Mark Ryan
Doug Winter, a professional photographer, comes to Loaves & Fishes once a month to take beautiful portraits of our guests. When he has time, he likes to interview the subjects of his photographs to capture the story behind their eyes. Mark Ryan arrived in Sacramento in the 1980’s and worked as an accounts receivable bank auditor…
Read MoreSam
Doug Winter, a professional photographer, comes to Loaves & Fishes once a month to take beautiful portraits of our guests. When he has time, he likes to interview the subjects of his photographs to capture the story behind their eyes. Homeless for almost 3 years, Sam hasn’t had an hourly paying job since 2009. As we…
Read MoreMorning
At daybreak, the Loaves & Fishes campus off North C Street is a sea of shopping carts, strollers, cars and bicycles. Carts pushed by staffers contain the day’s food, survival and hygiene provisions. On any given day, that down jacket in the cargo may save someone from frostbite. Guests – many carting belongings and camping…
Read MoreA Tale of Two Communities
“The greatest suffering is being lonely, feeling unloved, having no one. I have come more and more to realize that it is being unwanted that is the worst disease that any human being can ever experience.” Mother Teresa This is a Thanksgiving story about two communities: Sacramento’s homeless community, what I call “Second City;” and,…
Read MoreFather's Day Portrait Revisited
Doug Winter, a professional photographer, comes to Loaves & Fishes once a month to take beautiful portraits of our guests. When he has time, he likes to interview the subjects of his photographs to capture the story behind their eyes. Six months ago, I photographed Andrea and many other men for Father’s Day at Loaves &…
Read MoreThanksgiving Care Packages, put together with love
The day before Thanksgiving, John. F. Kennedy High School junior, Victoria Chen, dropped off 192 Thanksgiving care packages at Loaves & Fishes. The care packages contained essentials for guests like hand sanitizer, chap-stick, socks, deodorant and Kleenex. Victoria collected the 990 items for the care packages through donation drives that she speerheaded at the Pocket…
Read MoreVeteran's Day Salute
“In the aftermath, we are because they were”. R.J. Heller Gale Filter, a volunteer at Loaves & Fishes is an air force veteran and a retired environmental prosecutor and educator. He believes that photography provides a powerful means to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves and that in the eyes of many who experience…
Read MoreOne City, One County, One Plan
Tuesday afternoon, the County Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to use $44 million from their Mental Health Service Act funding over the next three year as a means to partner with the City of Sacramento in addressing homelessness. This partnership is a bold step forward. Therefore, when we gathered with our fellow Sacramentans yesterday to…
Read MoreDia de los Muertos
Gale Filter, a volunteer at Loaves & Fishes is an air force veteran and a retired environmental prosecutor and educator. He believes that photography provides a powerful means to speak for those who cannot speak for themselves and that in the eyes of many who experience homelessness, one finds the “homes of silent prayers” to…
Read MoreTim and Patty
Doug Winter, a professional photographer, comes to Loaves & Fishes once a month to take beautiful portraits of our guests. When he has time, he likes to interview the subjects of his photographs to capture the story behind their eyes. Tim and Patty, a heartfelt couple who often finish each other’s sentences, spoke with me at…
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