One Person CAN Make a Difference

I get so tired of hearing people talk about not being involved in charities because they don’t think they can make a difference!  Well, here’s one photographer who took his passion for helping children to a very personal level, meet Gustavo Fernandez. 

Growing up in the Dominican Republic, he’s never forgotten his roots and wanting to give back.  He established Hog for Kids, a cross country ride on his Harley, complete with his camera gear!

The HOG For Kids Project is designed to raise awareness and support for impoverished boys and girls in the Dominican Republic.  Many Dominican children grow up in extreme poverty, giving them a disadvantaged start in life.  As these children transition to adolescence and later adulthood, breaking the cycle of poverty is daunting.

Gustavo is addressing this situation by raising public awareness and support for underprivileged Dominican children.  Gustavo, a San Francisco Bay Area based wedding and portrait photographer and native Dominican, combines his passion for photography and commitment to helping needy children in a two prong strategy to accomplish this goal.

The first prong is the annual ride across country, going into its third year in 2010.  This year’s ride included visits to clients and friends, with stops in at least 18 cities.   Gustavo did a photo shoot of the children of these clients for a small fee.  In return, they’re helping to support a needy child in the Dominican Republic.

The second prong is photographing in the Dominican Republic and capturing more memories for families and children, all designed to raise awareness and funds for Children International.

Gustavo isn’t out to change the world, just one small part of it, raising enough money to help fifty children.  Think about what Gustavo has done… 1) He’s raising money and awareness for something he believes in, giving back with the help of the photographic industry that’s played such a special part in his life.   2) He photographed the families of a number of friends along the way and even managed to swing by Akron, Ohio for a margarita with us on one leg of his journey. 3) He spent a big slug of the summer on the road riding across country on his Harley.

If you know Gustavo, then you know the level of sincerity and passion for photography.  He’s a regular attendee at all of the major conventions and workshops and is always there to help any photographer who asks for his support.

So, the bottom line is one person can make a difference and just like Aurora Onorato described a few weeks ago with NILMDTS, what would happen if every photographer in our industry made it a point to use their photographic skills to give back in 2010!  What an incredible impact the professional photographic community could have on the world!

There’s no better quote than Winston Churchill, which is on the NILMDTS home page:

“You make a living by what you get.  You make a life by what you give! ”