A&J Photography volunteer their skills to give families in The Road Home’s Housing & Hope program a priceless gift: family photos.
For many of our families, having professional photographs taken feels like a far-off dream. Money is tight and carefully budgeted, leaving little to none available for anything beyond the most essential items. So family photographs are out of the question.
At least they were until five years ago. That’s when local professional photographers, AJ Greisen and Adeline Jane Peck of A&J Photography, came up with a plan: they would bring professional photography to families in The Road Home’s Housing & Hope program–for free. “That first year, we brought a portable studio with a backdrop and lighting,” Adeline said. “I vividly remember photographing a large family and showing the mother the image on the back of the camera. She teared up and explained it was the first photo she had even seen of her whole family. I think the whole room teared up after that.”
Now each holiday season, Adeline and AJ spend a day in the community room of Housing & Hope, offering free family photos to any of the current residents. And each year, eager families fill the room. “Working as a photographer, you find that sometimes subjects can be reluctant to have their photos taken. It’s refreshing to have a room full of people eager to have their photo taken. It makes our hearts skip a beat,” said AJ. Each family receives a free framed photo for their wall as well as digital copies of the photos. This year, fifteen families participated and results were beautiful–and included the photo above.
“Many families do not have any other photos of their family as a whole so this event is really important to all of us to ensure our families are honored and valued,” said Georgie Nazos, one of The Road Home’s case managers at Housing & Hope. “We love doing the event.”