Redwood City – The County of San Mateo has closed its public donation drop-off station for personal protective equipment (PPE) and thanks the community for generously stepping up to ensure front line and health care workers had sufficient safety gear.
The County opened the location near the Maple Street Correctional Center in Redwood City in March in response to the COVID-19 health crisis. The smaller, individual contributions augmented the large-scale donations made by private entities, deliveries from federal and state partners and purchases by the County.
“The outpouring of compassion and charity shown by San Mateo County residents is inspiring and a true testament that we are a county of people who take care of each other,” said Parks Director Nicholas Calderon who managed the drop-off site as part of the COVID-19 response. “To see residents take the time to gather items, drive to the site and hand them over with a smile was heartwarming.”
In the time the site was operational, the community gave:
· Over 200,000 individual gloves in sizes small, medium, large and extra-large;
· Over 5,000 individual N95 masks and KN95 masks;
· 1,650 face coverings;
· Nearly 13,000 individual surgical masks.
In recent weeks, the amount of donations has tapered, likely because residents had donated all available items. Closing the drop-off site allows staff to be redirected to higher priorities.
Individuals or organizations interested in making large-scale PPE donations should contact the Emergency Operations Center (EOC) watch officer at (650) 779-9375.
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