Free at Last?

 I never got his name, and wouldn't put it in print anyway. He was free at last after being in Level 4 (restrictive lockdown) prison for 7 years. The white man needed a job and fortunately several employers were "looking at him", maybe giving him a chance to renew his life. I see this almost every week as I meet men who now have freedom from jail/prison and are struggling to find a job. They often stay temporarily at Salvation Army, or drift into the city and right back out. How would an employer know if he could count on the guy? How could the new guy in town find stability, housing, training? I need to do some research on my city's half way house!

  I've watched for many years as Jesse's Place and Jimmie Hale Mission in Birmingham, AL rehab women and men in a significant way. I've visited both places and believe in them both. We have a few places in Montgomery that reach out, but I'd especially love to see a Jesse's place here. There are too many women who are homeless, a heartbreaker in itself. I'd love to see the churches of Montgomery (many) open their doors to the homeless on cold nights. There are beds available in several ministries (God bless them), but too few to accommodate the vast numbers. Where is my part in this? Maybe I'll approach my own church!

Trucker's Chapel Alabama

I was privileged to meet Reverend Bill Maddox last weekend on a back roads photo shoot. He was in the process of moving from his present location of 4 years to a site down the road a few miles, still in the Black Belt. His ministry was founded in Selma in 2000. Reverend Maddox worked in the transportation industry for 41 years so has a special rapport with fellow truckers. 

Wash Day

I have not photographed poverty in the Black Belt region in awhile, but took an afternoon to make an outing with my camera. It did not take long to find what I was looking for. A cloudy day, with rain on the way caused surprise as I happened upon a young woman who had just hung out the wash and was sitting beside her trailer. I'm always nervous to cold call but on this occasion I could stand near the street and shoot the scene with her permission. (I'll take her a blanket on my next shoot). As she graciously stepped inside her home, my emotions of gratefulness for what I have over powered me as I began to capture the incredible yard of overwhelming "stuff". The eyes are the windows of the soul and no photo can take in all my eye saw and my heart felt in those 15 minutes I shot. The furious dog in the shabby trailer next door created a ruckus and the neighbor appeared to see what the problem was. (I am always creating a fuss). Finishing my photo opportunity, I backed out of the make shift driveway and headed on with a watchful eye and heavy heart. "Look to your neighbor", I say. There are so many needs.