Like many people I learned of Help-Portrait back in 2009 when Jeremy Cowart guest blogged for Scott Kelby. When I left for my first event at Samaritan Inn, a homeless shelter, I remember telling my wife, this seemed a little silly, and I’d be back soon. As a husband and a father of a young daughter, I should’ve known how thankful I’d be if someone took the time to provide me with portraits of my wife and daughter. I came home six hours later, I and couldn’t stop talking about the experience for weeks.
This past year, I had the power of Help-Portrait reaffirmed at our event at Samaritan Inn. Our first client this year was a woman who had been on the streets for three years and was having a GREAT day! She had just had her first portrait taken in over ten years. And when I sat down with her in the editing room she couldn’t contain her excitement. Both about her portrait, and she just HAD to share her HUGE secret. She had been told that morning that her application for a job at Samaritan Inn had been accepted.
The power of a portrait and giving HOPE and respect to someone is more profound than those of us who take pictures for a living, or just for fun, can comprehend.
–David Ringrose from Allen, TX
