In a span of just three days, 27 tornadoes touched down in the southern region of the U.S., killing at least 26, causing an unknown number to go missing, and destroying homes, businesses, and entire towns. In response to the need in affected communities, The Salvation Army has activated its Emergency Disaster Services protocol in Mississippi and Georgia. The Salvation Army's extensive network of trained disaster experts and volunteers are on the ground, providing items such as food, water, clean-up support, and emotional and spiritual care to both survivors and first responders.

"Overnight, the lives of thousands of people changed forever in unimaginable ways," said National Commander Kenneth G. Hodder. "These communities are the homes of our staff, volunteers, and clients and we humbly come alongside them to grieve and support one another. The journey to recovery and rebuilding can be long and difficult and we will be here every step of the way, no matter how long that may take."

The Salvation Army is working with state and local emergency management agencies, other social services organizations, and corporate partners like Walmart to monitor ongoing impacts and respond as necessary. Currently, they have seven mobile feeding units operating and providing survivors and first responders with much-needed hot meals.

"From the moment we began assessing the damage in Rolling Fork, we knew that the magnitude of this disaster was significant," said Jeff Jellets, EDS Director for The Salvation Army's Southern Territory. "We're doing everything we can to get resources and support to survivors. We've already served over 4,500 meals and our work is just getting started."

To date, The Salvation Army Emergency Disaster services have provided Rolling Fork, Silver City Blackhawk, Summerfield, Winona, and Amory, Mississippi with:

4,200 hot or shelf-stable meals and snacks
2,714 drinks and bottles of water
21 emotional and spiritual care connections
Meanwhile, West Point, Georgia and Baldwin and Meriweather counties have been provided with:

300+ meals every day
Drinks and bottles of water
Clean-up kits and supplies
Emotional and spiritual care connections
Walmart has also joined The Salvation Army in providing relief in Rolling Fork. A water donation event is planned for Tuesday, March 28 at South Delta elementary school, where those in need can come and receive critical hydration during a time when many utilities are out of order and need is high.

"We are grateful to the Salvation Army teams who quickly mobilized to provide much needed resources and services for the communities impacted by the recent tornado in Mississippi," said Brooks Nelson, senior manager, disaster response and preparedness, Walmart.org. "We are proud to work side-by-side providing water and food to serve the Rolling Fork community."

The best way to support survivors is by making a financial contribution, which allows The Salvation Army to meet immediate and long-term needs. During emergency disasters, 100% of designated gifts are used to support specific relief efforts. Those who can donate can do so through a variety of convenient and safe methods:

Visit SalvationArmyUSA.org.
Call 1-800-SAL-ARMY.
Text "MSTORNADOES" to 51555.
For more information about The Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services and how we serve in times of need, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. To view visual assets from The Salvation Army's relief efforts in Mississippi, please click here.

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