I had no idea when I put out the call to action that Charity Fest would bring out such diverse involvement.  Meet Jen May a photographer from California.   Her passion to give back took her to Cambodia, but my favorite part of what she wrote is:
 
“I’ve learned that I don’t have to travel across the world to give back; I can give back in my own backyard.”
 
Giving back is habit-forming.   What started as an adventure to the other side of the world for Jen has simply become part of who she is as a professional photographer.  She’s using her skills to make a difference in her own community and told us about another organization, Help-Portrait.   With 5000 members from the photographic community they walk the talk when it comes to using their cameras to give back. 
 
Photography is a universal language and I think it’s wise to teach the youth how to speak it. Over the summer I volunteered in Cambodia with an organization called Tiny Toones. They graciously allowed me to design a 3-week educational program designed to teach the fundamentals of photography so that students could learn how to create images that expressed their feelings and views of the world around them. Over 50 students–as young as 10 years old–were given a digital camera to take photos of scenes from their daily lives, many of which reflected their reality of living in poverty. 
 
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The program culminated with a photography exhibit hosted at the Meta House in Phnom Penh, where the students debut their work to their friends, family, and community. Each student received $5 dollars for every one of their photos that were sold, and the rest of the proceeds went to support the Tiny Toones program. With the average wage in Cambodia being $30 a month, $5 goes a long way in helping a child stay in school. Prints are still available for purchase by contacting me. I’m hoping to repeat the program many times in the future with other photographers in several locations. All of the cameras and supplies and other necessities of taking time to teach in a country I never visited before came out of loving supporters who gave to my fundraising efforts. Watch my video to see my overall experience with the program: http://vimeo.com/6596879
 
 
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The experience of giving back exceeded my expectations. I’ve learned that I don’t have to travel across the world to give back; I can give back in my own backyard. Currently, I’m involved in another charitable project called Help-Portrait. It’s a movement of photographers around the world giving back to the less fortunate and I’m helping to organize an event in Los Angeles next month. The idea was formed by Jeremy Cowart, a celebrity photographer based out of Nashville, who wanted photographers to use their skills and expertise to give back this holiday season. To find out more about this please visit: www.help-portrait.com. To join the L.A. team and help with our event please follow www.twitter.com/HelpPortraitLA to get plugged in right away.
  
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