A Houston woman whose home was flooded after Hurricane Harvey recently received a gift from a stranger: replacements for three prized cups that were damaged during the storm.
Like many affected by Harvey, Shirley Hines lost most of her belongings, including three of six special mugs that belonged to her late mother.
When Ann Dahm of Frederick, MD, read about Hine’s plight in The New York Times, she decided to help.
Dahm found three identical cups online and sent them to Hines in a USPS Priority Mail box.
When the mugs were delivered, Hines fought back tears.
“This has really made my day,” she told the Times in a follow-up story. “It’s unbelievable, the identical cups. It’s very touching.”
Dahm said she hopes replacing the mugs will send a message.
“The world is a broken place, but also a place of great strength, dignity and personal courage,” she said. “That’s what I wanted to honor.”
After receiving the cups, Hines asked for Dahms’s address. She wanted to honor Dahm with a thank-you note of her own.