Feeding the homeless, one lunch at a time.

Despite the current recession, the United States continues to be one of the most economically prosperous nations in the world. However, the U.S. has one of the highest poverty rates among industrialized countries according to HungerReport.org. For a country that has so much food that its citizens are plagued with an epidemic of obesity, we have an alarming number of Americans that die from hunger each day, many of them are children. All it takes is a drive down to L.A.’s skid row— the area that contains one of the largest stable populations of homeless persons in the United States—to see that hunger is very much a reality in our cities. Locally, in Orange County, one of the most affluent districts in the world, over 456,000 people are at-risk of going hungry sometime every month.

Although there are many coordinated efforts in place by local governments to help end hunger, it falls short of the needs of many people. It takes the help of everyday people to help these government and private shelters make ends meet. These shelters rely on food and monetary donations to provide food to the homeless population. It is with the help of ordinary people that some of the less fortunate have a chance of survival. These people are a ray of hope amongst the darkness of hunger and poverty.

One such person is Zahra Billoo, a recent law school graduate who has spearheaded her own initiative to tackle hunger. Her project is called Operation: Brown Paper Bag, which aims to organize and distribute brown paper bag meals to as many homeless people as they can. I had the pleasure of interviewing Zahra about her project, and she was kind enough to take out some time from saving the world to share with me the details of how her inspiring operation works. Below is a transcript of our conversation.

Q: How did this “operation” get started? What was your motivation? Where did the idea come from?
A: There were about 4 of us, all of us were friends from Cal State Long Beach who went to a homeless feeding event in Pasadena during thanksgiving, last November. There are always events for the homeless on holidays but never in between holidays. There’s clearly a need and there aren’t enough channels so we decided that we would come up with our own event and there’s enough time and money amongst volunteers to get it done. All of the big events have feeding, but not on a random Saturday’s or weekdays. So we pulled it together.

Q: Was this your first time doing this?
A: Our first time was in December of 2008, the third one was this June, and they are done quarterly. We get together at one persons house and then distribute them [the meals] at shelters. We’ve been to between 5 and 16 different shelters. We’ve made over 2,500 lunches distributed thus far.

Q: Where did this event take place? Why did you choose this location?
A: We did Google searches to see what shelters were nearby, and then we went to the recommended searches.

Q: How many people volunteered?
A: Alhumdolillah we’ve had over 25 – 30 each time we’ve done this.

Q: What types of meals did you serve?
A: Usually it is PB&Jelly sandwiches, a boxed juice drink, chips, cookies and fruit snacks.

Q: How much does this event end up costing?
A: Each lunch ranges from a one dollar to $1.50. A basic lunch is a dollar at most, if we add in produce it adds on about an extra 30 cents an item because fresh produce is expensive. Our total cost per event is approximately between $1100.00 and $1300.00 dollars.

Q: You were also in law school while you were coordinating these events, which is very time consuming, how did you come up with the time to put this all together?
A: Just working with great people, its been surprising how helpful people have been. Sending out a few emails and working through Facebook is how we raise the money, and then we just have good coordination, and then we do all our shopping at Costco, so its fairly doable. If there’s a will there’s a way.

Q: That is very inspiring. Is there anything else that you’d like to add?
A: I started doing this in San Francisco in September on my own. People in san Diego and in the Inland Empire have inquired about how to start their own. It’s not easy but it’s very doable. In San Francisco we gave out about 300 lunches a month. Even a few lunches helps the hungry. Even one lunch is one less hungry person.

A lot of people spend a lot of time thinking through details and complications and that slows us down. I would recommend someone just move forward, there is nothing to lose.
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If you would like to help Operation: Brown Paper Bag, or would like more information about them, you can contact them at their email address at brownbagbunch@gmail.com. Or you can follow them on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BrownBagBunch.

Modern Day Percussionists: Street Beat

Meet a modern day version of an energetic and community oriented percussion group - one that will transform a bucket, a trashcan or a set of rims into solid musical instruments. Street Beat entertains audiences of all ages by combining percussion, dance and education. Their interactive shows have enlightened diverse crowds through arts education and music appreciation. Street Beat also performed over 400 shows in 2008 and is set to tour the U.S. starting this fall.

In this week’s MD Spotlight, meet 31-year-old Ben Hansen, the founder of the L.A. based percussion and dance troupe.

What is Street Beat and how did it get started?

It’s a modern day percussion troupe, [which] takes the ordinary and makes it extraordinary. Our main objective is to stimulate people of all ages groups [and encourage] them to keep some kind of musical engagement as part of their daily lives. We feel it’s a big part of being human, healthy and having a spiritual connection and as a way of releasing passion and creative energy.

We got started when I got my green card 5 years ago. I wanted give back to the local SoCal community. I moved here from Denmark as a drummer because I had a contract. I started shifting gears after getting my green card and focused on music education and spreading music awareness amongst youth.

We started at the Avalon Gardens School in L.A. [There was an] African percussion class that had no funds so I pulled inspiration from other drummers and got creative. We came up with the concept of “repurposed percussion” of all of our instruments. We found left over water drums and we repurposed them.

Street Beat has evolved – we had 400 shows last year. We [are managed by] Columbia Artists Management in New York; we produce a show of 11 crew members that will tour this fall. We focus on dance as well, linking percussion with street style. We will start at Lancaster Performing Arts Center in early October then go to the east coast for four weeks.

How many members are part of Street Beat?

A total of 26 members in the company – some are in the instructional aspect, running workshops, staff development [while] some are performers only and participate in small and large shows. We do corporate shows and shorter high impact shows.

What is your niche? What sets you apart from other groups?

We have among all cast members the ability to produce music entertainment on a  slightly more professional level. We use African, Cuban, Latin, West African and jazz concepts to produce something more dynamic and complex.

The other niche is our ability to connect with the crowd. Especially with younger crowds. Arts education is a very successful program. We can offer some of the best arts education; our program enables us to use creative awareness of these basic primal tools and compare them to school or something students work on daily. To be a street beater, you have to use pedagogy and engage with crowds.

What are your goals for the future? How long has SB been around?

Unify the world, which is so spread and torn these days in so many different ways (culturally and religiously). Our inner mission is try to unite everyone through music and percussion as a founding element that will over exceed any other power.

Is this your sole job?

It started as a project with Avalon Gardens school, I was a freelance drummer and played with bands around town. As I got more excited about creating, producing and seeing changes within kids we performed for and worked with, my focus was on Street Beat more. I was luckily able to pass on my gigs to other guys I worked with.

It’s been a pretty smooth transition, we are looking at expanding as times goes by. We want to take arts education through out the nation.

What is the art education program?

We are like consultants. We come with our services to school sites and provide everything needed. We do staff shows for companies, performances at schools, we have direct assessment time and provide all the instruments. We teach kids the basics of percussion within one hour but prefer 120 minutes to teach the main concepts of percussion. We can put an advanced drum piece together after that workshop. We  also have our assemblies - the clip with Corvin Bleu was a 45 minute duo.

We also do larger assemblies with two drummers and two break dancers. The focus is to teach kids the responsibility [needed] when combining dance with percussion.

Also, we do human beat box, [which is] beat boxing and body drumming. We teach kids how we can practice our passion without instruments.

Biggest challenges up to date?

Sometimes it’s challenging to accommodate clients requests if conditions for a successful workshop are not met. We have two different programs for elementary schools and we like to split up our assemblies in two. We’ve a developed a presentation for low and high grades. It’s challenging when schools split up the student body and we have to present programs for kindergarten and sixth graders [together]. Some schools work well with us and some don’t. It’s not as successful as it could be if were divided the  right way.

What do you like most about what you do?

The ability to connect to people and spread joy through very random, every day items. Also, realizing possibilities exist in everything beyond their appearance. We feel people are stimulated by this.

Some of our instruments are literally left over items in our home that we turn into percussion instruments and some are found in junkyards. Some of our broken water drums from schools are donated to us and we take them back to the shop and cut out the upper part and turn it into a cylinder we use as a base drum. We made our own medal symbols, some of it wears out so on  occasion, we purchase actual trashcans but that doesn’t happen that often.

What do you like least about what you do?

My neck always hurts and my voice is kind of raspy after shows. But I love it, too.

How many instruments do you take to a show?

It depends on sites and their real estate size. Some performances are in really small areas so we can’t bring a lot. At performing arts centers we have an arsenal of gear. It all depends on the show.

How do you transport the instruments?

When we do local shows, we use smaller vehicles depending on how many crew members are going. Sometimes we travel to location individually. We are able to fit our equipment.

Tell me about your members.

They’re in their mid 20’s to mid 30’s. Because of educational aspects, it’s important that they’re at a certain experience level not only as performers but as instructors and speakers before even considering being a part of our crew.

What are your favorite causes?

The environment and trying to resolve conflicts caused by religion worldwide. I’m doing as much as I feel I can at this point by using music as a catalyst for unification and energy amongst everyone in the world.

Favorite pastime outside of work?

I still love music so I spend a lot of my time on it. I like the entrepreneurial aspect of things. My days easily turn into 17-18 hour days for marketing [purposes]. Also being at our shows; I’m trying to establish energy. Walter and Josh did an amazing performance themselves.

Do you have any mentors?

Micheal Shermer – he has an incredible ability to speak and to bring awareness to shed light on things in a very successful way for everyone to understand. He’s a science historian, his ability to open people minds and talk about things in a logical way has inspired me. The list would go on for religion.

Best practical advice to pass along?

To believe in yourself. Our instruments have a whole other side and beauty in them and are items that you’d never consider instruments. We want our kids to look at themselves [in that way].

The way we carry the show, the need of academic achievement is so important to success that we try to fuse that in what we do so that it’s inspiring to the kids.

–

To learn more about Street Beat, visit their website here or contact Ben Hansen at Bh (at) streetbeat (dot) biz.

Spoken Word Artist: Gabriela Garcia Medina

At first glance it may not be obvious that this small framed girl has the orating power and self confidence of a seasoned artist in tune with her life’s purpose. In reality she is a 26-year-old woman who captures the imagination of her audience, has them laughing and rooting as she maneuvers through a rhythmic incantation about a mother’s magical powers or a feminist’s view on love. Her voice pierces the walls of engaged venues and she leaves them wanting more.

In this week’s MD Spotlight, meet Gabriela Garcia Medina, a spoken word artist mixing stories, poetry and emotion to convey messages of hope, revolution, identity, love and so much more.

How did you get into poetry and spoken word and what attracted you to it?

There have been a few stages in my life that were detrimental. [First], my family left Cuba in 1989, and went to London. One of my school field trips was to a soup kitchen [to] help homeless people. I didn’t understand that there were people who didn’t have food or homes [at the age if ten]. I cried at home and the only way I stopped crying was by writing a poem. My family started nurturing me to keep [writing].

When I was 15, there was an event at Columbia University in New York where children from around the world applied for a summer program: I got chosen. I spent my 16th birthday in New York City - spent it in development workshops. [One] field trip was to the Nuyorican Cafe and I saw people older than myself doing spoken word - not poetry but not hip hop [either]. I said, “Wow, I totally want to do what they’re doing.”

When I graduated high school in Europe, I came to UCLA for college in 2001. My first and second boyfriends were poets and one was a Def Poet- he was getting paid. I realized then that I could make a living out of my poetry.

What is the typical process of getting a poem from your mind onto the stage?

There are two different ways I write a poem. One is the structured way - I’ll get commissioned by an organization. They give me a theme, time and money. I have freedom as to how I write the poem but the idea and theme is [provided].

[Then with] every interaction I have with people, in the back of my mind I know that I have to write this poem. Everything that I do, I try to relate to my poem. I might be having a rough day, [and] writing is a way I heal. Maybe I [will] have a conversation with you today about something that changes my views then I go home and write a poem about it.

[My poems are] usually 6 minutes [in length] like the “Magician.” I memorize them by reading them over and over again on stage. When I’m getting on stage, I tell myself that everything I have to say is valuable and positive. That kind of affirmation helps me memorize what I wrote. Not everybody has the opportunity to get up on stage and share their thoughts. I tell myself to honor that opportunity–it’s almost a prayer.

What do you call your style of spoken word?

I’ve seen in poetry [that] people are influenced by each other. The artist amalgamates and I try to grow and expand the style in which I write. I never want to be one style. I don’t want to be the angry revolutionist. I’m tired of the poems that get people angry and riled up but not inspired to do something. I want to inspire people to feel great about who they are and feel empowered about who they are and do something. Now I’m thinking: how do I tell stories?

Slam is competitive poetry and I don’t believe that people should judge your art. [In slam competitions] you write for the audience because you want to get that perfect 10. You stop writing for what your spirit wants to say and for yourself. That style is very dynamic, which is good and very performative, but you’re not writing for yourself anymore. [Your poetry] stops being genuine.

How do you remember your lengthy poems?

I meditate for a minute before getting on stage. I get nervous when I do shows in front of thousands of people. So I tell myself: “You have this amazing opportunity to get out there and touch these people. You can get scared or you can really do the best you can.” I pep talk myself and it really works.

What are you working on right now?

I’m working on two poems and editing one. It’s called ‘At least I’m a good poet,’ [and] it’s about not knowing how to cook. The underlying story is really deep. In life, you can be good at as many things as you want, but you have to commit and try and know that you will get better (that inspires people). [It's also about] identity. Just because I’m Cuban, I don’t have to eat pork fat, love Fidel and smoke cigars. Your identity doesn’t have to be applied [onto you] by outside factors - you define it yourself. I’m talking about being a Cuban vegan and cooking Cuban vegan food [but also about how] it wasn’t working out. That one is almost done. I’m working on memorizing it now.

[Also] soap operas, like Stella Novela, [are a] part of our culture [and] I grew up listening to [them]. My grandparents, aunts and the whole neighborhood in Cuba listened to them. They shapes our identities as women and machismo as men. It’s a sad perpetuation of how the media want our people to look – light skinned, light haired. Now I’m using humor more – people listen to it more than anger. [The poem is] about how this has shaped our identities as women and Latinas.

The next poem I’m working on is about the declaration of hope - about revolution, social justice and spirituality. How I moved from anger, going to anti-war rallies to a more proactive and creative place, but it’s just as reactionary. You can affect more change if you can be proactive and creative about what you want to build, not destroy. People say what they’re against when you ask them about their politics - but what are you for? What will you create and do when war is over? I’m struggling right now because I don’t want to get preachy - I’ve written it four times and it’s not ready to be born yet, which is okay.

What sets you apart from other poets?

I have my own unique voice and style that I continually try to grow out of and into something else. A woman, person, activist and spiritual person - that’s hopefully reflecting on the subjects I choose to write about. I’m always changing and evolving. There are a lot of good poets, but they fall into one style; that’s good but it has an expiration date. I continually try to go outside and try something different. [I] always try to expand my style and voice – I want to redefine that rhythm that I use in my poetry while I’m trying to continually grow.

Biggest challenges up to date?

Right now with my writing, my poetry career has taken off really fast. I’m very lucky to be living off my poetry right now – it’s a big deal. I wasn’t prepared for so much success so quickly - it threw me off balance. I haven’t had time to write because I was in production and performance mode. I haven’t been able to edit a poem for 5-6 months. I’m booked until Sept. 2010 - so if you want to bring me out to your school, you have to talk to my agency.

It’s great. I don’t want to complain but it’s important for me, knowing I’m in my next stage as a performer, to know that I have to write. I have to write in a safe place, where my mind is open. Two hours in a hotel room in Memphis, Tennessee is no the place to write about the woman you met at the sweat shop in downtown L.A. Now my challenge is to move forward in this stage – I see my challenge as an opportunity to grow.

What do you like most about what you do?

I get to meet incredible young people all over the country - they’re like sponges absorbing ideas. I get to present ideas [of] alternative forms of culture and empower them – give them ideas that are bigger than them. Hopefully they will go out and do something ground breaking. Everyday I’m around people with different beliefs - it’s not easy. I like to push the envelope.

At social justice events, I don’t want to write only what they want to hear. And I love that I can do this full time – 4-5 months a year I’m performing at schools. The rest of the year, I can do what I want. [I can] teach at a girls’ school in Monrovia, California, take a class or do things that I’m passionate about.

What do you like least about what you do?

What I like least is that I spend very little time with the kids I speak to.

I wake up at 5 a.m., take a plane at 6:30 a.m., and get into a city by early afternoon. In 3 or 4 hours, I get to a hotel, drop off my stuff, and get ready. Then I do a performance, do a Q&A show, get back to the hotel, drive over to the airport, and then fly to another city the next day.

I don’t like that; it doesn’t give me time to connect with friends in a community, and I can’t root myself. I’m not always on - I’m always genuine and 100 percent myself, but I’m not always on. Sometimes I’m going through something, and I want to be in my room, meditating [while] burning incense. Lately I’ve felt inauthentic because of it. But now I realize this has become a job. I have to be a performer, and I have to be that performer when I’m on stage.

What are your most notable milestones?

I’ve had a very interesting life: I’ve seen the world which has made me compassionate about all people. I graduated college in ‘06 – I almost didn’t want to graduate. I was very political. I had to go through that phase to get to the next phase – [I was] developing as a writer.

I don’t like the idea of milestones – that means that there are certain stages in life that make a big impact and others don’t. I view my life as very fluid, changing and evolving, letting me move forward.

My family is completely displaced. I grew up in Cuba. I visited Tehran, Iran in 1995. It was very life-changing – I was visiting my dad who was working there. I loved the country; it was different from what I was used to.

This last summer I cycled across the country – from Oregon to Virginia. It was very humbling physically and emotionally. It was a very empowering experience. I got to meet a lot of interesting people on the road – I was humbled by there compassion.

We’re influenced by the people we come in contact with in life – I’m excited for the AIDS life cycle this summer. I’m cycling from San Francisco to L.A. to raise money for AIDS from May 31 to June 6.

This is not like [before]; it’ll kick ass but it serves a different purpose. It’ll bring awareness to my family and friends that even if there are hard times right now – as much as we’re struggling – there’s always someone struggling more.

My agency is based out of Minneapolis; we communicate via email and a shared calendar. I block off dates I don’t want to work. [So] I’ve blocked off April 29 – Sept. 15. My dad’s coming over from Argentina, and I’m flying him out to spend a month with me. I’m [also] going to Thailand and Cuba.

Any particular moments from a show worth mentioning?

I have a pet peeve: when people have phones on during a show; it totally throws me off. Sometimes the audience doesn’t realize how affected we are by their energy. While we’re there, we’re exposed to them; it throws us off if they’re texting or checking their phones.

Best practical advice to pass along?

[Because my family is composed of ] first generation immigrants, they prioritized my education. They were disappointed when they saw I wanted to be a creative person [and] not an engineer, doctor or lawyer. I didn’t have their support and had to fight for it.

I get to do [spoken word] for a living and full time. The interesting thing is that my aunt is an engineer, and she’s worried that she’ll be out of a job. Here I am writing and I’m not worried for the next two years. People will try to use fear to make you not do what you want in life, and as long as you don’t succumb to that fear and really believe in your work, you’ll make it. People will pick up on your genuine work, support [it], and be a part of your life.

What did you do before you got into poetry?

[I did] theater in UCLA, and I double minored in Chicano and African American studies. I started a clothing line, sewed myself, toured and set up booths with a friend. I worked as a tour guide and project director for an art outreach program. I always worked with youth and have been committed to them.

Favorite pastime outside of work?

I love to cycle and salsa dance (the Cuban style not L.A. style. It’s not as showy). I do it full time with friends at a Culver City Brazilian bar. Poetry used to be my hobby during college – now that it’s my life and career, I found I need to do something else [as a hobby]. Dancing is like praying, meditating and [expression].

During a tour, I Google vegan restaurants, Bikram yoga studios and look for a place to go dancing after shows. You can’t put me in a box.

Do you have any mentors?

Not that she knows me, but I love Alice Walker – she wrote Temple of my Familiar, my favorite book.

My favorite author is Octavia Butler – I’ve read all 20 of her novels, because she too can’t be put in a box. She was a 6 foot tall black woman and a science fiction writer. She was a pioneer – she was brave enough to write about something she was passionate about.

Favorite book?

Temple of My Familiar and So Far From God

Passions in life?

Creativity and art and using them to heal, empower and make a proactive difference.

What inspires you to stay in this field every day?

I realize I’m doing the right thing, and I sleep like a baby. That’s a good thing. Every morning, I’m excited to live my life and fulfill my purpose. My goals will always change and grow but that’s my goal. Every morning it’s reaffirmed.

Who would you like to meet one day?

[I would like to meet:] Muhammad Yunus [who won the Nobel Prize for establishing a microcredit movement in the developing world]; Michael Pollan, who wrote the Omnivore’s Dilemma; and Lila Down, who is the Mexican Billy Holiday and sings old Mexican mixed with political music. I’d also like to meet President Obama, the whole Obama family, as well as Paulo Coelho, who wrote The Alchemist.

Who would you like to be contacted by?

I want to go into different proactive organizations, empowering women’s organizations, group homes, social entrepreneurship and micro-lending organizations. As much I love doing college shows, I [also] like to do venues that have less funding but are doing social justice work.

From Homelessness to Stability: Inspiration Corporation

Triggered by the desire to serve people with dignity and respect, an unassuming police officer found a unique approach 20 years ago to helping the homeless.

In 1989, Lisa Nigro decided to barrow her nephew’s little red wagon. She filled it with sandwiches and coffee then dragged it around Uptown Chicago. She handed the homeless men and women not just good food but also a dash of hope.

Her once impulsive move has transformed into a non profit raising millions annually while preserving the core values. With three sections including housing, employment and social services, Inspiration Corporation now serves 3,000 people a year. Nigro was also featured in a True North Snacks commercial during the 2009 Oscars.

Although there is no definite answer to how many people are homeless in the U.S., an approximate of 3.5 million people, with 1.35 million of them children, are likely to experience homelessness in a given year, according to the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty in 2007.

Learn more about Inspiration Corporation in this week’s MD Spotlight, where I caught up with Executive Director and CEO John Pfeiffer, who has been with the agency for over three years.

Tell us about Inspiration Corporation (IC).
We touch the lives of about 3,000 people a year. We see ourselves as a catalyst for self-reliance and help people make transformation possible from homelessness to stability. They gain greater skills for the marketplace and durability to succeed, not just for [their] first job but to climb the ladder and have earning potential.

We have three sections, employment, housing and social services. With the economy slipping, we’re seeing a double digit growth in all those areas. A lot of people are at risk of homelessness – they need emergency grants and we’re serving many more meals. We’re on track to serve 40,000 meals this year [at Inspiration Cafe]. We’re trying to be as helpful as we can for the people coming to us.

What sets IC apart from other non-profits helping the homeless?
One interesting point is our culture. Our core value is treating people with dignity and respect. Homeless people are really treated undignified – homelessness is very identity stripping, it could be isolating and you lose a sense of yourself. We try to create a warm area for the person, when you come to Inspiration Cafe, you can choose your meal from a menu, you can choose the quantity, we serve it in china, no plastics. It’s uplifting with art work and caring volunteers who know your name. Another point is when people come here and graduate [meaning, get a job or a house] they have privileges to use our services for life.

You can talk to a staff member, access meals or food from our pantry, access dollars for emergency or transitional grants [ for clothes for a job interview] or money for school. We try to provide tools that are durable and transitional. We [also] have people that come in once a month or twice a month – these people are no longer homeless and they become a role model.

How did your organization make the transformation from one kitchen to what it is today?
We had an intern from the University of Chicago who decided to replicate a model of another cafe here. We decided to merge in 2003. Our primary restaurant serves homeless  people. We also have a public restaurant that serves to people who work – it helps raise money. We [also] have an employment prep-program and provide community voicemail [services].

We had organic, incremental growth all around the city.

What’s in store for the future?
As part of our capital campaign, we’re looking for another culinary restaurant on the west side of Chicago.

Biggest challenges up to date?
Managing growth, maintaining environments that are really responsive to the people in need. With growth comes more management.

We have to preserve the inspiration, we have to make sure that the program and culture doesn’t suffer – and that everyone gets that personal attention. So we don’t want to grow too big. A smaller ratio of staff is more helpful, has a better outcome.

What do you like most about your job?
Well, I like a lot [of things] about my job. I like talking to participants. They pass through certain thresholds – people are so ecstatic when they graduate, go to school, get jobs. They have kids but are not in custody of them. They have the capacity then to bring their kids in for a meal – it’s heartwarming.

We have over 900 volunteers and tons of  people who give very deeply of themselves. It’s a real pleasure to get to know these people. They’re very socially minded and it’s great to be in their company, it keeps me charged.

What’s do you like least about your job?
Oh, the volume of correspondence, I get 100 emails a day. We try to be lean and mean so we [usually] don’t have assistants or interns. But we have a lot of  people to share the burden and it’s the best people  to work with. I’ve worked with government and other nonprofits but this is an A-team – really smart and dedicated.

How has your organization spread the word about its cause?
The traditional way. [We have a] printed newsletter, annual reports, e-newsletters, a Facebook cause page and we hooked up with Yelp.

How much do you raise annually and how is this money raised?
A little over $3 million. It’s a big mix between public and private. Forty-five percent is government, the rest is earned through (10%) restaurant sales and private funds.

What did you do before you joined IC?
I was on staff for America’s Second Harvest - ‘Feeding America.’ I was in charge of national fundraising.

What are some of your favorite causes?
I’m a big supporter of Doctors Without Borders, Amnesty International, Oxfam International. I’m a big supporter of providing opportunities to people that may not have it otherwise and have a passion for political dissidence.

Favorite pastime outside of work?
Cooking. We’re all about food at inspiration, I lived in Thailand so I love to cook Thai food.

Do you have any mentors?
Lots, from colleagues to board members.

Favorite book?
Brideshead Revisited. It’s a great story about growing in the world.

Anything you’d like to add?
Inspiration is all about helping people reconnect and transform their lives – we’re all about the impulse of our finder, [Lisa Nigro], who twenty years ago reached out and said, “Hey, I’m Lisa, tell me about you.”

There’s not a lot of people who think beyond the thought of helping and doing the action. Lisa says it’s about acting on impulse – [it's] then we exercise our humanity. If we stay withdrawn and stay passive, we don’t connect. It’s a great engine for peace making and progress but running a non-profit is tough.

Best practical advice to pass along?
Act on your impulses, find a way to help. If you can’t do it yourself then help somebody else who’s already doing it.

–
Credit: Urmi Rahman, a freelance journalist residing in California. She received her B.A. in political science with minors in English and journalism from Cal State Fullerton. Urmi, 25, is also the editor and co-founder of Minority Dreams Magazine. Contact her at Urmi AT minoritydreams DOT com.

Nomad with a Rebel: Iman Al-dabbagh

The work of a photographer can be [positively] deceiving. One shoot may require capturing the hearts of lovers into still images while another displaying verbs rising from anti-war rallies. They tell stories through pictures. They document the injustices, promises and realities of lives everywhere from Saudi Arabia to California.

Meet rising photojournalist Iman Al-dabbagh, who strives to document both positive truths and unjust realities. She was raised in Saudi Arabia by an Armenian mother and a Palestinian father. After moving to California, she got her B.A. in Graphic Design from Cal Poly Pomona in 2004.

She has photographed weddings in Jeddah, “starving artist” types in Los Angeles and the morsels of food on her plate [that's a habit]. Learn more about Iman in the MD Spotlight.

How did you get started in photography, what attracted you to it?
Back in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia I was always interested in the humanities and arts classes. I wanted to study filmmaking, but I ended up studying Graphic Design cause it sounded “safe” (I did like it). I got into photography during college years when I attended lots of concerts and realized that I took “cool live shots” of PJ Harvey, Alanis Morissette, and other musicians. I also got into photography when I wanted to use my own photos for my Graphic Design projects. My point and shoot film camera got too expensive to deal with, so I purchased a digital one. Then I realized that I was starting to [keep a] journal with my camera, so I used that as my visual diary. I didn’t consider photography professionally until two or so years after graduation.

I’ve heard you take your camera everywhere you go, is this true? Why?
True, because I forget a lot. I’m lazy about writing, I’m very visual and not as articulate and eloquent with words. So the camera was a good, cheap and fast way to document my daily life. This started in 2004. It progressed to different ideas and projects, like photographing everything I eat and also photographing time lapse like changes that happened in the way I looked and felt in correlation with what I ate (I like making “before” and “after” pictures). I like change.

What are you working on right now?
The long-term personal food/image project; the documentation of Nisreen’s journey of recovery in California - a girl from Gaza who’s being treated in the US  through Palestine Children Relief Fund; another project that will be revealed only when it’s done; and finally, Project Souarna that I’ll talk about in depth later.

What’s a typical job like for you as a photographer?
It’s different every time.

What equipment do you always take with you to a job?
Camera, some lenses, and sometimes a flash. I also pretend that “patience” and “feeling positive” are equipment so I take those, too.

How do you secure jobs in photography?
My instant reaction [to this question is]: jksdjkdsjflsl;alS’sIswl;”a’! But really, there is no such thing in my life at the moment. Deposits work for big jobs. If I needed security, I’d have to get a government or 9-5 job. Or maybe something I’m still not aware of. But continuing to network is a good way. Some people say that’s just crazy. I think they’re right. But who says crazy is bad?

What sets you apart from other photographers? Do you have a niche?
You tell me. But what I hear people tell me all the time is that my portraits are “feel good” photos and very in the moment. People who are attracted to my work are generally NGOs, Graphic Designers, young couples, new moms, non-conforming performers, activists, poets, musicians, and artists in general. I tend to attract the “starving artist.”

Biggest challenges up to date?
Technical issues, and financial issues - I am not a business-minded person.

What do you like most about what you do?
Experiencing a fraction of other people’s joy or misery and meeting new people; changing sceneries - not being trapped in a cubicle; traveling - getting flown over to do weddings or other events; and the practicality of digital work when it comes to delivery (over the internet) - working from home and getting published worldwide.

What do you like least about what you do?
Carrying heavy and expensive equipment that cause back aches; head and eye aches after long photo shoots; and not having a consistent income.

What are your most notable milestones?
One event, I remember, [that] made me so sure about what I wanted to do with my life was the 3-day VII Photo seminar in 2006. I met the late photojournalist Alexandra Boulat, who gave me a few words of advice. When she left this world a year and a half later, it made me realize how I’ve taken people and opportunities for granted.

What’s in store for the future?
I’m not the planner type, but I do have something planned for the near future. Another international photographer, Aisha Mershani, had asked me to join her in starting a project to teach Iraqi and Palestinian refugee youth documentary photography. I’ve always wanted to work with kids because I think they are awesome people to be with and I’ve been wanting to go back to school to study Social Work. I thought I’d combine my skills and passions together. I also had always wanted to do something like this, so it’s a great opportunity and an honor to be asked to do. We called it Project Souarna (”Our Pictures” in Arabic).

Tell us about Project Souarna.
The workshop is meant to enhance the artistic and journalistic skills of young Iraqis and Palestinians growing up in refuge to show us their hidden world, and to give them a voice and give them a sense of empowerment. We are hoping that making pictures will provide them with a sense of responsibility, and increase their self-esteem and autonomy. The workshop is taking place in Amman, Jordan from mid July to mid August and we’re going to have an exhibit for their work next Spring in the US and Jordan. We’re working on the funding right now and accepting and appreciating the support. I am also currently working on putting together a curriculum and ideas for how to make this as useful and fulfilling as possible. Join our Facebook group and spread the word.

What projects have you been involved in? Tell us about your favorite/most valuable experience.
I signed up for Foundry Photojournalism Workshops in Mexico last summer because I never had the training in this field before. I can say that was a valuable experience because it was the kind of environment I needed to get me immersed into the world I’d been wanting to be exposed to. I wanted to take classes in photojournalism where I could also “work” and get assignments. Mexico was perfect in ways that also taught me how to communicate with people without even knowing the language. My awesome teacher, Guy Calaf, taught me new ways of approaching stories and presenting my work. I met many international working and student photographers and lived with complete strangers for ten days. Exactly what I was looking for. I met really brilliant people whom I am still in touch with on a regular basis.

How have you spread the word about your work?
Friends, family and acquaintances did that for me (word of mouth). But other ways include volunteering for local events in the beginning, having a website, business cards, and networking (I meet lots of people because I travel and attend many art, music, and community events).

How many clients have you had in the past? What kind of events were these?
I don’t think I can count but I can categorize them: relatives, friends, friends of friends or friends of relatives or relatives of relatives, acquaintances, community organizations, artist friends, musician and poet friends, filmmaker friends, magazine owners who are friends with someone I know, people who find me on social networking websites, people who are friends with people who find me on social networking websites, etc. The kind of events were mostly local community based (Arab, Muslim, and Armenian communities in California).

Any embarrassing or funny moments?
The first wedding I did in Jeddah, I fell on the bride while standing on a chair trying to take a higher view. It was caught on video by the videographer. No one good hurt, we all had a laugh.

Best practical advice to pass along?
For photography in general, shoot every single day and work on the technicalities and light to expand and know your niche. As for documentary photography specifically, start with what you know best and love most, start with yourself, your home, your community and surroundings then branch out (that was Alexandra Boulat’s advice to me). And if you’re in the very beginning stages, put yourself out there by volunteering and making yourself visible. Perseverance is a keyword here.

What did you do before you got into photography?
I was and still am a Graphic Designer.

What are some of your favorite causes?
Anything that’s about justice, equality, and fighting (non-violently) for rights of the underprivileged and oppressed regardless of ethnic origin, nationality, class, gender, sexual orientation, physical and/or mental appearance/condition or age.

Favorite pastime outside of work?
Photography is still a pastime even when I’m not working, but for the sake of sounding less obsessed with photography, I’d say reading, eating out (it’s true), and analyzing the deep messages behind great movies with friends.

Do you have any mentors?
Many throughout the years, really. A soon-to-be-Pastor friend has been my mentor (even though I’m Muslima). My college advisor has been my mentor. A distant cousin photographer whom I only met recently is a mentor. Mostly everyday strong people who will refuse to sit at the back of the bus.

Favorite book?
It’s hard to pick one: Orwell’s 1984, Gibran’s Spirits Rebellious, Nawal Al-Saadawy’s Awraqi-Hayati, Coelho’s Veronika Decides to Die, and Millman’s Way of the Peaceful Warrior.

Passions in life?
I’m passionate about being a progressive member of Earth (there, I’ve risked sounding like a “hippie”) and about learning more on how to be a better member of our planet. I’m passionate about making people appreciate and accept each other’s differences. I’m also passionate about reminding myself that I have the right to choose for myself and don’t have to fall into society’s expectations if I don’t want to. Also, trying to constantly stay inspired because that causes motivation, which enhances my creativity.

What inspires you to stay in this field every day?
Meeting inspirational people. Meeting messed up people. Knowing that my work is important because it can make a difference and because it’s recording history.

Who would you like to meet one day?
There were four on my list, I met two and now two more are left: Egyptian doctor/writer/activist Nawal Al-Saadawy and UC Berkeley documentary photo professor Mimi Chakarova.

Who would you like to be contacted by?
Anyone with similar interests as mine, anyone interested in collaborating on a project, whoever wants to hire me as a photographer or designer, anyone interested in funding my projects and hopefully a photo agency, like VII Photo.

Explain the name Nomad with a Rebel.
I’m constantly moving around, carrying a Canon Rebel, to make a living.

Anything you’d like to add?
Yes, thank you so much for this interview.

To contact Iman or check out her work, visit www.photosbyiman.com and www.dissentdesign.net.

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Credit: Urmi Rahman, a freelance journalist residing in California. She received her B.A. in political science with minors in English and journalism from Cal State Fullerton. Urmi, 25, is also the editor and co-founder of Minority Dreams Magazine.