Victims of Hurricane Sandy sustained more than just flood damage to homes and vehicles – Sandy also took a personal toll on many people when water damage destroyed beloved photographs that can never be retaken.

On Sunday, students, professional photographers, and amateur photographers at Nassau Community College are looking to give that joy back to individuals whose photos were damaged by restoring and retouching the images.

The grassroots volunteer group that arranged the event is called CARE for Sandy, which stands for “Cherished Albums Restoration Effort.”  The photo fixing event is free, and will be held from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday in Building G at the NCC campus.

Many of the volunteers workign with CARE for Sandy are NCC students with a background in photography or graphic design, and who have also been affected by the hurricane.

At the event, each family can bring up to 50 damaged photos, which will be digitally scanned by students and then uploaded to the internet.  On the site, the photos will be put up for “adoption,” meaning that individuals can choose which photos they would like to restore and retouch based on their skill level.  Once a photo is adopted, it will be restored within three months.

“I am thrilled that the Art Department’s students, faculty and staff are teaming up with Care for Sandy in providing this critical first step to helping families get their precious photos restored,” said Carolyn Monastra, a photography professor at NCC. “Approximately 150 Nassau students have already been working on retouching previously scanned photos, but this event will put them directly in touch with families who experienced the devastating effects of the storm firsthand. It’s also a wonderful opportunity for our students to gain professional experience while giving back to the community.”

Families that come to the event will also have the opportunity to have family portraits taken at NCC while they wait for their photos to be scanned. Families will be emailed a digital copy of their portraits a few weeks later.

If you are interested in attending this event, call the Nassau Community College Art Department at 516-572-7162 or visit the Care for Sandy website here.