House of Amos

Some more work on hunger in Houston...House of Amos is a local non-profit organization that provides a food pantry, ESL classes, and immunizations for those in need.  These images are from the group's weekly food fair, during which families in need (many with young children) receive free groceries and classes on how to provide for their families with minimal income.

The Houston Food Bank requires participants to provide their household information before they can receive foodstuffs from HOA.

Diana's birthday

My beloved aunt celebrated her 50th this weekend...

End Hunger Houston

Volunteers prepare a pallet of "weekly meal packs," boxes containing five complete meals and beverages that EHH provides for shut-ins and other Houstonians in need of food.

Naomi Brown (center) and Raye Fischel (right) crack jokes as they load up boxes in the EHH warehouse.  Brown and Fischel are employees of local oil company Apache Corporation and volunteer at EHH once a month with some of their coworkers. 

Erica Thomas, also with Apache Corp, frees frozen chicken breasts to be included in one of the meals the volunteers prepare that day.  The Apache volunteers boxed over 1200 meals during their 3-hour shift.

Members of the University of Houston's National Merit Scholars organization participate in their first community service project at EHH.

EHH uses both prepackaged and fresh foods for their meal programs.

Mark, a resident at Houston's Star of Hope Mission, rests for a minute between meal preparations in EHH's kitchen.  Star of Hope is a Christian-based organization that helps and houses some of  Houston's homeless men, women, and children.  The mission advocates job training and community service for its members.

Audrey Rose

When you say goodbye I say hello

Patrick Pahls (center) came to visit from Fort Bragg, NC.  A Specialist in the U.S. Army, he is set to redeploy to Iraq in November for his second tour.

Everyone was happy to see him, especially his mom.

"I will Judo chop you..."

 

It was also his brother Mikey's (center) birthday.

Riders on the storm

Storm's over, I broke curfew and went to Sugar Land to a friend's who has power, these shots are day of / day after Ike hit.  We lost power for good at 2:30 am.  My brother watched South Park on his ipod to pass the time, I did crosswords by candle light.  Even with only a camp stove to cook on, my dad still managed a fabulous dinner of cheese tortellini and garlic bread.  My dad's house suffered no damage, but my mom was not so lucky.  Her house in Galveston flooded before the rain even started, with my stepdad riding out the storm trapped in the attic.  He made it out fine, but the cars, the house, and everything in it are gone.  More pictures to follow as soon as roads are cleared and I can actually get out and shoot.

Houston, we have a problem...

It seems my bike accident a year ago is the gift that keeps on giving.  My big toe, formerly just fractured, is now officially FUBAR.  And, according to the orthopedist, the corrective surgery needed is no walk in the park either and involves some serious recovery time...yeah...so, barring divine intervention during my next round of X-rays, my lofty aspirations for a Brooklyn relocation will probably be put on hold for at least a few months...motherfucker.

(Meagan) Murphy's Law

Flat tire in B.F.E.

and then Wal-Mart didn't have the right tire in stock...a 2 hour trip became more like 5.

ATX

flight status: REJECTED

reason: cloud ceiling drops to 900 ft. (too low to fly) right as my dad and i get to the plane...what's worse, we get back home and all of the sudden the skies clear and the sun comes out.  i am taking this as the universe's way of telling me not to get in a plane today...or maybe it was just a tropospheric cock block...mother nature can be a real bitch sometimes.

fountain fun at rice u

with my niece and nephew

Heat Wave...

...the day before a hurricane. Gotta love H-town.

Adios ATX

I miss it already. I mean, Houston is ok, New York will be amazing, but I think Austin will always be home. Some shots from my last...

...Greenbelt trip (unfortunately, this was back in April; Austin has had a severe lack of rain.)




















...amazing show














...recovery Session at Quacks (for now)














...day with the Tsechanskys















...brunch at Mars with the family




















...pint night at Dog and Duck (for now)

Baby cousin

who is not a baby anymore...Jackie, 4, at a family get together in Drippng Springs, TX.

July 4th

Quasi-family reunion at the Shelby lake house complete with fishing and post-grilling food comas

A change is gonna come...

We crashed the first Texan photo meeting of the summer and damn things have changed...ex. instead of passing the week's papers around, they now employ a slide projector; long gone are the days of photogs leaving Thursday night meeting covered in newsprint...

NYC: Thank You

Bugman, Ari...thanks again for putting me up for some nights...your awesomeness knows no bounds, as always!