Dear Journal (2011)

Boys and Girls Clubs provide children with a safe haven to help better themselves, socially and academically during the most crucial times in their lives. Well rounded staff and volunteers allow children to build relationships with caring adults and new friends in a positive environment, one that enforces a sense of belonging, responsibility and respect. It is evident how positively staff and volunteers are affecting children, but what we don't always see is how positively the children are changing the lives of staff and volunteers. I became a volunteer hoping to fulfill a service learning requirement. In the weeks since it  has become much more. Struggling through this point in my life, transitioning into adulthood, this opportunity is changing my world. These children have begun to give more meaning and perspective to my life. Dear Journal, is a collection of photographs and journals that document the moments I've spent with these children. I conceal part of their identity by covering their mouths to speak about how I am molding who they will become, while letting their eyes speak about who they are.