In late September, when Hurricane Helene swept through North Carolina, 27-year-old Taylor Schenker from Canton was fortunate to have her home spared from the devastation. Breathing a sigh of relief, she quickly realized that not everyone was as lucky. Now, she is dedicated to helping others rediscover precious memories lost in the aftermath of the storm.
In the days following the hurricane, Schenker noticed scattered photos amidst the debris. This sparked an idea in her, prompting her to start collecting these photos. She began searching for more photos, combing the riverbanks.
The next day, she created a social media account on Instagram and Facebook called “Photos From Helene,” to assist people in finding these lost precious photos. She took pictures of them, uploaded them online, hoping that someone would come across her photo collection and recognize their missing pictures.
“These photos represent many memories that people can’t recover. For those who have lost everything, being able to regain that small piece of memory, I think, is really meaningful,” Schenker told Epoch Times.
Before posting each photo on social media, Schenker ensures they are cleaned. Some photos have mud or dirt on them, and she carefully removes the grime with her thumb or a soft brush to avoid damaging the pictures. After cleaning, she categorizes the photos and posts them on social media. When the owners contact her, she personally delivers or mails the photos to them. Each person who retrieves their photos shares heartfelt embraces and tears with Schenker.
Operating a graphic design and data visualization company, Schenker revealed, “Most of the photos have been well preserved.”
One of the photos Schenker shared on the photo wall was posted online the day before the photo owner’s funeral, without Schenker’s knowledge. The friends of the photo owner messaged her, requesting the return of the photo, stating that seeing this beautiful picture that invoked precious memories made their hearts flutter.
Reflecting on the hurricane survivors, Schenker said, “They have lost so much. So having a moment like this, where they can reconnect with their lost photos, and evoke those fun memories, is really great!”
She also helped a mother locate photos of her son who passed away several years ago. This mother had just lost her home in the hurricane, and the return of these precious photos brought her some comfort.
“They nearly lost all presence of this child. It’s heartbreaking. But being able to see some baby pictures of her other living son, it indeed holds extraordinary significance,” Schenker said.
Schenker stays in touch with rescue workers, one of them being Savage Freedoms Relief Operations (SFO), a non-profit organization that assisted residents of North Carolina post-Hurricane Helene.
“These are all volunteer retired military personnel. They said they had been collecting a large number of photos and welcomed me to come pick up these photos and help find their owners. Now, I go to their headquarters approximately every week to retrieve any photos they may have,” Schenker disclosed.
Currently, Schenker has collected over four hundred photos, cleaned and uploaded half of them online, without slowing down. So far, about 15% to 20% of the photos have found their owners.
Schenker noted that as long as she continues to find photos, she will keep expanding this project, with the photos securely stored in her office as long as needed.
As a business owner, Schenker has been juggling this project part-time, believing it brings immense happiness. She said, “I just feel privileged to have these photos and be able to find their owners; it’s a very meaningful thing.”
Regarding the social media account name, Schenker named it “Photos From Helene” to counter the negative media coverage.
“We often see in the news that media reports would say, ‘Here are some photos from Helene’ or ‘Here are some videos from Helene,’ which can mislead readers. Therefore, part of the reason for choosing this name is also to redefine the true significance of the Helene photo collection,” Schenker shared.
Schenker may not know the stories behind each photo she holds, but she believes there will always be someone who knows those stories.
As North Carolina recovers from the disaster of Hurricane Helene, Schenker hopes to see more photos reunited with their rightful owners, expressing her gratitude for being able to embrace the owners. She would say to them, “I’m glad you’re still alive, I’m glad you found your photos.”
Translated news from 大紀元, article title: Woman Reunites Hurricane Helene Victims With Old Family Photos Lost in the Storm: ‘It Means a Lot’.