CONNOQUENESSING TWP — Buddy Hindman of Butler Township, owner of Hindman Trucking, plans to use his skills to aid those in need from Hurricane Harvey.

Hindman is collecting a variety of household items and sending one of his 53-foot tractor-trailers to the people of Wilmington, Texas, a town of about 2,000 people.

“It's a smaller town right around the Houston area,” he said.

These items include nonperishable foods, cleaning supplies and clothing. He said fresh water, diapers and school supplies would also help the people get back on their feet.

“We could haul about 45,000 pounds,” Hindman said. “I'm hoping to fill it.”

Hindman has been in contact with a relative of one of his employees, who has described what the people of Wilmington are experiencing.

“I've been talking with a person down there,” he said. “They had a hurricane-proof house, and they still lost part of their roof.”

Once the items have been delivered, the local fire department will take care of unloading and distributing the items, according to Hindman.

He said the sooner they can load and send the trailer, the better, because he has not heard of any aid reaching the area.

“She said, 'Some people have lost everything,'” he said.

Items will be collected Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m., and Tuesday and Sept. 6 from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., at Hindman's building at 121 Hindman Lane, in the rear of the Classic Ink's building.

Hindman said pickups are possible for churches and companies with a large number of employees. He said pickups may be limited to larger collections of items.

“Everyone has to go to work,” he said. “It's easy to throw a bag in the car and have it picked up.”

Hindman has forklifts at his disposal too, making him capable of moving pallets full of items, even if they are bought and left for pickup at a store.

Hindman said he will do what he can to facilitate the donations.

It's not his first time sending a truckload of aid items to those in need. He's done it twice before. He sent his first truck years ago to South Carolina after a bad storm. He sent the last one to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He had great support in both.

“Seems to me the last one I did, I filled (a truck) and had a quarter of one left over.”

Now this.

“(This storm) is the worst one I've ever saw,” he said. “They've got no help from anybody out there yet.”

The lack of help and his faith in God have propelled Hindman into action.

“God tells us to take care of fellow neighbors, and he expects us to take care of people that are worse off and need help,” Hindman said. “That's always been my outlook.”

But Hindman doesn't do this for the recognition.

He said if he could do a collection anonymously, he would, but the disaster dictates the pace. The people can't wait.

He said if the people in Wilmington get their fill, then the leftovers will be passed out elsewhere.

“If there's anything left, we'll go on to the next town,” he said.

Hindman said he will try to make himself available through multiple phone lines.

“If one number is busy, they should go on to the next one,” he said.

Anyone who has question or would like to schedule a pickup can contact Hindman at his cell phone, 724-822-4081; his office, 724-848-1001; or his home, 724-282-0665, or his granddaughter, Kara Gold at 724-841-9806.