December 5, 2010

it was magical....

by the end of the day
we were the last ones standing
~unfortunately not all of our volunteers were able to be part of the group shot~






we were "tweeted" and "facebooked" all day thanks to danny
yes
photographers
after the set up is almost done and the first families are minutes away from arriving
are dorks



our youngest volunteer
due to confidentiality, the families having their portraits taken are not made public, except by those who agree to be in the newspaper. this young couple though, who dressed up for the occasion, gave me permission to use their photo on my blog.
we called them "the rock stars" and they truly were.
this is milt.
he's in his nineties and still drives to the pantry 3 times a week to volunteer.
he came by yesterday to take photos of us.
so of course i took a few photos of him

it took a village to prepare for the last family of the day. there were 18 of them and we set up a special studio area just for them. it meant moving the lights and lots of "you here and you over this way and you need to put your shoulders back and you look marvelous"
and
then andy captured them beautifully
so
in a matter of 5 hours
we were able to bring smiles and laughter to 183 people
who came to the river food pantry yesterday
for their help-portrait photos
~
after hours of planning
the whole day came together perfectly
and
as a team
i have to say
everyone was simply amazing
~
the river food pantry
just last month
fed a record 2,424 households
and
for all of us
to be able to give the gift of free portraits to those who wanted them
was the best christmas gift
we could give to them
and
to
ourselves
~
we had 32 volunteers. some stayed the whole day. others came in and out. 15 photographers took the portraits. laughs echoed in the warehouse. smiles were everywhere. "thank you" was heard over and over again. and in case you don't believe in magical days.
they really do happen. here's the proof.


39 comments:

  1. how wonderful you & the others volunteered to give these families a memory they'll cherish the rest of their lives. i'm sure they'll talk about it for years to come. hope all is well.

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  2. That is SO cool!
    Such a healing thing for their hearts
    ....makes my wheels turn.
    Love, love, love this idea.
    THANKS for sharing:)
    -Jennifer

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  3. that is amazing - i checked for a like program here and didn't find one. i've read of this across the country - amazing work being done by wonderful people like you.

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  4. what a brilliant and inspiring post all the more so because it sounds like you all had fun.

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  5. I can't think of anything more generous, loving or fulfilling than doing this. You are such an amazing, wonderful person, but it sounds like you know a lot of others as well. Bravo, my friend. You make me smile. I know you made lots of others smile, too.

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  6. How absolutely wonderful and so much the true spirit of Christmas. A little misty eyed right now....

    z

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  7. That is magical! I would love to be a witness to the outpouring of love and friendship seen there yesterday!

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  8. Definitely brings a tear or too. Milt is a treasure - that face, that beard, all the goodness he still gives away for free... :) God bless all of you for your giving day(s)...

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  9. Thank you, Beth ... to you and all the others for blessing so many.

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  10. love makes the world go round ~ all of you make it a brighter place ☀

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  11. wonderful and so inspiring.

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  12. Such a wonderful gift to offer ones that do not have as much, specially in this holiday season :-)

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  13. Awesome!
    Please take a look at my blog if you ever get the chance. Any feedback is appreciated! Thanks so much :)
    xx

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  14. What a kind and giving day. I like that you say it took so many people working together to make this happen.

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  15. Such a powerful..meaningful project. A must-do for me...for next year!!!

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  16. So awesome.....! i wanted to volunteer this year but our area had all the help they needed, It's a tough group to get in...only allowed volunteers from last year no new ones. I hope next year.

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  17. Such a great idea and a great group of volunteers. I'm with Jennifer, this has my wheels spinning.

    You all must feel fantastic knowing this unforgettable and heartwarming gift you're giving to the families. ~Sharon

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  18. This just makes me smile... like all of the people blessed that day!

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  19. What a beautiful gift from the heart. Such a fine idea. And that Milt is one handsome and young looking guy for 90-something!

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  20. What an affirmation that we are all one family and that all lives have value. Blessings, Beth!

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  21. how very beautiful. reading this just warmed me, on this cold evening.
    blessings to you~
    stay warm

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  22. truly amazing, and beautiful. you are my hero.

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  23. One Hundred Eighty-three!!!! WOW, WOW, WOW.
    I bow to you all.
    xo jj

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  24. What a wonderful way for people to share their talents however they can!

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  25. I remember you doing this last year too Beth, IT must be such a wonderful feeling to see their smiles, and they would be so thrilled. very impressive...see angels are everywhere. hugs.

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  26. what an amazing project....I am so grateful for you posting this. I signed onto the Houston location, but missed the dates. I know how much this means to you Beth, and now like a ripple effect, it can spread further! Thank you.

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  27. so many happy faces on the back side of the camera, too. magical all around. a fabulous project.

    xoxo
    Debi

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  28. What a perfectly blessed day for all involved! Fabulous!!
    Hugs
    SueAnn

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  29. What a neat event. I love the picture you took of Milt - seems like you captured his essence :)

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  30. An incredible event worth celebrating. What a wonderful thing to be involved with.

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  31. That is so wonderful. I could just imagine how these people left the event - just purely happy. So great you participated and spread some happiness in your community...

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  32. Amazing generosity and spirit! Love all the photos!

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  33. This brought tears to my eyes...what a blessing all of you were to these people...it must have made them all feel so good...what a wonderful man this Milt is...what an inspiration to all of us younger one's that are still striving to find out place or go after long held dreams...very cool gift you all gave these 183 people...bless every single one of you. XX

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  34. 183 people! That is wonderful! You have the biggest heart Beth....and by the beautiful peaceful look in Milt's eyes, I can tell his heart is just as precious.

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**I love reading the comments you leave, as they make me feel like we're sitting in my kitchen, having a cup of tea, discussing life and wondering where all the time has gone ...beth