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Volunteer Group Restoring Damaged Family Photos For Hurricane Sandy Victims

by David Madden, Pat Ciarrocchi

SEASIDE HEIGHTS, N.J. (CBS) -- A national group of volunteers is spending the weekend in Seaside Heights, NJ, offering a unique form of help to victims of Hurricane Sandy.

Their work is all about restoring memories.

"Operation Photo Rescue" is setting up shop in the local Home Depot hardware store.  Their goal is take heirloom photographs damaged by the so-called superstorm and Photoshop them back into shape.

hayes_margie _prov
(Margie Hayes. Photo provided)

"Some people look at something and think it's difficult, and it really isn't as bad as it looks," says director Margie Hayes (right).  "Others really are difficult and may take a week or more to restore."

The service is free -- paid for through donations -- and the owner keeps the original pictures.  For more information, go to operationphotorescue.org.

The group formed in the wake of Hurricane Katrina more than a decade ago and has grown to international proportions with more than 2,800 volunteers.

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