After a massive tornado hit Joplin, Missouri last year, thousands of families whose homes were destroyed lost their most treasured mementos.

But thanks to the dedication and hard work of Abi Almandinger, tornado survivors have been reunited with thousands of old photographs that were blown away in the wind and found by strangers.

The 39-year-old mother of two already had a passion for photographs, working as a consultant for a company that creates photo albums from digital pics. So, after the disaster when she heard about people wanting to return found photos, she knew immediately that she had found her calling.

She started a Facebook page to be used as a clearinghouse for the photos and publicized it on local media. Her page, Joplin's Found Photos, even offers tips on restoring photos that had been damaged in the storm.

"Photos are one of our most cherished possessions and if I can help them recover their precious memories, then I will do everything I can to do so."

(READ the full story in Huffington Post)