City Of Ink's 10 Year Anniversary..
There's something to be said for longevity, major shouts to Miya Bailey and the City of Ink squad on their 10 yr anniversary. Thank you for all that you mean to the City of Atlanta and the culture as a whole..
There's something to be said for longevity, major shouts to Miya Bailey and the City of Ink squad on their 10 yr anniversary. Thank you for all that you mean to the City of Atlanta and the culture as a whole..
For all of the incredible things that the City of Atlanta is and can be moving forward, for that unspoken energy that both its residents and visitors feel when they're here that makes you feel as though you can make virtually any dream a reality, there also exists an unsettling underbelly. If you're a resident of Atlanta or have visited at some point and have paid perhaps just a moment's attention, then you're aware that the city has an immense homeless population. If you've resided in Atlanta long enough or have been a frequent visitor, I'm willing to bet you've had your fair share of homeless men or women ask you for food, change etc. Atlanta's homeless population is borderline impossible to overlook because they are littered seemingly from head to toe all over this city's breathtaking skyline. They can be seen in droves in such parks as Selena S. Butler in the Fourth Ward, Hurt Park in front of Georgia State's campus, Woodruff Park right on Peachtree St to name a few. If you've driven down Juniper St, a block west of the Publix on Piedmont, it's difficult not to become immediately depressed as you may be convinced if just for a split that you've somehow warped yourself to a third world country.
So what do we do? I certainly don't have a one fell sweep answer or solution. With that being said, late 2015 I was photographing a Holiday event for a nonprofit at Hurt Park and a homeless man spoke perhaps the most powerful words I'd heard that entire year to a group of us. I left that day thinking, I may not have an absolute answer or solution but I know I can do something. In that moment, I told myself I would attempt to get a few friends together once a month and we'll go to different parks throughout the city and serve the homeless. I told myself this project doesn't have to be anything overly elaborate, I just want to do something. Fast forward to January 2017, a small group friends and I have been getting out once a month to serve the homeless for a year now. I'm beyond thankful to each and every person that has helped in some form. This past Sunday was our first time out for the year, there truly is something incredible about the gift of service. You can trust and believe that I'm already looking forward to next month..