The Salvation Army

84 Year-Old Salvation Army Volunteer Spends the Week Aiding in Black Forest Fire Relief

Colorado Springs, CO (June 15, 2013)-- At 84 years of age, long-time Salvation Army volunteer Randy Sky joins Emergency Disaster Services teams to provide relief for those impacted by the Black Forest Fire.  This is Sky's first experience volunteering as disaster service personnel in his 15 years of volunteerism with The Salvation Army.

Sky joined Salvation Army disaster response personnel at the Elbert County Fairgrounds Wednesday and has provided 3,000 meals, drinks and additional food items since arriving.  The Fairgrounds have housed close to 500 Boy Scout camp evacuees, support personnel and evacuees with large animals over the past several days.  And Randy Sky was there for it all-- preparing meals and serving those impacted by day and spending his nights on a cot in the American Red Cross shelter.

The Salvation Army disaster response personnel from Colorado Springs, the Denver Metro area and Casper, WY remain on site providing food, hydration and additional assistance to those impacted by the Black Forest Fire in the following locations:

Black Forest Fire Station #1
The Casper Emergency Disaster Services team continues to provide food and hydration to this location and will feed dinner to 120 fire fighters this evening.

Disaster Assistance Center (DAC)  
The Salvation Army, along with multiple other organizations, is providing a wide range of additional assistance including emotional and spiritual care at the DAC. This location is open to help evacuees  between 8:00 am and 6:00 pm  and is located at  1675 W Garden of the Gods Rd. in Colorado Springs

The Salvation Army will also be feeding at the Emergency Operations Center, the Penrose Event Center and the Kit Carson Stables.

Monday, The Salvation Army will meet with various agencies to discuss plans for recovery efforts. The organization continues to provide recovery aid to those impacted by last summer’s devastating Waldo Canyon and High Park fires and plans to remain in all affected areas as long as needed.

Donations:

The Salvation Army uses 100% of your disaster donations in support of local disaster relief operations.  Monetary donations help us meet the immediate needs of first responders and evacuees. To give, visit  www.imsalvationarmy.org  or call  1-800-SAL-ARMY  ( 1-800-725-2769 ) and designate “ Colorado Fires .”  You may also text GIVEHOPEIM to 80888 to donate $10 to The Salvation Army.*
In--kind donations are not currently being accepted outside the disaster area. However, these gifts are vitally important to your local Salvation Army. To give items locally, visit www.SATruck.com  or call  1-800-SA-TRUCK .

*standard data & messaging rates may apply

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Summer Camp:  A Rite Passage for the Boykin Family

"I want to be young forever!" says Terry Boykin, who is a participant in the Denver Red Shield's after-school program. He's the kind of boy that when you sit across from him you can't help to smile at him. He's a smart, joyful, and energetic boy with a front tooth on the verge of coming out. The second grader, who attends Knight Academy, in Denver has lots of things to look forward to, while he's still young, like going summer camp.

This summer will be Terry's first time to go to away summer camp at High Peak Camp for a full week. He's been dying to go for several years, but finally he's old enough to go. The past two years he went to the Red Shield's Summer Day Camp. Terry can't wait for the sleepovers in the cabins, fishing in the pond, climbing the high ropes course, roasting marsh mellows, and hiking.

His mom, Katrina Boykin, explains why she's sending Terry to camp, "I went to summer camps when I was a kid and I want to give him the same experience I had. Camp is a time for character building and it's a rite of passage. His older sisters went too."

The Salvation Army's High Peak Camp, in Estes Park, CO, provides a fun and safe haven for at-risk youth throughout the Intermountain Division's rural communities and inner city neighborhoods, ages 7 - 16. There are several types of camps: music camp (all ages), teen camp, and freedom camps for the younger campers. It costs $300 per camper; the cost to the parents is a nominal fee and scholarships are offered to some families.

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