Hi folks. My name is Kimberly Haugen. I’m one of two bloggers who will be blogging about the preparation for this year’s “Help Portrait” event. This is my second year of being part of this fantastic group who use our photography and other related skills to give back to those in our community who cannot afford the simple pleasure of a professionally-shot portrait.

This past Wednesday, June 12th, PAC had our first planning meeting for this year’s “Help Portrait” event taking place on the first Saturday in December. There were about 25 people in attendance; half of the group were new volunteers.

This first meeting is always a brainstorming session with regards to what target audience we are going to be working with this year. A lot of wonderful suggestions were given ranging from nursing homes to government agencies such as the VA to agencies working with impoverished families to seeing if St. Vincent de Paul will allow us to partner with them with their Hair-Cut-A-Thon.

The challenge we faced last year were doors not opening for us with some of the suggested organizations. To try to overcome that this year, we are asking people to make the first contact with organizations they suggested to see if they were receptive to having us come in and serve them. At our follow-up meeting we will discuss the organizations that are interested in providing a venue for the event.

With so many new volunteers attending, we are asking people to let Evy know what their top two strengths are so the group leaders know in which possible sub-committee their strengths can be utilized to their fullest potential, ensuring their experience is a memorable one. You can contact Evy with your top two strengths by emailing her at this address evyolivia@gmail.com or sending her a private message via the group page on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/HelpPortraitTempeAZ/. During the second meeting, committees will be established and these committees will meet at separate meetings to discuss issues pertaining to their specific committee input.

To assist in building team unity and cohesion, a new policy has been enacted this year. We want all volunteers to have the full impact of this life-changing event and their input is very important throughout the process. Attendance to at least one of the first two meetings is mandatory. These first two meetings are the only meetings that will be posted on our public pages. After the second meeting, all further meeting dates and time will be given during the meetings.

If you want to be one of the shooting photographers, please pull together a small portfolio:  approximately 10 of your best portraits. Your portfolios will be reviewed and shooting photographers will be selected from those who submit their portfolios. Our goal is to give the very best to those who come. Please have these portfolios ready for review no later than the third meeting. Remember: the third meeting date and time will not be posted … you must attend one of the two initial meetings.

Please bookmark and follow this PAC blog for meeting notes and other “Help Portrait” event news.

This year is going to be another wonderful year of giving back to the community. Thank you so very much for volunteering to be a part of it.

Stay tuned….

Kimberly

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Kimberly Haugen is a second-year volunteer with PAC and the “Help Portrait” event. She has been shooting since she received her first camera at the age of 16 and today will basically shoot anything.  

Join PAC to be a part of this and other community projects as PAC Gives Back: https://captureschool.net/