Hurricane Helene: A Shelter and a Friendship

Peggy Mohr sitting on cot in an American Red Cross shelter and wearing a nasal cannula.

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Peggy Mohr stays at a Red Cross shelter in Augusta, Georgia. Red Crossers from across the U.S. are working tirelessly to provide safe shelter, food, water and support to families struggling with unimaginable wreckage.

Peggy Mohr sitting on cot in an American Red Cross shelter and the back of Red Cross volunteer Allean Harrington standing by Peggy.

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Red Cross volunteer Allean Harrington helps Peggy Mohr at a shelter in Augusta, Georgia

Red Cross volunteer Allean Harrington standing and the back of Peggy Mohr sitting on cot in an American Red Cross shelter.

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Red Cross Volunteer Allean Harrington helps shelter resident Peggy Mohr after Hurricane Helene causes widespread damage.

October 03, 2024

By Suzanne Lawler

The night Hurricane Helene pummeled Augusta, Georgia, quickly turned precarious for Peggy Mohr. The 89-year-old is dependent on oxygen because of a heart condition and she lives alone. “I didn’t have anyone,” Mohr said. A neighbor’s friend took her to the hospital but since she only required oxygen, they couldn’t admit her. “It was terrible, it was terrifying and I’m not very capable of getting around at all,” she said. “I’m old and I have a lot of health problems.”

The good Samaritan neighbor knew about an American Red Cross Shelter at Henry H. Brigham Community Center. Fierce winds blew through that Thursday night tossing trees like toothpicks, causing widespread power and water outages. The shelter stood as a safe haven, full of people ready to provide hope and help. Mohr met Red Cross Volunteer Allean Harrington and they immediately formed a bond.

“She reminds me of my dad,” Harrington said.

Harrington is the kind of person who immediately gives you an easy warm feeling, wearing her Red Cross vest and a kind smile. She’s busy these days as people like Mohr and families with young children come through the door to find a warm bed, a hot meal or a comforting hug. Green cots covered with Red Cross blankets sit in the gymnasium with a kitchen not far from the front door.

Mohr, sitting on the side of her cot with an oxygen tank close by, says she couldn’t ask for better hospitality.

“They check on you, they walk you to the bathroom,” Mohr said. “I have a walker at home and we didn’t bring it because we forgot. I call it my Scootie.”

Mohr and Harrington never could have predicted their meeting under such harsh circumstances but both women have something in common: they’ve benefited from the Red Cross in the past. Harrington was a sergeant in the U.S. Army and when tragedy hit, the humanitarian organization helped her family. “My mother died,” she recalled. “The Red Cross gave me money to get home for her funeral.”

For Mohr, the history dates to the 1930s when she first came into the world and her parents had very little. “The Red Cross helped them when I was born in a community hospital,” she explained. During the Great Depression junior Red Cross members distributed surplus cotton, wheat, canned goods and clothing. “The Red Cross has always been in my heart,” Mohr said.

Fast-forward almost nine decades, Hurricane Helene has caused massive destruction across the Southeast, leveling entire communities. With partners, the Red Cross has already provided tens of thousands of overnight shelter stays, meals and snacks for people like Mohr who had to leave their homes. The humanitarian organization is working closely with officials to transition to longer-term shelters with robust services closer to those communities that suffered the heaviest damage to their homes. The goal is to make this transition as smooth as possible for people needing shelter.

As for Mohr, not that she would wish the aftermath of a hurricane on anyone, but if the person who dropped her off at the Red Cross shelter that fateful night needed help, the spunky senior has some advice. “Now that they don’t have water, why don’t you come join me and they have a bed for you here,” she said.

HOW TO FIND HELP

If you need assistance, the Red Cross may be able to help. Visit redcross.org/helene to find shelter locations or request support with finding a loved one.
People affected by Hurricane Helene need urgent help now, and we can’t do this alone. You can help by making a financial donation by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or texting the word HELENE to 90999.

People affected by Hurricane Helene need urgent help now, and we can’t do this alone. You can help by making a financial donation by visiting redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or texting the word HELENE to 90999.

Financial donations for Hurricane Helene enable the Red Cross to prepare for, respond to and help people recover from this disaster.

About the American Red Cross:
The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides comfort to victims of disasters; supplies about 40% of the nation’s blood; teaches skills that save lives; distributes international humanitarian aid; and supports veterans, military members and their families. The Red Cross is a nonprofit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to deliver its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or CruzRojaAmericana.org, or follow us on social media.