Kentland Rotary October 24, 2011
The Kentland Rotary Club met on Monday October 24th for its regular noon luncheon meeting at the Kentland Community Center. Pastor Ken Marsh of the First Christian Church in Brook and Salvation Army Officer for Newton County presented the history of the Salvation Army’s increased focus on Disaster Relief following the 9/11 disaster. At that time the Salvation Army was called on to provide food, drinks, and support at Ground Zero, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, PA. According the Salvation Army website The Salvation Army was closely involved with the recovery process for survivors in New York, Pennsylvania and Washington following the tragic events of 9/11. Arriving within a half-hour of the first plane hitting the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City, The Salvation Army was one of the first relief organizations to arrive on the scene at "Ground Zero" and provided extensive support for relief workers and volunteers. The Army continued to support recovery efforts throughout the months-long clean-up process. In the months and years that followed, The Salvation Army assisted thousands of people impacted by the September 11 attacks with practical assistance as well as spiritual and emotional care.
Pastor Marsh explained that the need for food, water, and supplies for the relief workers and the families of the victims was overwhelming but the Salvation Army recruited donations and volunteers to support all three areas. They learned from this tragic event that the ARMY needed to be prepared to deal with future events in a different manner. The Salvation Army's national disaster training program was inaugurated in 2004 through generous support from the Lilly Endowment. Pastor Marsh participated in the training and shared his experience with the Kentland Rotary members. He encourage more citizens of Newton County to join him in the training process so that our area can be prepared in the event of a major disaster in our area. Pastor Marsh was the guest of Rev. Ed vanWyjk.
In other Rotary business Steve Portteus reported that the Club had completed another successful Halloween Carnival and thanked the members that help with the project.
