Help Our Heroes expands to aid healthcare workers

THE WOODLANDS, TX -- Earlier this month, The Woodlands Township launched the Help Our Heroes campaign to collect crucial Personal Protection Equipment (PPEs) supplies for local first responders and hospitals. As of Thursday, April 23, 2020, this program is expanding to help our heroes personally as well as professionally.

Many times, because of shift work, first responders and healthcare professionals cannot get to the store to buy supplies for their homes and families, and The Woodlands Township has incorporated a program called “Adopt a Healthcare Worker” program to provide those supplies.

The collection will be made in conjunction with the Help Our Heroes campaign, every Monday and Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Central Fire Station, 9951 Grogan’s Mill Road, The Woodlands, TX 77380. Donations will be accepted over the next three collection dates of Thursday, April 23, 2020; Monday, April 27, 2020; and Thursday, April 30, 2020, when both programs conclude.

The collection effort is led by Township Director Dr. Shelley Sekula-Gibbs, who is serving as Public Health Liaison for The Woodlands Township Board of Directors.

“The Township is very grateful for the donations we have received so far,” said Dr. Sekula-Gibbs. “We so appreciate the residents and businesses who have donated, and we have found that there are additional needs for our first responders and healthcare workers in their personal lives. This new collection for Adopt a Healthcare Worker is an extension of Help Our Heroes program.”

For the new Adopt a Healthcare Worker collection, items needed include bottled water/bottled sports energy drink, nonperishable snacks, Emergen-C or Vitamin C tablets, travel-size toiletries, bathroom tissue, paper towels, disinfectant supplies, and hand-written notes of encouragement.

Supplies for Help Our Heroes include isolation gowns, masks (N95s, surgical, procedure, face shields, or any type), gloves, hair covers, PAPR hoods (these are typically only used when doing an aerosolizing procedure), eyewear such as face shields, reusable goggles or disposable glasses, boot and shoe covers, germicidal wipes, disinfectant spray, paper towels.

The Woodlands Fire Department has a tent at the front of the building for easy dropoff. For questions, please email Chief Palmer Buck at the following email: pbuck@thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov.

The Woodlands Fire Department will coordinate delivery efforts to county emergency facilities once the supplies are delivered to Central Fire Station.

Memorial Hermann The Woodlands, Houston Methodist The Woodlands, and St. Luke’s The Woodlands all endorse the program as well as U.S. Congressman Kevin Brady, State Senator Brandon Creighton, State Representative Steve Toth and Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough.

For more information about the program, click here https://www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/1489/HELP-OUR-HEROES