A Talented Future?

I had the pleasure of spending a recent morning with the youths at p:ear.  p:ear provides a unique environment in downtown Portland for homeless youth to explore the arts and other educational programs.  I was leading a photography workshop and the enthusiasm shown by the youth was very inspiring.  They brought their full energy and it showed me just …

A Taste of p:ear – Mentoring Homeless Youth

I had the pleasure of spending my morning with the staff of p:ear at one of their volunteer orientation sessions.  p:ear is an organization dedicated to build positive relationships with homeless and transitional youth through education, art and recreation to affirm personal worth and create more meaningful and healthier lives.  You can find out more …

Housing the Homeless

I am frequently asked “What do we need to do to end homelessness?”.  My usual response is it is a very difficult problem to address with many underlying issues and causes.  That said, I consistently hear a theme that the most important factor to end homelessness is providing permanent sustainable accommodation for everyone.  By sustainable, …

A Roof Over Our Heads

When I ask members of the homeless community what would make the biggest difference in helping them get back on their feet and increase their quality of life, I get a consistent answer, a roof over their heads that they can rely on.  This is something I take for granted but for many it is …

Faces of the Homeless

In partnership with Portland’s Operation Nightwatch organization we organized a photo shoot for the homeless guests at the Downtown and SE shelters.  I hastily pulled together a makeshift studio, packed up the gear and headed downtown with my wife Sue and younger son Jon.  I wasn’t sure how this would go over but I trust …

A Winters Night in Portland

Continuing my exploration into Portland’s homeless community I came across a survey completed in January documenting the homeless in Portland’s Multnomah County on a single night.  First off, this struck me as an ambitious project knowing how big the city is and the all the out of the way places you are likely to home …

Reflections Of Homelessness

  I met D at the Operation Nightwatch mobile van site in St John’s.  Like many of the Nightwatch guests, D is a very friendly and generous person and he was willing to give me a glimpse of his personal story. He grew up in Washington state, the eldest of seven children and found himself …

Parallel Worlds

As I have begun to spend time meeting and talking with homeless guests of Operation Nightwatch at their various locations I have observed a consistent theme.  There is a strong sense of community within the homeless population, deep friendships are obvious.  I see a lot of parallels to the tribal communities in Africa, where belonging …

One Bike, No Home

With the help of Operation Nightwatch, I am privileged to be able to spend time with homeless people in the Portland area.  One of my personal goals is to understand more about life on the streets, why people end up on the street and what is their life like.  As you can imagine it is …

Portraits of the Homeless

Before I started capturing images for Operation Nightwatch I had little idea of the homeless people in our community beyond the obvious perspective of seeing them living and sleeping rough and experiencing the panhandling for money.  My perspective was shaped by my distant impression, distant because I couldn’t describe my interactions deeper than passing by …