(RNS) — For the past week, Captain Jenifer Phillips, an emotional and spiritual care officer with the Salvation Army, has been working out of a basecamp in Kerrville, Texas, as part of a team of eight chaplains responding to the deadly flash floods.
The spiritual care officers are part of a larger Salvation Army response to the Hill Country floods. As of Thursday (July 10), they served close to 6,000 meals and about 34,000 cold drinks out of four mobile food pantries to disaster survivors, emergency responders and other relief workers. They also distributed 998 clean-up kits and more than 1,400 hygiene kits and led a drop off-site for donations.
The chaplains have also been listening to survivors’ stories, said Phillips, who is usually based in East Texas.
“We want to be able to talk with people, hear their stories and be able to provide support,” Phillips said in an interview from Texas.
She said most of that listening happens naturally while volunteers are handing out supplies or while people are eating meals. Phillips said folks want to talk through what they’ve experienced.
As a chaplain, Phillips said she doesn’t try to make sense of what happened but instead tries to be present and hear them. That’s part of providing emotional care — she said even those who aren’t religious need a human connection and a listening ear.
Salvation Army members an …