Nancy Jane Oesterling with the kind of plush animals she intends to collect for young Hurricane Irma victims.

CENTER TWP — A well-known local woman wants county residents to remember the youngest hurricane victims as they donate supplies and money.

Nancy Jane Oesterling, who served as the county's jury commissioner for 32 years and spearheaded many local charitable projects over the decades, is no longer able to collect small stuffed animals for hurricane victims like she did in 2005 for Hurricane Katrina.

Oesterling saved 106 small fuzzy toys and other household goods that were to be discarded after her church's annual picnic in 2005.

Hindman Trucking, which sent a number of trucks bearing supplies to Katrina victims, put the bags of stuffed animals in the back of a truck, and the driver handed them out when they reached their destination.

When the driver returned to Butler, he told Oesterling that he promised the children to return with more stuffed animals, as he had run out.

Enter Oesterling, who collected hundreds of stuffed animals for Hindman Trucking to take to the children of Katrina.

While she is no longer able to coordinate such an effort, the octogenarian still worries about the tots in Florida dealing with property loss from Hurricane Irma.

“I'd love to go down, but I'm not able to,” Oesterling said. “I just hope people will donate a small, fuzzy toy to the children in Florida.”

She said those who do not know where to donate such a toy can bring their stuffed purchases to Hindman Trucking at 100 Hindman Lane, Butler.

Buddy Hindman is enthusiastic about Oesterling's idea and said he is accepting the small stuffed toys at his business off Route 68 in Connoquenessing Township.

A full report will appear in the Butler Eagle.