early on in photographing, i've found a need to give back with photographs that contribute to something bigger than myself. and what i'm finding as i go along here is how connected the projects are without any intent or pursuit on my end. having started out with images of lewis hine, dorthea lange and walker evans in my head, sometimes the projects i've longed for were a bit grandiose in hindsight. or at least beyond what i could manage and i'm thankful for the opportunities that have surfaced....one begins without photographs at all.
last week i heard an advertisement on the wbur (local npr station) from horizons for homeless children - specifically, for volunteers to play with with the kids in a program called playspace. when i got home, i went to their website and signed up for training which just so happened to be taking place within a week.
kids playing basketball | "share a chair" poetry reading at mary jane lee park, 2012
so i begin today in official training to be a "PAL" (playspace activity leader)...no camera, no intention of photographs, just making one's world a little lighter for a moment.
i know many around me give of their time to helping others in different ways, and while i'll continue to give back with photography, i've come around to the value of just giving in any way i can at any time i can.