HAPCOA Participates in Food Drive in Hyattsville, MD

(Hyattsville, MD) On Thursday October 5, 2017 from 6am until 6pm, HAPCOA members participated in a successful food drive in support of the natural disasters that transpired in Puerto Rico and Mexico.  This initiative by HNLEA members (Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association) was held in Hyattsville, Maryland located in Prince Georges County and in Alexandria, VA.  The food drive was held in front of the Mega Mart food stores – a long time sponsor and major contributor to community outreach endeavors.  The radio station 107.9 El Zol was present and broadcasted live from the Hyattsville, MD location.  A group of Salvadorian Police Officers attending training at the PG County Police Academy provided outstanding entertainment in the form of live music.  They played music from the Beatles, Columbian and Mexican cumbias.

Today’s excellent example of giving demonstrates that community police relationships work because of the liaison established in both the commercial and the residential neighborhoods over a period of time.  Several local area news reporters interviewed Luis E. Borunda (Deputy Secretary of State for Maryland), PG County Police Command Staff (Assistant Chief Hector Velez and Captain Joe Perez – HAPCOA NCR President), Richard Rosa (HAPCOA – 1^st VP National Board), Luis Rodriguez (Executive Director – Hispanic National Law Enforcement Association in Baltimore, MD), Alex Zunca (Executive Director in Washington, DC for the Association for Police Attaches in Latin America), police officers from various agencies, volunteers and donors.  As a result of local media communicating the food drive locations in Hyattsville, MD and Alexandria, VA the positive response from the community yielded a collection of 39 pallets of food, supplies and clothing, plus 30,000 pounds of food from Virginia.