Thanks A Million campaign: Salvation Army stalwart feeds emergency crews in bushfires

Be it on Christmas Day or birthdays, Salvation Army stalwart Alan Steven drops everything to bring food to emergency crews.

Alan Steven went above and beyond heading up the Salvation Army Emergency Response during the bushfires in late 2019. Picture: Tom Huntley

Ask Alan Steven where he was for his birthday, Christmas or New Year’s Eve last year and the answer will be the same.

The retired Valley View resident, a dedicated member of the Salvation Army for more than 40 years, spent these special occasions feeding the emergency crews fighting the bushfires that raged in South Australia from November 2019.

He was nominated in the Thanks a Million campaign for his unwavering dedication to helping his community in times of crisis.

Mr Steven said he was on call on December 20 last year when a call came through from the Rural Fire Service that fires had sprung up around Cudlee Creek and they needed the help of the Salvation Army Emergency Services to feed the firefighters.

“At Cudlee Creek, they were fighting the blaze on two fronts and so we set up a truck at either end of the fire,” Mr Steven said of the two food trucks based out of Adelaide that are equipped with full commercial kitchens.

Alan Steven was nominated in the Thanks a Million campaign for his unwavering dedication to helping his community in times of crisis. Picture: Tom Huntley

“I had to give up Christmas for that one, but I was OK with that.

“I had already lost by birthday responding to the fires at Yorketown in November.”

On the day Mr Steven’s crew got back from the Cudlee Creek fire, they were called out to Kangaroo Island, with only a six-hour turnaround.

“On one occasion the fire was one kilometre away and we were told to evacuate and leave the truck, but then they sent six men from the Army to help me, because I was on my own then, and we packed up and moved within six minutes,” Mr Steven recalled.

Mr Steven and his team dished up to 600 meals in one sitting at the height of the Kangaroo Island bushfires and up to 18,000 over the month they spent there.

His time on Kangaroo Island cause arthritis to flare up in the soles of Mr Steven’s feet and he was unable to renew his truck licence once he turned 70.

But that won’t stop him from helping where he can.

“I’ll probably take more of a behind the scenes role during bushfire season this year,” he said.

To nominate someone and say thanks, go to thanksamillion.net.au and they could receive a $200 Woolworths Gift Card. Terms and conditions apply.