The primary emphasis of The Salvation Army’s emergency response services is on its mobile food trucks, which deliver vital meals during emergencies.

“Our training will focus on building a food service team, canteen operations and maintenance, the basics of menu planning, and different types of Salvation Army food service equipment,” said Kelly Shultz with the Jamestown Salvation Army. “This training is free and open to the public.”

In a press release received by The Post-Journal, Salvation Army Maj. John Merchant said, “The Jamestown Salvation Army has an Emergency Disaster Canteen, and we are looking for community partners to help us respond when we are called.”

According to the Salvation Army’s Empire District Emergency Response Director Deborah Pollock, “Each team should ideally have between five and six people. If you have more, that’s all the better.”

A map indicating the nine locations across the Empire State of Salvation Army Canteen Vehicles. The primary emphasis of The Salvation Army’s emergency response services is on its mobile food trucks, which deliver vital meals during emergencies.

Pollock indicated that the Empire District is in the process of revitalizing its emergency response canteen services. Currently, there are nine canteen trucks stationed statewide, with two stationed in Western New York and one located directly in Jamestown. Additionally, the Jamestown Salvation Army has a Disaster Response Unit (DRU) vehicle, which is roughly the size of a standard ambulance and is capable of serving up to 1,500 meals per day or preparing over 500 meals in a single day.

The Salvation Army is a multifaceted non-profit organization that focuses on several core mission areas, primarily emphasizing education and service. Its key endeavors include disaster relief, combating human trafficking, providing family services, fostering volunteer activism, facilitating holiday giving, addressing homelessness, operating soup kitchens, promoting digital well-being, offering drug and alcohol addiction recovery programs, supporting elderly and senior services, delivering spiritual and worship services, providing utility and rent assistance, managing Kroc Centers, offering correctional services, providing family counseling, ensuring health and safety, aiding domestic violence victims, operating thrift stores, supporting youth services, and managing item drop-off services.-salvationarmyusa.org

For more information, visit salvationarmyusa.org or call 716-664-4108.