Earthquake Relief

The Salvation Army works with partner organizations to meet survivors’ most basic needs by providing food, clean water, clothing, blankets, shelter, and medical services. Our mobile feeding units and mobile showers help us reach as many people as possible. And our emergency and temporary shelters give people who have lost everything a place to go.

Read about our rapid and targeted emergency response to the 2021 earthquake in Haiti. 

When disaster strikes, there is often an outpouring of compassion and donations. The Salvation Army’s donation management team responsibly collects, sorts, and distributes donated goods to disaster survivors. The Salvation Army encourages cash donations as the best and most flexible way to help, and solicits only those in-kind donations which can be effectively received and efficiently distributed.

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Meeting the needs of survivors immediately after an earthquake is one thing, but helping communities rebuild in the years to come–even after the media cycle and donation frenzy have moved on–is a whole other level of commitment. The Salvation Army leads long-term recovery efforts for as long as a community requires us. We work with families for months, even years, after a disaster to help families get back on their feet and rebuild their lives. For instance, The Salvation Army, which has had a presence in Puerto Rico since 1962, was one of the first relief organizations on the spot when the U.S. territory was hit with an unprecedented 1,300 earthquakes in three weeks.

The Salvation Army works collaboratively with local, state, federal, and international partners to provide emergency services and long-term support. For instance, we have a long-standing partnership with FEMA that allows us to operate more effectively within the United States. We believe that working together is an essential part of any disaster relief mission. Together, we can do the most good.

Motivated by our Christian faith, The Salvation Army deploys specially trained individuals to offer emotional and spiritual care to rescue workers and disaster survivors.

By donating to The Salvation Army’s disaster relief services, you make it possible for us to provide necessary relief supplies such as food and hygiene items. Donations also help our emergency shelters stay open in the wake of a disaster and provide the groundwork for our long-term recovery efforts and rebuilding projects.

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If you cannot make a financial donation, basic needs and other items are an excellent way to give to help The Salvation Army’s disaster relief services. To help survivors of earthquakes, the most needed items may include:

• Bandanas, work gloves, and other protective clothing items
• Bottled water and other packaged drinks
• Boxes, barrels, and heavy-duty plastic bags (for survivors to collect their possessions)
• Cleaning items such as rags, mops, brooms, and scrub brushes
• Device chargers First aid kits
• Flashlights and batteries
• Gently used or new work boots or rain boots
• Hygiene items including soap, detergent, disinfectant, garbage bags, and hand sanitizer
• Infant care items such as formula, diapers, and rash cream
• Linens such as bedding and pillows
• New undergarments such as underwear or socks
• Nonperishable, packaged food items and snacks
• PPE, including dust masks
• Protective equipment such as work gloves, boots, helmets, and masks
• Rebuilding supplies, including plastic tarps, nails, plywood, and hand tools
• Safety equipment, including dust masks and first aid kits
• Snacks Supplies for cleaning and rebuilding projects, including helmets, gloves, and tools
• Toys and books to entertain children
• Utility tools such as plastic buckets, shovels, and rakes

The local emergency disaster services team will need to establish reception and distribution plans before these items can be collected or distributed to people in need, and a surprise in-kind donation, though well-meaning, can become an increased challenge for disaster teams and personnel.