Elk Grove man in New Zealand for Salvation Army

He's provided help to victims of 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, the Oklahoma City bombings, the Midwest floods and other disasters.

Today, Maj. David Dalberg of Elk Grove Village will leave for Christchurch, New Zealand, where he'll take over command of the Salvation Army's earthquake relief efforts there.

Dalberg, a 66-year-old married father of two and an ordained minister, views his six-week deployment as an honor given the organization's vast international resources.

“I'm really anticipating this as a learning experience. A rich experience,” he said while wrapping up business Thursday at the Salvation Army's Emergency Disaster Services office in Elk Grove Village. “I have great confidence inside myself that God has purposed me to go to New Zealand for a specific reason. This is supposed to happen for me right now.”

Salvation Army Lt. Col. Ralph Bukiewicz said he was pleased to see a local director get tapped for this important job.

“Major Dalberg's extensive experience in disaster response will be a real asset,” Bukiewicz said in a statement.

On Feb. 22, a magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit Christchurch, killing nearly 200 people and leaving the city in shambles.

To arrive on the scene three weeks later and take charge will be challenging, and even though Dalberg says he “thrives on chaos,” he knows organization is key to successful disaster relief efforts.

He said there's always a temptation to want to prove yourself, but a good leader will work in conjunction with many organizations to coordinate relief efforts, and not be a know-it-all.

“I don't know what (the disaster) means on a local level, so I don't come in with preconceived ideas of what they'll need. I go to learn,” he said. “And I go in knowing this will be one of the greatest life experiences I've ever had.”

That gratitude and kindheartedness is something he's had since his childhood, when he helped his parents — both Salvation Army officers — work in rehab centers with adults who struggled with addictions.

Dalberg ultimately joined the Salvation Army and moved around the country as he moved up the ranks. Now, as director of emergency disaster services for a 12-county area in and around Chicago, Dalberg oversees the Salvation Army's relief effort on everything from house fires to major disasters such as floods. Over the years, he's done everything from serve hot lunches to provide spiritual guidance to people in crisis.

Part of his work involves a “Ministry of Presence,” where he simply listens to people, cries with them and tries to help them cope with the tragedy they're experiencing.

“It's really an honor to be able to do this,” he said. “I get more than I give. There's no question about that.”

To assist the Salvation Army's efforts in New Zealand, cash donations are most useful. See salvationarmy.org for details.

Ÿ Daily Herald news services contributed to this report.