San Francisco firefighters on Tuesday kicked off a drive to collect clothing for Haitian children impacted by the massive earthquake that hit the country earlier this month.
Assistant Deputy Chief Pete Howes said the family of Fire Commission president Victor Makras had been organizing a clothing drive for Haitian orphans even before the earthquake occurred on Jan. 12.
Now, the fire department and San Francisco Firefighters Local 798 are building on that idea and are placing collection bins in all 42 fire stations throughout the city.
Residents can drop off clothing, personal-care items and other donations
Firefighters have been in contact with the federal government and are arranging for the clothing to be shipped to Haiti once it is collected, Howes said.
“We’re trying to get this off the ground and get the news out there,” he said.
