It started selfishly. I had been wanting to get out with my camera when I got an email that my church was hosting a "Spa Day" for IHN, complete with massages, hair cuts, manicures, and make-up. What better to add to that than some family photos? So I contacted the organizer and planned to take individual and family photos of the families involved. The Interfaith Hospitality Network (IHN) is a nonprofit organization created to provide shelter and comprehensive support for homeless families with children. The families are housed at local churches whose members provide meals, transportation, etc. I expected to show up on a Friday night and take a few photos, working on my ability to interact with models. What I got instead, was a gift of my own.
Jared went with me and the first thing we did when we arrived at the church was to set up an area for the photos. This was definitely a case of making the best of the situation at hand. Unfortunately, it was dark so we couldn't use the beautifully landscaped areas around the church. Instead, we used a seaside mural painted on the wall of a Sunday School class room as the background. We pulled items from various rooms to create a small cafe feel. Finally, we were ready for our first victims....
The openness and warmth of the families was inspiring. Their love for each other was evident. D and G have three lovely girls, although only two were with them this evening, and have a relationship full of smiles and laughter. K works with young girls to help them become proper young ladies. SK named her youngest son Reese because that's what she craved during her pregnancy. From H with her four sons (two of whom are twins!) to B and her lovely daughter, these families were loving and inspiring. It was a blessing to me to be a part of this wonderful ministry. Below are a few of the photos.
J decided that I didn't really need to take his picture. :)
What beautiful pics bear
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