Embassy Corp. Of Elkhart, Ind. Donates $160,000 Emergency Disaster Trailer To The Salvation Army

Embassy Specialty Vehicles, a division of Embassy Corp., Elkhart, Indiana has designed, built and donated a large disaster relief, bunkhouse living quarters trailer to The Salvation Army. “We are incredibly grateful for the donation of this new trailer from Embassy because it means our disaster workers will have a safe and comfortable place to sleep while they are serving others,” said Salvation Army Southern Territorial Disaster Operations Coordinator Bobbi Geery. “From beds to lighting to storage to climate control, the design experts at Embassy have made this trailer the perfect place for our volunteers to rest and rejuvenate so that we can be at our best when helping others.”  The new bunkhouse provides housing for twelve people, and while it will be positioned at The Salvation Army’s Tampa FL disaster center, the unit may be deployed anywhere in the USA when it is needed. “When disaster strikes,” Geery continued, “It’s all hands on deck. Feeding units and specialized equipment like this bunkhouse trailer will be deployed from all over the country to the point of the disaster’s impact.”

The Salvation Army is one of the nation’s largest faith-based charities. It has been providing disaster relief services in the United States for more than 100 years. During a major disaster when housing and utilities are severely damaged or destroyed, The Salvation Army deploys its personnel and equipment in a completely self-contained base camp, providing its own power, water, and shelter.

Embassy Corporation’s CEO Mike Schoeffler (pictured with Geery) says the trailer was spec’d by The Salvation Army. 

But after a meeting, he decided to donate the unit because of the urgent need. “The team at Embassy donated their time, and we had many suppliers also donate materials. It was a whole team effort from our community, to help other communities,” said Schoeffler. The uniqueness about the Embassy bunkhouse trailer is that it can sleep and house 12 people, and that the construction of the trailer is “all composite” meaning there is no wood or metal in the sidewalls, roof or floor to rot or rust away. The $160,000 trailer will last many years thanks to this innovative material and design. 

Embassy Corp. specializes in designing and manufacturing commercial vehicles including dry freight delivery box trucks, shuttle buses, food and catering trucks and trailers, and B-van recreational vehicles. The company also owns a leading-edge materials manufacturing division named Fortress composites. For more information visit Embassysv.com.  

Bobbi Geery, of The Salvation Army is handed the keys to the donated Embassy trailer from the company’s CEO, Mike Schoeffler.