At Salvation Army Flood Relief Central
By Laura McCallum
April 24, 1997

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For families affected by flooding in the Red River Valley, their first stop may be the Salvation Army's disaster headquarters in Fargo. A vacant building near the West Acres shopping center has been converted into a makeshift supermarket with emergency supplies. Minnesota Public Radio's Laura McCallum reports.

NAT.

A FORMER BUILDERS SQUARE is now flood relief central for the Salvation Army. A constant stream of people come here to load up grocery carts with food, clothes, diapers, toiletries, and other essentials, all for free. It's also the main distribution point for the entire region affected by flooding; trucks pick up food for shelters in Grand Forks, Mayville, Ada, Crookston, and other communities. Chrissy Morrison, director of social services and volunteers for the Salvation Army in Fargo, says more than 1000 people came here for assistance on Tuesday. Donations are pouring in from around the country, but Morrison says the sheer number of people coming through the door means an endless demand for supplies.

OUR BIGGEST NEED RIGHT NOW IS DEPENDS FOR OLDER SENIOR CITIZENS THAT HAVE BEEN EVACUATED FROM THEIR HOMES. PERSONAL ITEMS - SHAMPOO, CREAM RINSE. PEANUT BUTTER, JELLY, BLANKETS, UNDERCLOTHING - UNDERGARMENTS FOR ALL DIFFERENT AGES, MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN.

Many of these things are on their way, donated by people across the region. In fact in other parts of the state, the Salvation Army is not accepting blankets and clothing for the moment.

This emergency assistance is phase one of the Salvation Army's disaster response - next is the clean-up phase with its need for brooms, mops, and cleaning supplies. Phase three is rebuilding, when the Salvation Army will put out a call for furniture, but Morrison says the Fargo headquarters doesn't have room for that yet.

NAT OF MOMS, KIDS

Volunteers are nearly as plentiful as flood victims here: stacking groceries or boxing up canned goods. Joan Thompson of nearby Baker, Minnesota, says the work is tiring, but rewarding, as she spends time with people evacuated from their homes.

I'M CALLED A SHOPPER, AND I'M TAKING FAMILIES AROUND TO DECIDE WHAT THEY NEED, 'CAUSE A LOT OF THEM DON'T KNOW.

Thompson says most of the families she's helped are from Grand Forks - only one was from Moorhead. More Grand Forks residents arrive in North Dakota's largest city each day, many of them in shock over the turn of events. Michelle Boyer seems overwhelmed, holding her four-month-old daughter.

FOUND AN APARTMENT FOR $65 A WEEK.

Boyer says she doesn't have friends in Fargo. Two other Grand Forks residents have come here because their employer, Voller Insurance, has a branch office in town. Pat Roos says she and Mary Jo Bossoletti have been working on flood claims for their clients, but they finally needed to get clothes and other items.

I HAVE TWO PAIR OF JEANS, TWO SHIRTS, TWO PAIR OF UNDERWEAR AND THAT'S IT! I THINK EVERYBODY AT THE OFFICE IS SAYING - YOU GOTTA DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS, MARY JO! YOU KNOW, WE WERE SO BUSY SANDBAGGING TRYING TO SAVE OUR NEIGHBORS AND OURSELVES, THAT IT WAS TIME TO LEAVE AND, OH MY GOODNESS, IT WAS TIME TO RUN.

Salvation Army staff say this center is set up to quickly help people - there's little paperwork - and they can refer people who need counseling services to other agencies. They say the community has responded so well to the needs of flood victims they don't even put out a call for volunteers anymore; people just show up.

Return to Flood of 1997.