Mason City Salvation Army head deployed to help with flood relief efforts

MASON CITY —The head of the Mason City Salvation Army has been deployed to help with the flood relief efforts in western Iowa and eastern Nebraska.

Captain Kenyon Sivels was notified on Tuesday that he’s been sent to Sioux City for a two-week deployment in the area to serve in what’s known as the “Emotional and Spiritual Care” role.  “What that means is other people, other groups, other folks inside the Salvation Army are going to be working to meet some of the physical needs, some of the displaced people getting them situated and all those type of things. I’m coming in as part of a team to make sure they are doing ok emotionally and spiritually.”

Sivels says most people are focused about their or their family’s safety but will not allow their emotions of the situation to come out.  “A lot of folks will just assume that they are doing ok emotionally or just put that on the back burner and say that other things are more important. I’m not one who would say one thing is more important than another, especially when someone is dealing with this kind of situation, but I do want to check on people, because it can have an effect on people that will impact them in other ways that they may not be aware of.”

Sivels says it’s the first time that he’s been deployed as part of the Salvation Army and he looks forward to the experience. “It is an honor to go to try to meet some of the needs of folks and to step in to be the hands and feet of Christ wherever we can. It is an honor. I don’t know if anyone necessarily looks forward to disaster service because of what that really means, but when there is a disaster, I and I know my teammates would say the same thing, that we’re eager to serve and meet needs however we can.”

Sivels and his teammates will be providing their efforts concentrated in northeast Nebraska and western Iowa, encompassing an area roughly between Sioux City south to the Omaha metro area.