to its homeless community.” By bringing this segment to the forefront, she hopes that the general population not only understands factual information regarding the homeless but is also exposed to ways in which they can become involved in advocacy efforts. Rochester’s HSN agencies Sojourner House, YWCA, Wilson Commencement Park, Mercy Community Services, and Center for Youth all became part of Charlesworth’s team of Nazareth faculty and community organizations that helped realize the project. “The synergy that exists when you put together an interdisciplinary team from Nazareth and community partners is exciting,” says Charlesworth. As a professor, she had already sparked relationships with some of these agencies in the years prior to the project’s commencement through her students’ annual work with the homeless community. Charlesworth also knew Nazareth faculty would be “critical to the project’s success.” Paul Porell, assistant professor in art, instructed the participants on how to use the digital cameras. Virginia Skinner-Linnenberg, Ph.D., professor of English, gave the participants tips on creative writing for their narrative pieces. Deborah LaBelle, Ph.D., associate professor and director of the information technology program, constructed a website for the project. Additionally, Director of Community Service Adam Lewandowski helped to organize transportation and childcare for the participants during their workshop sessions. Funding donated by the HSN was used for the construction of photo exhibitions at the completion of the project. Charlesworth also received valuable donations from outside organizations that helped bring the project to fruition. Kodak offered “cameras and printing services with high enough quality for a powerful educational exhibition.” Gateway & Company donated framing services for the exhibition, and Wegmans and Tops gifted food for the project’s opening and closing workshops. Charlesworth says contributors were immensely supportive and found the project “a very intriguing idea.” Once the participants were taught photography and writing techniques, another benefit to the project became apparent. Not only did the public have an opportunity to become enlightened, but the participants had the opportunity to develop skills they would not have been able to access otherwise. “We were doing things I never thought I would do,” says Christopher Torres, a 20-year-old participant in the project. When the material started to filter in from the participants, Nazareth faculty and students were astonished by its quality. Charlesworth says, “We didn’t realize the level of talent that would exist on both the writing and photography side.” She identifies the participants’ creativity and dedication throughout the project as most impressive. “Their work and writing takes your breath away,” admits Charlesworth.
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One particularly powerful participant was 12-year-old Breanna. Her statement described a mattress she had photographed: “I hide underneath my worn out mattress and your old junk. This is my house. This is my castle.” Like Breanna, the rest of the participants are most proud of the work they have submitted and are now “eagerly awaiting the next exhibition” to be displayed in the City Hall Link Gallery in November 2012 in correlation with National Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Month. Kellibeth Perez, a young woman amazed at the opportunity with which she was presented, has high hopes that people will become more open minded, appreciate life, and consider contributing to advocacy efforts after visiting the exhibition. “That’s the thing,” says Perez. “We can help, and that’s why we took these photos.” View more PhotoVoice images at go.naz.edu/photo-voice. Carissa Risucci ’13 is a communication and rhetoric major at Nazareth College.
“When I was young, my grandmother used to tell me this, ‘We all have our own life to pursue and our own kind of dream to be weaving. And we all have some power to make wishes come true, as long as we keep believing.’ And when I heard these words of inspiration they told me no matter how hard life may seem that I should never give up on my dreams and always push toward success.” —Christopher Torres, Center for Youth, age 20
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