In times of need
It’s been said that The Salvation Army has a ministry of “presence” – of being there in times of need. The Salvation Army in Mackay has long had an Emergency Services ministry, providing food, comfort and practical support during times of disaster.
When disastrous floods hit north Queensland in 1979, Mackay Salvos sprang into action. In her book Booth’s Drum: The Salvation Army in Australia 1880-1890, Barbara Bolton writes: At Mackay, Captain and Mrs James Condon organised food distribution to stranded passengers on the trains, whilst other folk were accommodated in the young people’s hall. Captain Condon used a helicopter to drop food to motorists stranded between flooded rivers on the Bruce Highway south of Sarina.
Today, The Salvation Army’s Emergency Services team in Mackay trains regularly and is ready to respond in times of need. Other services to people in need in Mackay include welfare support, low-cost clothing and household goods at The Salvation Army’s Family Stores in Mackay and Bucasia. The Salvation Army also operates Samaritan House, an accommodation service for women and children escaping domestic violence.
