In times of need

It’s often said that The Salvation Army has a ministry of “presence” – of being there in times of need. Gladstone’s Salvation Army Emergency Services team has responded to numerous incidents over the years, including feeding emergency service personnel who were searching for a missing woman at Miriam Vale in January 1988, and providing meals and refreshments to people affected by severe flooding in central Queensland in 1990. When the Grand Hotel burnt to the ground in 1993, local salvos served tea, coffee, cold drinks and food to the fire-fighters and police working at the scene. In 1994, Gladstone Salvation Army officers supported the local community of Moura after the death of 11 underground miners in a mining accident. The Emergency Services trailer was on hand at the memorial service to serve tea and coffee to the thousands of people who attended.