over the last month. We've now received and been entrusted with almost $140 million from the American public. And we don't take that lightly, because it's an extension of our ministry and who we are. We believe the American public trusts us to respond with integrity and responsibility. And that's the burden we carry, that we never violate that trust.

There has been an outpouring from the Christian community wanting to be involved, wanting hands-on involvement in Mississippi and Louisiana. ...