Hey H-P L.A. Team!

Hope you've all had a great year and are excited for our upcoming Help Portrait event. It will be the biggest yet, so your help will definitely be needed!

I've been in communication with some of you who've expressed interest in leading a site this year. Currently, there are two locations who will be partnering with us and several pending ones. Please review the list below to see which one you'd be interested in serving at.

CONFIRMED LOCATIONS

1. Union Rescue Mission, DTLA  // Lead: Dan Portnoy

2. Project New Hope // Lead: Norma Warden and Kin Vong


PENDING LOCATIONS

3. Community center in Compton/South Central Watts area

4. The Delancey Street Foundation

If you don't see a location on there that you want to see on there, please take the lead in contacting them! I've included our press-release letter at the end of this email. Please feel free to use it.


VOLUNTEER FORM

Thanks to those who filled out volunteer form online. I've created a new and updated form that I'd love for everyone to fill out. This will help us know who wants to be where and who has certain equipment they can bring. Please take a couple of minutes to fill this out:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEdsemRCVUp0SE...


ANNOUNCEMENTS

This year we're doing some new things with Help-Portrait. We're wanting to:

1) let our guests take photos of others and teach/show them why we love what we do
2) having our guests have the option to sign a release so that their photo can be shared
3) printing out an extra copy for our guests to write their story or whatever they'd like to share on the actual photo.

I'm so glad that this movement is growing towards a direction that is less about us and more about our guests!

Watch this video to see what these changes look like http://help-portrait.com/2011/10/help-portrait-2011-announcement-video/

I'm not sure yet if I'll be in Visalia (where I live) helping with the H-P here or if I'll be in L.A. Although if I am in town, I'll be floating around the different locations to support and help out! Know that I'm here to help organize, communicate, and get you what you need for a successful event!

Know of a make-up artist, photographer, hair stylist, people lover who'd like to volunteer? Please forward this to them!

Thanks!
Jen May Pastores

Facebook HelpPortraitLA
http://community.help-portrait.com/group/LA
twitter @HelpPortraitLA

P.S. Sorry if you got this message more than once. I sent it to those who filled out our volunteer form and are on our community site.

P.S.S. Press Release letter below
_________________________________________________

To the community director,

My name is Jen May Pastores and the reason I am writing to you is that I am taking up a world-wide initiative called Help-Portrait. Here’s the basic concept: Help-Portrait is a movement of photographers around the world who are using their time, equipment and expertise to give back to those who are less fortunate this holiday season. What this means is we will set up photography stations and give the less fortunate of Los Angeles the ability to get high-quality professional photos and walk out with their printed photo for free.

I have been organizing the event for L.A. since 2009 and we are currently in the planning stages for this year. We have a core team in place to start pulling the details together, and our event is scheduled for Saturday, December 10th. Last year our group of over 100 volunteers served at four different locations in the city giving away over 1,000 photos to the homeless and families-in-need community! Our video documenting the events can be viewed at: http://youtu.be/yo_5qi4Tj-g

Where can you fit in? We are looking for a partner that can help us reach the community who normally wouldn’t or couldn’t afford photos. We are looking for a location for this Help Portrait event, preferably a place that is easily accessed by the community we are serving.

So what will December 10th look like?

We will have hair and make-up artists there to provide free makeovers prior to getting their photos taken
We will have several professional photographers with lights and backgrounds taking pictures
We will have printing on-site
Each individual walks out with professionally printed photos

I’d love to talk to you or someone on your staff on how we can work together on this project to give back. Feel free to call me at 818-534-7409 or email at jenmay@jenmayphotography.com.

Our website for Los Angeles is: http://community.help-portrait.com/group/LA

I look forward to talking with you!

Jen May
Help-Portrait Los Angeles Organizer