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When a disaster strikes, The Salvation Army Emergency/Disaster Services (EDS) immediately rushes to the frontlines to serve during what is likely one of the worst moments of people’s lives. But none of this would be possible without the volunteers who step in to help—many of whom are from the very communities in crisis.
This was the case in Ruidoso, New Mexico. The town was hit hard by three floods in the span of a month in July 2025—a little over a year after the South Fork and Salt Fires devastated the area.
When the EDS team arrived after the first flood hit, volunteers were already there, ready to help. With their support, The Salvation Army offered emotional and spiritual support, meals, water and other essential supplies, like cleanup kits, infant items, comfort and hygiene kits.
“The volunteers in this town are amazing,” said Territorial Emergency Disaster Services Deputy Director Nicole Kanne. “There’s no way we could have done this without their help…We just have a small team, but they were integral in helping us cook the meals, prep the meals, box up the meals, and get them out to the community.”
The group of volunteers was committed to helping out as much as they could.
“I was there for 18 days, and we had some of the same ladies and men coming back helping us every day. It was awesome,” said Teri Lewis, who does EDS long-term recovery and case management. “They cared about their community so much, and they really…felt good about us being there. They were so appreciative that The Salvation Army came to help their community. So I think they just really wanted to be involved in part of that to give that to their community in any way that they could.”
Lewis recalled one volunteer, in particular, named Bonnie, who stepped up when the EDS team needed her most. The primary cook responsible for preparing meals during the response efforts had to leave for a family emergency, and she didn’t hesitate to cover for him.
“She had [restaurant] experience and so she had been prepping with [the cook] and helping them in the kitchen for a few days, and then he had to immediately leave,” Lewis said. “She immediately got to me and said, ‘I will help you guys in the kitchen, Teri, with whatever you need.’ But she just stepped right up and she worked every day until the end with us to help in the kitchen.”
And this is just one of the many stories of volunteers and the impact they’ve had during EDS deployments.
“I don’t think we could do what we do without volunteers,” Lewis said.
Volunteers serve a pivotal role in EDS, helping in different areas, depending on their area of interest—from food service to donations management.
“The volunteers—their abilities and their interests range, and so you may have some people who want to be on the front line, interacting with people, serving the public and praying with disaster survivors. And that’s great,” Kanne said. “But you also may have people who just want to be in the kitchen making sandwiches.
We have a lot of those people, too. So there’s something for everyone when they sign up.”
Kanne stressed that no matter the role or deployment, the mission remains the same.
“Every day is different, but the common thread is that we’re serving people with dignity and compassion during their time of need,” she said.
For those who wish to volunteer in a disaster, visiting The Salvation Army’s volunteer website or the local Salvation Army location is the best way to begin. From there, a background check is completed, and a prospective volunteer may need to complete courses related to the work they’ll be doing, like food safety, handling and distribution.
Most importantly, if someone decides to become a volunteer, Kanne said they need to be prepared to be there for people who are going through a difficult time.
“They’re dealing with people who’ve really, it’s probably their worst day,” Kanne said. “So we just need them to be gentle and understanding and bring a servant’s heart and just help people through the worst day of their lives…Their homes are probably gone. They may have lost possessions. They may have lost a job. Their family may have gotten split up during the disaster. We’ve seen some tough stuff, and we need our volunteers just to be ready for some of that.”
Many of the volunteers who show up to help know this firsthand, as they have been impacted by the disaster as well and want to give back.
“Volunteering is a great way for them to heal and give back to their own communities. We just love to have those volunteers show up and be a part of the healing process,” Kanne said. “It’s really a team effort. There’s a lot to do during a disaster, and volunteers really bring the manpower and the heart that make our large-scale responses possible.”
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