Welcome to Charity Fest II and this year’s first contribution came from Mollie Tobias, a photographer in North Carolina.  She’s using her photographic skills in a unique way to be involved in the community.  

The best part of Charity Fest, for me, is that I get to talk to lots of new photographers and in turn, introduce them to other professionals who seem to have a common interest or goal.   Last year at Skip’s Summer School, Tasra Dawson, presented an exciting project she’s doing in Atlanta involving Teen Identity.  So, the next logical step was to put Mollie in touch with Tasra.  

Photographers like Mollie and Tasra have a very special quality.  The common denominator is their “giving gene” and the simple expectation that they’re going to make the world a better place, one subject at a time! 

George Bernard Shaw once said, 

“I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the community, and as long as I live it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can.”

Meet Mollie Tobias…

Something new that I am doing this year is a project called “Write your Cinderella story”.  It is pretty small this year since it is the first trial run, but I am hoping to be able to find community partners and make it even bigger over the next few years. 
     The concept is a contest open to girls who are high school seniors.  To enter girls write a 250 word essay on the topic “What is the biggest obstacle that you have had to overcome and what positive choices did you make that allowed you to succeed?”  This year’s winner is a young lady who has battled learning disabilities and is using the knowledge and strategies she has learned to go to college.   She wants to learn how to help other people with similar disabilities reach their goals as well.
     This year’s winner is getting a make-over with hair and make-up, a super model photo shoot and dinner for two before she heads off to the prom.  Next year I would like to be able to have a dress donated as well as transportation and be able to extend the contest to all of the high schools in the area.
      I wanted to find a way to help girls who may not be able to attend prom without singling them out.   I didn’t want to make it seem like a handout, so the contest is my way of encouraging girls to make smart decisions in their lives and rewarding them for taking control of their futures.  Mollie Tobias April 29, 2010