COVID-19 increases demand for Salvation Army services
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Kyle Clayton
Left to right: Volunteers Emily McPhetres, Shannon McPhetres and Nancy Schnabel distribute Salvation Army food boxes Tuesday around 5 p.m. outside the Haines Presbyterian Church. Between 100-150 boxes of produce and dairy have been provided to residents in need each week since early July. Next Tuesday, Aug. 25, is the last day boxes will be distributed.
The Haines Salvation Army has seen a substantial increase in demand for services across the board since the COVID-19 pandemic began. In July, the Haines Borough Assembly dedicated $32,000 in federal
CARES Act funding to help the organization provide food to those in need.
Salvation Army captain Kevin Woods estimates demand for the organization's traditional services,
including food boxes and utility and rent assistance, has tripled since mid-March.
"Normally, we do eight to ten food boxes a month. In the first four weeks of the pandemic, I did 70 food boxes, and it's been increasing ever since," Woods said, adding that he expects demand will continue to grow now that federal unemployment benefits have been reduced.
The organization is also providing new, pandemic-specific services including quarantine assistance-paying for hotel rooms for those who lack the ability to quarantine at home-and food deliveries.
"We do the whole gamut of things, pretty much whatever people need," Woods said. "If we can't provide it, we try to connect people with someone who can."
Since the pandemic began, several COVID-19 response grants have augmented Salvation Army's funding, including local ones from the Chilkat Valley Community Foundation and $32,000 from the assembly last month. When the assembly set aside the money, members specified that it go toward food boxes and that purchases be made from local vendors.
Woods said he needs to see the finalized grant contract before he knows exactly how the money will be spent. The paperwork is currently under review at Salvation Army headquarters in Anchorage. Woods said his priority is stockpiling food for the winter, which he anticipates will be a difficult time for many residents.
Woods said he thinks the funding will get used up. In general, community need always exceeds Salvation Army's available resources, he said.
Individual Salvation Army food boxes cost $150 to put together, Woods said, potentially more if all items are locally sourced. This means the $32,000 will cover the cost of roughly 200 boxes. He said right now, one of his biggest challenges is finding storage space for stockpiled food.
Those in need of assistance can contact the Salvation Army at 766-2470. Applicants will be asked for details about their economic situation and proof of residency. Utility and rent assistance are handled entirely over the phone. For food boxes, eligible applicants will need to schedule a time for pickup.
