So for the last two years I have been volunteering my services at the Downtown Chapel. They do lots of great stuff for the most marginalized members of society, i.e. the homeless, including the Portrait Project which started in 2007. It goes like this, over the course of four days in December their guests and volunteers are invited to get a portrait taken by moi or another fabulous shooter like Jason Kaplan who also organizes the whole thing. Then, a week before Christmas, the folks come back and get to pick up two 5"x7" color prints that they can give as gifts or keep for themselves. The Downtown Chapel even provides Christmas cards, stationary and postage for mailing portraits to family and friends. Cool right? Wanna feel even more warm and fuzzy? Check out their slideshow from last year. I have to say, this has become one of my favorite parts of the holiday season. I always go in there thinking, ok, here I am, doing my volunteer work, giving back, aren't I so virtuous, blah, blah, blah. But man if I don't feel like I got the gift at the end of it. I get to connect, make people laugh and hopefully give them a few minutes to feel seen and heard.
Cuz' everybody likes a little attention.
Especially around the holidays.
