In Kingwood, an outpouring for police

Posted 2:30 p.m.

Jason Inoue carried a pile of blankets. His 9-year-old daughter, Kaiya, offered homemade stress balls, which she had sewn from fuzzy socks and imbued with lavender and vanilla essential oils.

Others brought rolls and roll of paper towels and toilet paper, bags of chips, boxes of granola bars, M&M’s and bunny graham crackers, an outpouring of donations as steady as the rain pelting Houston.

Houston Police Officer Leonard Lockett was speechless. He could not believe the show of support for police officers who had not been able to get to their homes or regular stations and were now stranded at the Kingwood Community Center.

“We really appreciate what you do,” Locket told the Inoues, as he placed their gifts with the others lining a long table inside the center.

There, where community gatherings and exercise classes are usually held, several HPD officers are bunking, working 24-hour shifts — and worrying about their own families, who are facing down flood waters or have already been forced out of homes.

Officer Bibiana Reyna’s thoughts were on her grandmother, in the northeast side of Houston, who had water from the bayou seeping into her house and her goddaughter, who was in need of rescue. Officer Garrett Starnes’ mind was on his grandmother, whose house had been completely washed out.

Like the rest of Houston, the officers were tired, anxious and ready for Harvey to move on — and the community donations served as a much-needed salve for them.

Some Kingwood residents invited the officers to their homes for a warm shower. A nearby church offered to wash clothes for them. Catering services are providing breakfast, lunch and dinner. One woman extended the use of her Marriott points.

“We’re getting lasagna, briskets, toiletries,” Lockett said, extending a hand over the bounty behind him and pointing out the homemade chocolate chip cookies and freshly baked blueberry muffins (still warm from the oven). He turned to his fellow officers. “Anyone want breakfast?” he asked. “Someone just brought breakfast soufflé.”