'It's time we step up': Hope Mills business owner spearheads mission to deliver essential items to Houston following winter storm

HOPE MILLS, N.C. (WTVD) -- For Jon Schmier, the owner of the Hope Mills-based restaurant Rustic Burger, there was no second guessing providing some help to Texans still dealing with the aftermath of last week's deadly winter weather.

"People need help so help them. It shouldn't matter where they're at," Schmier said.

The sight of power outages, food shortages, and water systems being shut down compelled Schmier to get in contact with Manna Church in Fayetteville on Feb. 17, sparking a collaborative operation with the church and Carlie C's IGA.

"You have people down there dying, you have people down there suffering, and the least we could do is step in and help them out," Schmier said.

Manna Church Outreach Pastor Tommy Cartwright joined Schmier's mission and was able to get in contact with a Houston area church, "Katy, Texas...it's just west of Houston. It's called Church of the King. It's a relationship that we have, so once that product hits the ground, they're going to be able to mobilize."

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With a location on deck, Schmier was able to collect donated items and provide some of his own resources, while Carlie C's President Mack Mclamb also pitched in some non-perishable food and water.

"So grateful that God has been able to use us to bless somebody else," Mclamb said.

On top of essential items like toiletries, the group is also loading up two 26-foot U-Haul trucks with piping and other plumbing supplies that the Katy, Texas-based church says is sorely lacking in their area for residents.

On Tuesday evening, dozens of volunteers gathered to help pack and organize all of the items that Schmier will personally deliver on Thursday afternoon.

"Loving one another, I mean, as Christ loved us. You know, it's loving one another no matter what," Schmier said.

If you would like to donate anything to the cause, you will need to drop off those items before noon on Wednesday. Schmier says they'll take off then from his business along Hope Mills Road.