Local Employee Assists Animal Rescue Amid Hurricane Helene at St. Simons’ Farm

The Farm at Oatland North isn’t just a sanctuary for animals. It’s a haven for the people who care for them. 

Even in the midst of an historic storm. 

Georgia Power employee Vanessa, who’s volunteered at St. Simons Island’s home for retired, neglected, and abused farm animals since moving to Georgia in 2021, said Hurricane Helene’s rampage through South and Eastern Georgia brought more damage than volunteers had ever seen on the 10-acre property. 

Not only was The Farm littered with typical storm debris, but a massive tree fell in front of the entrance, forcing the all-volunteer staff to scramble and climb through Helene’s wrath to care for the animals which includes a 54-year-old donkey named Wonkey and a blind horse named Tex. But the 20 St. Simons Island volunteers weren’t deterred from caring for the horses, goats, pigs, and cats on the Farm.  

“There's something really special when a group of citizens come together on their own time and for a common goal, knowing that no matter how different we might be in our values or where we grew up, all of the volunteers have that shared passion of caring for the animals,” Vanessa said. “That really makes it a place of community for me personally and for the other volunteers and the animals themselves.” 

In addition to the volunteer’s twice-per-day feeding, medication administration, and stall cleaning schedule for animals, The Farm’s staff weatherproofed all structures and ensured water was available for animals inside and outside the barn when the storm hit. In prioritizing the volunteers’ safety during the storm, cameras were set up to monitor the animals as the storm progressed. Upon evaluation after the storm, the preparations ensured no animals were harmed or traumatized during or after Helene, despite the significant damage. 

During the clean-up effort, Vanessa said the volunteers were able to come together not just to help the animals, but each other. Being a Georgia Power employee, part of Georgia Power’s Economic Development team, Vanessa was able to share outage maps and updates to keep her fellow volunteers informed of power restoration efforts in their respective neighborhoods. 

“So while the animals were a priority for our volunteers, I was also able to utilize Georgia Power tools to let them know anticipated restoration times and what we were hearing from the Storm Center,” Vanessa said. “Just to give them the confidence that we were on top of things and yes, power was coming back to The Farm, but it was also going to come back to their homes, so they could take care of themselves, too.” 

Much like Georgia Power line crews across the state were caring for their communities in the days following Helene, so were Vanessa and The Farm’s army of hearty volunteers able to care for their four-legged neighbors. 

“You can feel the calming effect they have, and there's a trust they have in you to care for them,” she said. “I think then you feel a responsibility to continue that service, that care, that love.” 

To learn more about Georgia Power’s Hurricane Helene response or hurricane recovery resources available in your community, visit GeorgiaPower.com/Helene.