9/22/14 KSDK (St. Louis): Joplin receives Salvation Army tornado donations

Joplin receives Salvation Army tornado donations

In the aftermath of the Joplin, Missouri, tornado, there was an outpouring of support from people and organizations all over the world.

Mike Bush, KSDK 2:13 a.m. CDT September 22, 2014

JOPLIN, Mo. – In the aftermath of the Joplin, Missouri, tornado, there was an outpouring of support from people and organizations all over the world. One of the groups on the ground almost immediately was the Salvation Army.

Last Spring, our investigation found that on the third anniversary of the Tornado, most of the relief funds donated to the Salvation Army were still sitting in the bank.

Ben Smilowitz is a Washington University graduate and the Executive Director of the Disaster Accountability Project, a non-partisan watchdog organization, and he told us the issue here is transparency.

“It’s not like the Salvation Army said ‘give us your money and we’re going to hold on to it for the next three years,'” Smilowitz said. “They said help people now, save lives now… Look at us responding, we’re doing such a good job, donate to us right now.”

“We are very prudent in how we handle such a big piece of money like that,” Salvation Army Midland Division Major Phil Aho said. “So of course we are going to be rather slow to spend it immediately.”

At a news conference in Joplin, the Salvation Army announced recovery grants of more than $2.5 million. $800,000 of which goes to Habitat for Humanity to rebuild homes.

It was a day that some anticipated, even expected sooner, but for the folks in Joplin getting grants from the Salvation Army, it was a day to remember.