Cooper Downs, volunteer at Community Action Food Bank in Coeur d'Alene, loads a van full of food to be distributed to area shelters for the homeless Wednesday morning. The food, delivered weekly, varies in quantity based on need, with the greatest demand coming toward the end of the month when food stamps run out. "There's more in need around here than many people realize," Downs said. "Last week we delivered 470 pounds of food."
George Erdman, full-time volunteer at Fresh Start in Coeur d'Alene, helps unload and set out the food shipment from the Community Action food bank Wednesday morning. A portion of the food is spread out on tables and counters for those at the shelter to eat as they wish, while the rest of the shipment is portioned out into bags given to individuals based on need. Fresh Start, open from 7:30-noon daily, has shower and laundry facilities, computers with internet, and also provides a mailing address for those without one.
Geoff Groth, 20, (left), volunteer for Community Action Food Bank in Coeur d'Alene, hands bags of food Wednesday morning to a recipient in need who wished not to be named. Most of the recipients are homeless and rely on the food to stay alive. Individuals obtaining food are allowed one bag per person in their family they are feeding. Many fear for the future of the program as government funding is expected to decrease substantially in 2012, increasing the importance of donations to keep the program running.
You got some great photos, Mike. Too bad the person's arm is covering their face in the last shot (unless they did not want to be identified).
ReplyDeleteI think you needed more statistical, research oriented information in your captions. You were probably not here to hear Jerome mention it several times in class so you probably did not even know about it.
Nice job never the less!
Yeah, now that I reread the assignment I would probably include more statistics in the captions. I was just trying not to make them too long. I could have easily written a 500-word news article on the subject. The journalist in me started talking to people and writing down all sorts of quotes and information when I probably should have had the camera to my face shooting photos more.
ReplyDeleteMy approach with my three photos was to try and sort of document the weekly food bank delivery to the shelter while hopefully exposing the issue of poverty, hunger and homelessness.
And I probably should have chosen a different shot than the one with the arm covering the volunteer's face, but I really wanted a shot of the food bags being exchanged because I felt that was a pretty important part of the story. Unfortunately this was the best shot with the bags being exchanged.
This is also the first assignment where I didn't bring my entire arsenal of lenses and a backup camera. I decided to just rock the 17-35 and get in close for all the shots. It made me think things through a little more carefully I think. I spent about an hour and a half total on the assignment and shot only 56 photos.
ReplyDeleteHopefully I will learn to be more and more careful like this with my shots down the road.