Out-of-state volunteers continue Hurricane Helene cleanup in Augusta

AUGUSTA, Ga. (WRDW/WAGT) – More than a year after Hurricane Helene devastated the area, volunteers from across the country continue cleanup efforts in Augusta, helping families rebuild their lives one home at a time.

Annie Thompson remembers her daughter’s house well. But on the early morning of September 27, everything changed.

“When the tree came, it came; that window came all the way through. It came right here, really close to where they were sitting,” Thompson said.

The home was supposed to be their safe place after losing a home to a tornado in Burke County and another to a fire. But Helene crushed those hopes. The house now sits unrecognizable, having been destroyed for more than a year while the family looked for an answer on how they could move back in.

That answer came from an unexpected place. Dale Sink and his group of volunteers with Christian Disaster Services are working on houses across Augusta, a year and a half later.

“It’s rewarding to help somebody who needs help,” said Sink, whose life’s work is helping people with nowhere else to turn.

The crew has experience with major disasters. “Hurricane Katrina. And then after that, we were in Joplin, Missouri, where a tornado went through there,” Sink said.

This crew has been a lifeline for Annie’s family, fixing their home plank by plank at no cost. But they’re not the only ones still rebuilding the community.

More than 100 volunteer workers gathered under one roof for a dinner in South Augusta. The Greater Augusta Long Term Recovery Committee recognizes the work they’ve put in.

“We are eternally grateful for your sacrifice to be here, we thank you and I tell everybody… you are angels to us,” said Augusta Mayor Garnett Johnson.

Deke Copenhaver, executive director of the Greater Augusta Long Term Recovery Committee, said the work continues to make a difference.

“To see the homeowners, once again, people that had trees on their house for over a year, that probably thought they were never going to get assistance, but we will continue to do this work as long as it takes,” Copenhaver said.

The celebration served as a show of thanks as people from across the country continued to pour in to restore lives and community.

The effort is managed through the United Methodist Committee on Relief and the Greater Augusta Long Term Recovery Committee. On Wednesday, they had 80 volunteers working 18 different sites, with relief and rebuilding still flowing through the community.

More information on the work being done and how to donate can be found at https://cfcsra.fcsuite.com/erp/donate/create/fund?funit_id=4432

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