Collier County Salvation Army prepares to deploy to Louisiana

Many of you know that after a storm like Hurricane Laura, help is greatly needed, and volunteers in Southwest Florida are ready to help those in Louisiana.

The Collier County Salvation Army is preparing to deploy to the hardest-hit areas after the hurricane, a Category 4 when it made landfall near Cameron, Louisiana, early Thursday.

With the volunteers will be a disaster relief canteen, a truck stocked with all the necessary food items to help those who need it. Inside, you’ll find microwaves, freezers, refrigerators, coffeemakers, snacks and drinks. It can make up to 1,500 meals a day.

Capt. Ben Bridges said during Hurricane Irma, volunteers rushed down to help Southwest Floridians. Now, they want to do the same.

“One of the great things about being part of an army is that we’re always there to help when it’s needed,” he said. “After Hurricane Irma, we had mobile canteen units and disaster response teams from all over the country literally right here where we’re standing to help with that Irma response.”

Bridges said the Salvation Army units in Louisiana will assess the need in the next couple of days. They’ll probably call in the Georgia units first, then the Florida Panhandle, followed by the Collier County unit.

“Once we understand what the response is going to be to Hurricane Laura, we’re ready to go help our brothers and sisters in need,” Bridges said.