An Ogdensburg restaurant and a Heuvelton church are joining forces to help in the Hurricane Sandy relief effort.

Little Italy, 900 State St., and Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, 18 York St., are collection centers for bottled water, non-perishable foods, blankets, bleach for cleaning, and baby food. The first shipment was packed into a trailer donated by Pickens General Store, Heuvelton, and hauled by pickup truck early Wednesday morning to the Bronx borough of New York.

There, the donated goods were moved into a 35,000-square-foot National Guard Armory.

But they weren’t there for long.

“The stuff as soon as it comes in it goes out,” said Cornerstone Church Pastor Rusty C. Bissell.

The local relief effort began in front of a television set last week. Little Italy owner Joseph Cammisano was watching the hurricane’s devastation unfold on the New York City and New Jersey areas.

“I said, you know, we gotta do something,” he said.

Mr. Cammisano put in a call to his friend, church men’s club member James J. Barton. Collection centers were set up at the church and a vacant building next to the restaurant. It didn’t take long until there were enough donations to fill the trailer Tuesday night.

“The response has been phenomenal,” Mr. Bissell said.

Mr. Barton arranged for the armory delivery through a Wesleyan church organization. He traveled to New York with Mr. Bissell and two other Heuvelton residents, Paul F. Lalonde and Dennis Durant. They saw none of the hurricane’s damage, but managed to arrive just as the area was getting smacked by a nor’easter.

“It was windy, cold and snowy,” Mr. Bissell said.

The items needed are: bottled water, blankets, bleach, diapers, baby wipes, non-perishable foods, batteries, can openers, towels, flashlights, gasoline cans, packing boxes, tape, toiletries, paper products, aluminum foil and foil trays.

“As soon as we get another load, we’ll go back down,” Mr. Bissell said.

Cash and check donations are welcome, both to Cornerstone Wesleyan Church, 18 York St., Heuvelton, N.Y., 13654.

To arrange a drop-off, call 323-5979, 276-5639 or 713-0000.

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