Serving in the wake of chaos

serving in the wake of chaos. (l–r) commissioner paul a. rader, commissioner kay rader, compton corps officer captain roberta downey and compton city councilwoman patricia moore discuss community needs after the riots. fire destroyed the building across the street from the compton temple corps on april 30, the day after the riots broke out. captain gregorio bercian had to hose down the corps building to keep it from catching fire. during the riots and their aftermath, the salvation army received more than 420 tons in food donations. compton corps officers captains william and roberta downey pray with commissioner paul a. rader for healing in and around los angeles and all those hurting. lt. maria bercian helps a young boy try on a shirt for size. the salvation army helped nearly 18,000 families in total. the salvation army fed thousands of troops at the sports arena and distributed food baskets to roughly 43,000 people. volunteers sort and organize household goods donated for riot victims. the salvation army provided clothing to 8,000 individuals. residents line up outside the compton corps to be greeted by salvation army staff. people often started forming lines at 8 a.m.—an hour before the corps even opened. twenty-five years ago, los angeles mayor tom bradley lifted a dusk-to-dawn curfew, signaling the official end of the l.a. riots. but for many, it marked the beginning of a long and painful road to restoration. according to the state office of emergency services, the riots resulted in 53 deaths, 2,400 injuries and over $800 million in property damage. the city of compton lost an estimated 70 percent of its economic base in the chaos. the role the salvation army played during the disturbance and in its wake proved vital, as staff, officers, cadets and over 1,700 volunteers deployed throughout the city—serving more than 141,400 residents, first responders, federal troops and national guardsmen. according to then-southern california general secretary major terry griffin, the salvation army was the first group to support the troops and police in the thick of the violence, and it continued to do so 24 hours a day for as long as needed. “the explosion into violence of anger and hopelessness in south central los angeles has left many dazed and despairing,” said then-territorial commander commissioner paul a. rader, in the wake of the riots. “but the tragic events have seized our attention as a nation and may yet galvanize us as one to find a way forward in our cities toward healing, hope and wholeness.” at the peak of service, adult rehabilitation center (arc) and divisional personnel channeled up to 200,000 pounds of food a day to distribution centers. from handing out coffee and sandwiches at canteens, to providing housing and counseling, the salvation army assumed the primary role of meeting the immediate needs of those impacted. as rader visited the national guard and the lapd command center at the coliseum—where the salvation army had stationed its largest emergency canteen—he spoke with colonel bill weill, officer in charge of the national guard at that command. “your work has been outstanding,” weill told rader. “your rapport with the people and the soldiers has been good. and your chow has been great.” with reporting by susan s. nowlin.