December 22, 2009

Photo Shoot! Holiday Hammings Edition

In what is quickly becoming an annual tradition, we recently hosted a couple of photo shoots for Bread for the City staff and clients. We all got into the holiday spirit, posed for the camera, and then: click! click!

Free printed portraits are currently making their way through the mail to our participating clients - a great way to give these families some special holiday cheer. See the full sets here and here. (Many thanks to our good friend Steve Goldenberg for making it all happen!)

Here some of our favorites below:

Mr Rivers

Mr. Rivers, pictured here with his wife and two children, was a Metro driver for many years, and now receives disability assistance. Bread for the City helps his family with food and things like utility bills. Natasha (on left) is enrolled in a local technical college.

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Monique McAllister, Mya, Reggie

Monique and her daughters are regulars at our clothing room, and appear here in two sets of wardrobes assembled entirely from the "BFC Boutique," as it's known.

The ladies agree: the most useful things they find in our clothing bank are shoes. That said, Monique's favorite items are this pink suit (below), and a black velour gown that she wore to an official Inaugural Ball during the Presidential Inauguration earlier this year.


"Not only was it incredible to see Barack Obama become our President, but I never thought that a single mother of 4 would ever be right there, part of the celebration. Yet there I was, and I felt right in place, right at home." Monique and her case manager were interviewed by the BBC during the Inauguration (listen here).

Maya:
MayaMaya - Bubble Gum

Reggie:
Reggie

Monique received Temporary Assistance for Needy Families for around a year, before moving on to self-sufficiency. About that transition, she says simply: "you must be motivated to make it happen." To that end, she credits Bread for the City for supporting her: "It's my resource base. If I need to get something to happen, I can always start here."

Bread for the City helped her find resources to enroll in school and finance her education. Today, she is studying for her Licensed Practical Nurse degree. (Her school wardrobe has come almost entirely from our clothing room.)

"When I walk out of Bread for the City, I feel like I'm in control."

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Hattie Miles

Hattie says "the economy brought me here." Bread for the City helps supplement her medical expenses.

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Thelma Barnes

Thelma, pictured here with Shanise, one of her four grandchildren: "I live just down the street been here forever. I was here when y'all were building this place! It's a great help to the community. I used to donate clothes here. Now I sometimes need to come by for food and clothing myself. Ah, don't worry about Shanise - she makes that face at everyone."

See the full portrait sets here and here. And tune in tomorrow for another installment!

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