NYPD officers from the Community Affairs Bureau have taken in and sorted through tons of donations, all of which will be shipped to both hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico and earthquake-damaged Mexico. The two different natural disasters have left millions without even the basics.
The donations are being received at Resorts World Casino in Queens, which is letting the NYPD use a section of its parking lot as a staging area. Bins are filled with things like batteries, diapers, baby food, masks and work gloves. All of it was given to the NYPD by people in neighborhoods all over New York City, dropped off at precincts, public housing complexes and transit districts.
NYPD collecting donations for Puerto Rico, Mexico
So far, 50 tons of supplies have come in and will go to Puerto Rico, to the southern and western parts of the island. Another seven tons will be flown to Mexico.
Deputy Chief Ellen Chang is heading up the operation. She has family in Puerto Rico and will head to Ponce with a team on October 30.
There is still time to give, at precincts, public housing complexes and transit districts. Additionally, a new service center opens Thursday morning at 9 a.m. at the Julia De Burgos Latino Cultural Center on Lexington Avenue between 105th and 106th streets.