BANGOR, Maine — "I think that's why we're here on the planet, to help people in need," Pastor for The Mansion Church Terry Dinkins said while pushing a box of tents and camping supplies into a bright yellow moving truck.
Early in the morning on Thursday, Dickins and other members of the church took off on the nearly 1,000-mile trip south to North Carolina.
"I can't imagine what they're going through. I try to imagine, but I can't. But I know if I was in that situation, I would want help," Dinkins said.
Dinkins said the idea came after he sent a cash donation for hurricane relief but was left with the feeling that he could do more.
"I was thinking, 'What else can we do?' So I thought maybe we could get a truck and take some supplies down and that's what happened. We decided to do that on Monday and everything just fell into place," Dinkins said.
And since then, Dinkins said close to $9,000 in cash donations along with supplies like generators, tents, and palettes of water have been flooding in from more than a hundred people across the state.
Like Bangor resident Len Dorman, who brought in blankets and other bedding.
"Helping other people meet their basic physical needs is just a very small basic way to help other people," Dorman said.
Youth Pastor in Training Damien Jenkins said he's helping transport the supplies and said he feels making the trip will make a bigger impact.
"Help them more than just pressing a button and sending a few hundred bucks. This is better because they have the direct supplies and the stuff they need and asked for," Jenkins said.
An opportunity to give that church volunteer David Tarvani said he is also grateful to be a part of.
"It's going to be pretty cool to just pass people food and clothing, I've never done anything like this," Tarvani said.
Dinkins said he and the others traveling will stop in Virginia and hopefully arrive in North Carolina with the supplies on Friday.
