Got some good news donation wise the other day, another check from a kind anonymous donor (an older Canadian couple) is in the mail and on its way. This donor has given many times before and continues to give. Beautiful people who think not only of themselves, who put those in need first. Got to love that!
With the artist talks and some donations from the recent PAG show visitors the total dump family donation number now sits at $410 CAD (not counting the check in the mail). I will use this money during the next trip to the Mae Sot Thailand dump to help the families. My goal is to reach $1000 by the time I leave, probably in around May 2019. This next trip will be around 5-7 weeks. That is the maximum amount of time I can get away from my job as a security guard. During the trip I will hand out free headlamps, boots, medicines, food, and candy to the dump families and children. Thank you all who have donated and will donate.
I feel good that the donation number is rising again because I know how much happiness that money can bring. I go there for my photos of course, to continue to tell this story of my friends visually (2013-2018). But the donation work has become oh so important to me now, it now denominates my thinking, more so than the pictures do. It has grown and grown in scope since those first food bags were handed out in April of 2013. So many photographer types take photos but do not give back, they selfishly take photos for themselves but do not give back to the people in their pictures. That sharing, that return, that giving back, is where it is all at! Through education, through friendships, through gifts that help to make peoples lives better, that is where the joy and goodness is. Photographers and others be a giver not only a taker!
What is better in life than making a small child who lives in absolute poverty, smile? The memories of doing just that sustain me now. I can still see all those smiles, hear all those child voices calling my name. Those thoughts of helping, of sharing, fill me with happiness now. There is so much yet to do, let's all jump in together and make the world a better place.
People please in this holiday season of giving, give to those in need, you will find that it not only helps them, it will help you. Giving is a fuel that will feed your own heart and well being!! It is such an unbelievably good feeling to give, the high of highs. Please join in and share your good fortune.
Photos from the children in the Mae Sot Thailand dump made earlier this year.
NOTE* In the bottom self portrait photo Jun Jen is eating a donated lollipop (solo) donated by all of you who helped, thank you
With the artist talks and some donations from the recent PAG show visitors the total dump family donation number now sits at $410 CAD (not counting the check in the mail). I will use this money during the next trip to the Mae Sot Thailand dump to help the families. My goal is to reach $1000 by the time I leave, probably in around May 2019. This next trip will be around 5-7 weeks. That is the maximum amount of time I can get away from my job as a security guard. During the trip I will hand out free headlamps, boots, medicines, food, and candy to the dump families and children. Thank you all who have donated and will donate.
I feel good that the donation number is rising again because I know how much happiness that money can bring. I go there for my photos of course, to continue to tell this story of my friends visually (2013-2018). But the donation work has become oh so important to me now, it now denominates my thinking, more so than the pictures do. It has grown and grown in scope since those first food bags were handed out in April of 2013. So many photographer types take photos but do not give back, they selfishly take photos for themselves but do not give back to the people in their pictures. That sharing, that return, that giving back, is where it is all at! Through education, through friendships, through gifts that help to make peoples lives better, that is where the joy and goodness is. Photographers and others be a giver not only a taker!
What is better in life than making a small child who lives in absolute poverty, smile? The memories of doing just that sustain me now. I can still see all those smiles, hear all those child voices calling my name. Those thoughts of helping, of sharing, fill me with happiness now. There is so much yet to do, let's all jump in together and make the world a better place.
People please in this holiday season of giving, give to those in need, you will find that it not only helps them, it will help you. Giving is a fuel that will feed your own heart and well being!! It is such an unbelievably good feeling to give, the high of highs. Please join in and share your good fortune.
Photos from the children in the Mae Sot Thailand dump made earlier this year.
NOTE* In the bottom self portrait photo Jun Jen is eating a donated lollipop (solo) donated by all of you who helped, thank you
 |
| Brother and sister, he carries her everywhere in the garbage. |
 |
| Self-Portrait with Jen Jun, Mae Sot garbage dump, "Families of the Dump" 2018 |
