Hunger Relief International (HRI)
Hunger Relief International (HRI) is a relief and development organization working in partnership with local communities to alleviate the impact of hunger on the lives of malnourished children and their families as a first step in a long-term strategy to achieve family and community self-sufficiency.
Vision - Hunger Relief International seeks to promote a world where children, their families and communities have access to the basic necessities of life including nutritious food, clean water, sanitation, education and health care.
Strategy - Hunger Relief International initially addresses immediate issues of hunger and unreliable access to food, also known as food insecurity. Once HRI begins implementing nutrition programs in a community, our team crafts a long-term, strategic plan for development projects in partnership with the local community leadership. Addressing the challenge of hunger and unreliable access to nutritional food, especially for children, provides significant motivation for parents and community leaders to embrace the long-term responsibilities of improving the standard of living and self-sufficiency of the community.
By connecting with local and international churches, universities, businesses, farmers, governments, and community partners we help to facilitate long term, sustainable and transformational community growth and development. Together we address critical challenges facing vulnerable communities and their environment.
We will be having an art gallery of Jeff Luterbach's work for sale at PhotoCon 2018. All the proceeds will go towards Hunger Relief International. You will also have an opportunity to donate without purchasing any artwork. Donations of any kind to HRI will get another raffle ticket towards door prizes.
Jeff Luterbach
For over 30 years I have been traveling the world documenting the stories of the people facing diverse challenges in their lives. Many were forced to flee their homes and countries because of persecution, war, or social violence. Others are children and families living in extreme poverty, barely managing to cope with the daily hurdles of life.
The goal of my work is to ensure that the plights of people everywhere are seen and heard, so that together we can begin to affect positive change around the globe. Please remember when you view these photos and stories, they are just a few of the many struggles that I have documented, while using my photography bring their lives to the forefront of the conversation.
- Jeff Luterbach
Oklahoma City Animal Welfare
Oklahoma City Animal Welfare's mission is to promote and protect the health, safety and welfare of pets and people in OKC.
OKC Animal Welfare serves more than 24,000 animals each year in the City of OKC, and we also provide animal sheltering services for the cities of Del City, Valley Brook and Tinker Air Force Base. You can adopt and look for lost pets at the Oklahoma City Animal Shelter.
We never turn away any homeless, abandoned, injured or sick animals in need, including cats, dogs, rabbits, other small mammals, reptiles, birds, farm animals and wildlife. We're OKC's only organization with this unique responsibility.
We also respond to reports of animal cruelty, injured animals, loose dogs, animals that are dangerous or a nuisance and enforce OKC's animal ordinances.
During PhotoCon 2018 you will have the opportunity to adopt a pet and get your picture taken (by Jim Felder) with your new best friend. While visiting the Animal Shelter both you can also donate directly to Oklahoma City Animal Welfare and receive an extra raffle ticket towards an amazing door prize!
Homeless Alliance's Curbside Chronicle
The Curbside Chronicle is a magazine that employs and empowers
homeless and low-income individuals in Oklahoma City.
The Curbside Chronicle is dedicated to:
• Providing a legitimate source of income for homeless and low-income individuals in Oklahoma City.
• Providing a voice for the homeless within its magazine, covering a wide variety of social issues.
• Ending panhandling in Oklahoma City by providing a positive alternative for those in need.
• Building community between homeless and non-homeless individuals.;
• Increasing social awareness of homeless issues and decreasing stigmatization of the homeless.
What is a street paper?
A street paper is a publication that provides homeless and low-income individuals with a voice and a legitimate source of income. Street papers are sold entirely by homeless and low-income individuals, who are able to use this employment as a stepping-stone out of homelessness. Street papers also seek to give a voice to the homeless by publishing articles written by the homeless and about homelessness. There are 126 street papers around the world and 39 in the United States. The Curbside Chronicle is the first and only street paper in Oklahoma.
How does it work?
Before beginning work, vendors go through an application, interview, and training process. Vendors also sign a strict code of conduct concerning vending procedures and rules. All vendors are considered self-employed and act as small business owners. Vendors get 15 free magazines to begin with and sell each magazine for the suggested donation of $2. After their first 15 free, vendors purchase magazines for $0.75 an issue and continue to sell them for the suggested donation of $2. Vendors keep 100% of their profits from sales and act as small business owners when they purchase more magazines to restock their inventory. This $0.75 vendor fee creates ownerships, responsibility, and empowerment in the vendor position. The Curbside Chronicle believes in a hand-up not a handout for vendors.
What is our role?
The Curbside Chronicle is a transition tool that helps homeless and low-income individuals in Oklahoma City get back on their feet. We help our vendors build job skills and gain valuable work experience before transitioning into other career opportunities. We empower individuals to gain the confidence necessary to pursue further employment, as well as the necessary skills to maintain employment. Our vendors use their profits from magazine sales to transition into housing and reach other financial goals. We assist our vendors in their transition into housing and other employment from The Curbside Chronicle.
What’s inside the magazine?
The Curbside Chronicle seeks to provide a voice for the homeless within its magazine. 50% of our content is written by the homeless or about issues of poverty. Our homeless writers write on a variety of topics that range from homeless issues to local, state, national, and global news. We encourage our writers to write about issues that concern them and their personal interests within the magazine. We hope these articles can help educate our readers about issues of homelessness and also break negative stereotypes about the homeless. The other 50% of content revolves around OKC. We love to highlight local businesses, artists, and people. We try to cover a wide variety of topics within each magazine and highlight the vibrant, growing Oklahoma City community.
The Curbside Chronicle will have a booth set up in the vendor area. When you visit the Curbside Chronicle booth and either purchase a magazine for $2.00 or donate to the cause, you will receive an extra raffle ticket for an amazing door prize!
Anyone who donates to any of our 3 beneficiaries (or adopts a pet)
will receive an extra raffle ticket per donation which will add chances of winning a door prize.
