Emergency Disaster Services Responds to Sally Ann Supper in Belleville
The Salvation Army is known for helping community members in times of need, but we also assist our own by being able to respond effectively on short notice.
On Easter Monday, a small dishwasher fire at The Salvation Army in Belleville shut down the Community and Family Services kitchen, the same day a Sally Ann Supper was set to serve a healthy and nutritious dinner to 135 guests.
Within 30 minutes, a Salvation Army Emergency Disaster Services mobile food truck was up and running to store and serve food to the community, and the Sally Ann Supper went off without a hitch to keep people fed.
“Once we had the clearance from the fire marshal to be able to park on the parking lot, we were able to prepare food very quickly and serve on time and on schedule,” said Rebekah Leach, director of The Salvation Army Belleville Community and Family Services and Thrift Store, in Belleville and Tweed.
Two of the four volunteers are trained in EDS and the entire team moved seamlessly to transfer the food from the kitchen to the mobile vehicle where hot food was kept hot, and cold food kept cold. Rebekah said if the EDS vehicle was not on site and ready, community members would have had to look for food elsewhere that night, as the supper would have had to be cancelled.
“The truck is immensely important to us. It’s another part of our programming and it gives us the ability to be able to react very quickly to any given situation. We can ensure that our services and our programs go on with very little Interruption and that’s extremely important to us,” Rebekah says.
On Easter Monday, the weather was warm enough for guests to eat dinner outside at picnic tables and enjoy camaraderie and conversation with other diners.
“We want to thank everyone involved, from the Belleville Fire Department, the clean up crew, Public Health and our amazing staff and volunteers for adapting so quickly! Quietly and efficiently, we serve.” Rebekah says.
After being closed for one week, the kitchen has now reopened for Sally Ann Suppers, which happen every day except Friday and Sunday.
For more information about our programs and services, or to donate, please visit www.salvationarmy.ca.
