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South Bend police, fire want your hurricane relief items

If you’ve wanted to somehow help hurricane victims recently, South Bend police and firefighters are offering you a way.

Until Friday at 11 p.m., you can donate items to the police department’s front desk.

Police spokeswoman Ashley O’Chap says several officers and firefighters have family in the areas hit by Hurricane Helene. They plan to load the donated items onto a trailer and drive it South.

"Baby items, even pet food, batteries, stuff that we kind of take for granted on a daily basis, stuff we use that they just don't have down there, or a very limited supply," O'Chap said. "So whatever we can do to help is really the goal here."

The drive has an Amazon wish list with ideas for items.

O’Chap says they initially planned the drive to help people in the Carolinas who were hit by Helene’s flooding. Now they’re broadening the trip to also cover Florida victims, as Hurricane Milton is projected to hit the already storm-battered Gulf Coast Wednesday.

The National Hurricane Center today said Milton had strengthened to 175 mph winds as it moved over very warm gulf water. The center rapidly upgraded Milton from a Category 2 to a Category 5 hurricane.

Parrott, a longtime public radio fan, comes to WVPE with about 25 years of journalism experience at newspapers in Indiana and Michigan, including 13 years at The South Bend Tribune. He and Kristi live in Granger and have two children currently attending Indiana University in Bloomington. In his free time he enjoys fixing up their home, following his favorite college and professional sports teams, and watching TV (yes that's an acceptable hobby).