make yourself necessary . boys and girls club of america

There are many many things I dreampt I’d be able to do when I was younger.  One of the things that I always wished I could do was give back.  I always wanted to be able to contribute something special.  There are all kinds of LARGE ways to use photography, journalism, the yearly help portrait,  a group of photographers hand chosen just went to shoot wedding dresses in Africa for thirst relief.  These are all great, but I don’t have time right now to go to Africa (nor was I asked lol), I’m not working for a newspaper and Help Portrait is once a year.  So I started looking closer to home.  How many organizations could use images, how many places do amazing work and showcase it with snapshots and images that were taken years ago?  Images tell stories, images can show the soul of who need help and who are helping.

I was honored to be able to help the Boys and Girls Club of Lenawee County.  They needed some images and I spent an afternoon hanging out and shooting what they do.  Mentors, games, homework and hanging out.  I wish there had been a club in Ann Arbor (there still isn’t) when I was growing up, it would have meant a much better place for us kids to hang out after school when my mother was at work.  I’m just glad Lenawee has one, and I hope it continues to grow and thrive.  These are just a handful of pictures I took and now they have some things to use to celebrate what they do and who they are.