People sometimes ask me why I enjoy taking photos of the Cambridge Food Pantry. My answer is straightforward: When I meet people like Ben, who do so much good quietly and without reward while there is so much cruelty, anger, and hostility in the outside world, they lift my spirits and remind me of the good and decency of so many people in our country and the world.
As I said, I only take portraits of people I admire. Their portraits always turn out well and keep me hopeful. These people are worth supporting—they are selfless and help people with nowhere else to turn.
Thanks so much for supporting their work.
So, I’ve decided to take simple portraits of the uplifting people at the Cambridge Food Pantry, who make me suitable for being human and remind me of what most people are like.
Volunteering at the pantry is not about raising money or licking envelopes.
It is challenging and often frustrating to do hard physical work, which requires volunteers to be committed to people of all ages. Everyone is equal, and they share an unfailing commitment. I have tremendous respect for Sarah Harrington, the Pantry’s Executive Director.
Her pantry is full of good-hearted men, people of the community, good-hearted people. She and the volunteers work harder and are more determined than any volunteers I’ve seen. Politics and judgment mean nothing there.
Ken and another volunteer (I’ll get to him later) drive the pantry truck to Albany every week. They load the food into boxes, returns to Cambridge, and then unloads again. The boxes are heavy, and it’s grueling work. Ben also makes dinners for the pantry events and for the volunteers when hungry and tired several times a week.
I’m just taking photos of these people who make me glad—nothing elaborate or too invasive. Ben never boats or seeks attention; he is simply a human being who helps a food pantry work. We talked for the first time the other day, and I explained to him the value of photos. They bring the pantry to life for people sick of being hassled for money.
I am happy to have met Ken and taken his photo. I plan to take many others; these people help people with nowhere else to go. Ben and the Cambridge Food Pantry volunteer make me proud to be human. It’s a privilege to take these photos. I hope they mean the same thing to you as they mean to me.
