WASHINGTON 鈥� D.C. police cadets spent Friday morning loading trailers full of supplies to help with hurricane recovery efforts 鈥� a much bigger job than the police union imagined it would be when they started collecting a few days ago.
鈥淲e started a relief effort for Houston,鈥� says Matt Mahl, the head of the D.C. police union, noting how several police officers in that area lost everything. 鈥淗ouston has received a huge amount of support and an overwhelming amount of donations and items, [so] we decided we could break this up into two trips and help first responders in two different areas of the country.鈥�
So late Friday morning, two of the four trailers in a parking lot near the D.C. Police Academy began the long drive to Texas, while two more trailers sat nearly full, with goods that鈥檒l be going to Florida.
鈥淥ur contacts in Miami have already said they鈥檙e ready for us,鈥� said Mahl. 鈥淭hey鈥檝e got spots for us at their EMA and as soon as we can get there they鈥檒l use whatever we can bring.鈥�
Those trailers will leave Sunday morning. Between now and then, you can still donate supplies for recovery efforts there.
鈥淲hat we鈥檙e looking for is personal hygiene products,鈥� said Mahl. 鈥淲e have a lot of water; we have a lot of hydrating liquids, so we have enough of that. But if you have the personal hygiene products 鈥� the soap, baby wipes, hand sanitizer, toothbrush, toothpaste, if you have extra sheets or clothes around the house 鈥� all of that鈥檚 going to be important.鈥�
He says contractor-strength trash bags and work gloves are also in demand.
You can take your donations to local police stations, even if you don鈥檛 live in D.C.聽 For instance, Mahl said, a lot of support has come from Bowie.
鈥淚 think they鈥檝e filled up one of our trailers completely with the support of the community in Bowie, and the Bowie police and fire department,鈥� Mahl said. 鈥淧G County has their own relief efforts going on, so maybe if police out in PG County can talk to their police departments, I know they have a relief effort happening as well.鈥�
He鈥檚 hoping to have the next convoy of donations on the road to Florida by around 8 or 9 a.m. Sunday.
