VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — The Virginia Beach-based humanitarian organization Operation Blessing is distributing 19,450 N95 masks and more than 670 sanitizing kits to police and first responders in Virginia and three other states.
In Virginia, the organization distributed the supplies to police departments and emergency management offices in Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Portsmouth, Newport News, Hampton, Poquoson, and Virginia Beach.
The supplies were also distributed to Sentara Healthcare, James City County and Poquoson fire departments, and the Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughter.
The three other states receiving supplies include West Virginia, Texas and Florida, according to a news release.
Many police departments and first responders around the country are facing shortages of personal protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic.
Operation Blessing provided the face masks, while The Home Depot Foundation provided the sanitizing kits.
“Our police, firefighters, emergency managers, and healthcare workers face imminent danger each moment while serving the public in the fight against the coronavirus,” said Robertson.
“Operation Blessing, in partnership with The Home Depot Foundation, is honored to provide these responders with the critical supplies needed to keep them safe.”