Giving Back
Lending a helping hand has always been a priority for Brenda, and she does so both with photography and in her personal life. Below are some of the way she gives back, both past and present.
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep
Brenda is proud to say that in April of 2015 she was accepted to be a volunteer photographer with NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP, an organization that provides no-cost remembrance photography to families suffering the loss of a newborn.
Although NILMDTS sessions are among the hardest things she has ever done, they are also the most rewarding. It is both a gift and an honor to serve local families during a time of such unimaginable grief.
Help-Portrait
Help Portrait is not an organization, but a photographic movement to simply take a portrait of a person in need, and give it to them. It’s about more than just giving a photographic print though - it’s about giving hope. In it’s simplest form, it could be a single person with a camera, taking a portrait of one person. In it’s most complex, it could be a huge event with dozens of photographers, make-up artists, and other volunteers, with refreshments and snacks donated and photos printed on site.
Brenda has partnered with with Safe Futures, UCP of Eastern CT, and the Homeless Hospitality Center for Help-Portrait style events in the past. If you know of a local organization that would be a great match for a Help-Portrait style event, please contact Brenda!
Fiddleheads Food Co-op
Brenda is a big believer in food justice and eating sustainably. She has been a member-owner of Fiddleheads Food Co-op in New London since 2012, and was elected to their Board of Directors in 2019 for a three year term. In 2021, she became the President of the board, still serves in that capacity and is in her second 3 year term.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of CT
Brenda wanted to do something to give back in her personal life, and applied to be a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters of CT in the beginning of 2017. She was matched with a local teen since who she mentored until 2022, when her Little Sister graduated high school. The mentor/mentee relationship they shared was a wonderful journey.
If you are interested in becoming a mentor to a local child, please consider becoming a Big Brother or Big Sister!
ShopBlackCT.com
The mission of SHOPBLACKCT.com is to challenge structural racism and transform the legacy of economic and social inequity in the U.S. by providing a platform to drive business to and awareness of local Black-owned businesses. Comprised of an all-volunteer team, Brenda contributed her time writing about and photographing local Black-owned businesses for the website from 2020-2022.