Salvation Army in Port aux Basques, N.F.L., receives truck donation

On Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 1, the Salvation Army in Port aux Basques, N.F.L., had another reason to celebrate. A presentation was held to recognize the donation of a new truck to the Salvation Army on behalf of Woodward Motors that took place a few months ago.

The truck, a 2018 Chevy Silverado, provides the towing capacity necessary to allow the Salvation Army to use their current equipment to better help communities throughout the entire province.

Mayor Brian Button said the donation means even more following the disaster that Hurricane Fiona unleashed, and how significant a role the Salvation Army played, and continues to play, during the aftermath.

“Trying to go around and do the work that the volunteers and the people within the organization do, it’s good to know that you’ve got something reliable, something to be able to tow your equipment, and to be able to provide the service that you do provide within our communities, especially during a disaster. From the Fiona response that the Salvation Army provided during the most difficult of times, was over and above anything we could ever have imagined.”

Junior Strowbridge, general manager of Woodward Motors said the company’s staff were extremely happy to be able to help out.

“We had an opportunity recently to help the Salvation Army who do a lot to help the Southwest coast, all across Newfoundland for that matter, and we had an opportunity to help them out a little while ago. They needed a new truck. The one they had was not working to tow their trailer, the one they use to serve hot meals to people in need, and we wanted to be a big part of the community and make sure we could help them out with it, and we did.”

Strowbridge said the truck is in excellent condition.

“(It’s) Very well looked after and there was a full motor vehicle inspection supplied on the unit before they got it, and I would like to acknowledge our technicians who came back and dedicated their time to reinstall all the equipment from the old truck to the new truck. It shows that the staff here were really ready to help out in their community.”

Steven Hynes, emergency disaster services director for Newfoundland and Labrador, said the truck donation came at a perfect time.

“We got the trailer donated and when he was carrying it out from St. John’s, it just wasn’t cutting it. The truck wasn’t the appropriate truck for hauling something of that weight,” said Hynes. “It’s huge, and not just for the emergency side of things, for the family services things, being able to carry equipment, to carry clothing, around the community, having a truck is extremely helpful. But for the emergency side of things, being able to tow our trailer, being able to bring mass amounts of product to where it needs to go, delivery of food, it’s just huge.”

“We actually went out in August, spoke to Oliver Langdon (major gifts representative with the Salvation Army) about how we realized when we got our new EDS trailer, that our truck wasn’t sufficient to pull it, so I started scouting around. I said, ‘Oliver, we need something new,’” said David Harvey,  ministry lead with the Salvation Army in Port aux Basques. “That’s basically where we left it. We went out some letters to a number of companies, and it came back in September that Woodward Motors has agreed to look at doing this for us, and that’s when we became aware the truck would become available to us.”

The donation came in before Fiona struck the Southwest coast and it had nothing to do with Fiona relief that came in afterwards.

Harvey said the donation will allow the Salvation Army to assist those in need far more effectively.

“I really want to thank Woodward Motors for this donation, this contribution. It makes a huge difference to the opportunities that we can do within the local area, not just Port aux Basques, but the surrounding area as well. It makes it much easier for us to load on groceries, clothing, anything we need to take down the coast. We know we can get down and back without any issues. So thank you.”

Jaymie White is a Local Journalism Initiative Reporter for Wreckhouse Weekly News.