Published in 2024, this week’s story reflects the hope and renewal associated with a new year. The narrative centers around a young woman who embarked on a mission to locate and clean up photographs amidst the wreckage left by Hurricane Helene, with the ultimate goal of returning them to their rightful owners.
Photographic treasures in the wreckage of Helene Helene is the subject of our first 2025 Feel-Good Friday.
In the aftermath of the storm, Schenker recounted how her own residence had endured the impact of Helene, while her friend’s house had succumbed to the flooding caused by the Swannanoa River. The devastation wrought by the hurricane resulted in a death toll of over 220 individuals across six states, with Buncombe County, which encompasses Asheville, bearing the loss of more than 40 lives.
Schenker and her friend went for a walk to check out the home, which was one of the many in Asheville that was destroyed.
Schenker shared her experience with CBS News, detailing how she and others spent hours sifting through the mud in search of any salvagable items from her friend’s obliterated home. Amidst the debris, she discovered several photographs, which she carefully laid out alongside other recovered articles like clothes and an American flag in the hope that they could be returned to their rightful owners.
Schenker said thinking about the photos she left behind kept her up that night. “Just thinking, ‘Here are these little photographs that miraculously made it through all of this and now are sitting here and what if it rains or what if the wind blows and they aren’t able to be reunited with their family,'” she said. “That would be such a shame because they made it through all of this. And I know how special a memory like that can really be for somebody.”
It’s true. Pictures capture a season of one’s life, precious memories, and friends and family encapsulated in a particular moment in time. So, what a special vision to want to work to restore these memories to their owner. Schenker said she couldn’t sleep at night thinking about the photographs, so she went back the next day to find more photos, and discovered that the groups of photos she had collected belonged to different families.
Realizing how many important family memories she now had in her possession, she started the Photos from Helene Instagram page — a virtual lost-and-found. She hoped people would recognize the photos on her page and word of mouth would help reunite them with their rightful owners.
Schenker took them home, dusted them off and categorized them in folders and bins for safekeeping until they could be returned to their owners.
Schenker has had success in reuniting photographs with their owners.
Schenker said she found about 100 photos herself, but picked up about another 100 from other people who found them, including search and rescue teams. At the time of our interview in late October, she said she had returned about 15% of the photos she has collected. She still adds new photos to Instagram daily.
Each reunion is a heartwarming reminder that what she’s doing is important. “Being able to have that moment where you hand something so special to somebody and then also just give them a hug – because they’ve lost likely their entire home in this situation – it’s such a privilege to have an insight into this moment in their lives through these photographs and be able to give them back to them,” she said.
So many North Carolinians have lost so much. What a precious gift to be able to restore a piece of someone’s life that they thought had been lost forever. Schenker’s Instagram page is a huge resource and a place of renewal and rejuvenation for many, and as she continues to collect photographs, she helps replace broken and missing pieces for her community.
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