Toews reflects on Hurricane Helene disaster-relief efforts

By Emily Stewart

The owner of Legacy Metalworks recently travelled to Georgia to support those affected by Hurricane Helene and assist with cleanup.

Cameron Toews got involved with Hurricane Helene disaster relief after he decided he wanted to give back following so many years of doing custom-weld and fabrication in St. Marys. Toews signed up for Hurricane Helene relief through Christian Disaster Relief (CDR), a volunteer-run program through which people from all around the world come together to help out with disaster relief.

Hurricane Helene was a Category 4 hurricane that ripped through several southern states including Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia, Tennessee and the Carolinas in late September. The hurricane caused several deaths and mass destruction.

Toews and his brother drove 14 hours to Georgia and they were down there for about a week. There were about 40 other men, along with some married couples, of all ages from 16 to 80 years old helping out with hurricane relief.

"It was so much fun. Hot weather, hard work, good times,” Toews said.

The volunteers were split into crews and drove off to job sites to remove storm damage. Volunteers would remove trees and other debris that fell into backyards and leaning on top of houses. After cutting up the wood and removing the trees, the crews would put the debris on the curbside for pickup.

"It was actually very well-organized,” Toews said. “They had an app with a whole bunch of jobs.”

Toews said he cleaned up about 20 yards during his time volunteering with the CDR.