Village Families Eagerly Await Arrival of Pictures
Portraits – Along with Hope – Given Through Event

   SAN DIEGO — Volunteer photographers from Elite Photography and Visual Poetry will once again pay a visit to St. Vincent de Paul Village, 1501 Imperial Avenue, on Tuesday, December 23, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., this time dropping off pictures taken earlier this month as part of the fifth annual "Portraits of Hope" event.

    Sixty-three families will take a first glimpse at their portraits as the volunteer photographers hand out the family keepsakes. The largest of the pictures is a 10x13 print which will be framed.

   lite Photography, Visual Poetry and the Rotary Club of Torrey Pines donated the portraits, frames, sitting fees and man-hours for the event. The packages each family will receive are valued at over $300.

   "It’s fantastic that these two portrait studios make these heirloom-quality portraits available to our families," says St. Vincent’s President Father Joe Carroll. "Not only will they have a keepsake they can treasure the rest of their lives, but our families are positively impacted by this event – seeing themselves dressed up and with their hair styled gives them a glimpse of what life could be like once they graduate from our program. It gives them hope and dignity."

   "Portaits of Hope" lead photographer Don Gilmore says the value to him and the other volunteers was seeing the faces they photographed slowly begin to soften and glow.

   "We saw men, women and children who were very apprehensive at first, but soon smiles appeared on their faces, which of course made us smile too," he says. "We’re just grateful we were able to give this gift to families who are going through a difficult time in their lives."

   For more information on Tuesday’s event, please call (619) 446-2726.

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