Photos from Helene
A week after Hurricane Helene ravaged Western North Carolina, I surprised my friend at her FEMA appointment to provide emotional support. While I waited for her to arrive I found a few photographs in the nearby debris.
After the appointment we walked the riverbank looking for personal items. We found a few photographs in the wreckage and laid them on the riverbank with personal items, looking to find their owners.
When our first photo was claimed, I cried. It had been two weeks since the devastation and I was struck by the joy of finding this one little miracle where things worked out. It was overwhelming but wonderful as the second, and third photos were claimed.
Soon I was mailing tens of photos to different families who had found their photos on this page.
I connected with Search and Rescue teams to collect photos that they’d found as they surveyed the landscape. Boxes of photos took over my home office as I worked through cleaning, photographing, and organizing each one. It has been a therapeutic process.
I never thought this little project would grow so much but I’m grateful to everyone that has helped these photos find their way home. You can read or listen to more about the project at the following links.