With Hurricane Irene bearing down on the East coast, In A Pickle Restaurant is planning to help local residents stay safe.

Owner Tim Burke told Patch he is gathering bottled water, additional cold cuts and plans to make boxed lunches he could give to authorities to distribute to residnets impacted by the storm, if necessary.

According to the Boston Globe, the hurricane is slated to hit the the Berkshires overnight Sunday, after making landfall in Connecticut. If that occurs, the storm could cause heavy damage to the eastern past of Massachusetts.

While Burke is certainly not obligated to help, he said he was doing it because it is the right thing to do. The spirit of giving, he said, was ingrained in him long ago.

“I always believe what goes around comes around … It's our way to kind of give back [to the community]," Burke said.

Burke said he is also accepting donations of suppplies from the public, which he could distribute as well.