GREAT FALLS — The Salvation Army in Great Falls now has a new mobile canteen - similar to a food truck - that will be deployed during emergency situations such as severe weather, natural disasters, and humanitarian aid efforts, as well as community events.
According to Major Michael Halvorson of the Salvation Army, it’s a significant step forward: “It’s basically a food truck where we are called out by first responders to serve those who are survivors or the first responders during a disaster.”
The truck is fully equipped with a modern kitchen, including a commercial-grade stove, oven, grill, piped-in coffee system, sanitation features, and a high-capacity generator. Volunteers can now serve up to 700 meals a day, a major improvement over the old truck, which no longer had cooking capabilities.
Laura Hodges is a volunteer with the Salvation Army and is often staffing the truck.
She said , “The most recent one, I think, was a fire north of town, four in the morning, gave the responders coffee. They're so gracious and they make such a big deal about how much they appreciate it, and they're the ones that are doing the heavy lifting.”
The canteen will primarily be used to respond to wildfires, flooding, and search and rescue missions in the Great Falls area.
The Salvation Army also has similar units stationed in Billings, Helena, Missoula, and Bozeman, ensuring coverage across the state.
The new canteen hasn’t been deployed yet, but Hodges says volunteers are ready to respond when the call comes in: “In a way, I never want to use it—because it means someone’s having a really bad day, but I’m glad we can be there to help.”
It’s not just a hot coffee they’re serving up, the Salvation Army also offers counseling and case management services for disaster survivors.
Major Halverson noted, “Any time there's an emergency, we're ready to go out and serve as needed. We will be one of the first, if not the first there, and we'll be probably the last there to make sure that the families and the first responders receive the help that they need.”
The Salvation Army says the majority of its emergency response team is made up of volunteers and encourages anyone interested to get involved.
