In times of need

It’s often said that The Salvation Army has a ministry of “presence” – of being there in times of need. When Cyclone Althea hit Townsville in 1971, repercussions were felt far beyond that battered city. The Sunlander train was left stranded at Bowen, and Barbara Bolton writes in Booth’s Drum: The Salvation Army in Australia 1880-1980 that the then-Bowen Lieutenants, Eva Fitness and Olive McLachlan, were on the scene to help, preparing food for stranded passengers. During January, the Bowen [Salvation Army] hall was opened as a refuge and food centre.