A Safe Space
This spring, Pictures of Hope partnered with Saranam for a second year to give the children a safe and creative place to explore their hopes and dreams. Photojournalist and Founder, Linda Solomon, learned early on that a camera can give a child space to express themselves when words are too difficult. She has been taking Pictures of Hope all over the country to children experiencing homelessness since 2005.
Photo Assignment
In April, Saranam children, mentors, and Linda met for the first time at the Albuquerque Museum. The “photo assignment” began with the children making a list of their hope and dreams. Children’s ages ranged from 5 to 16. They wrote down as many as their youthful hearts and minds could imagine, things like:
“My hope is to travel the world.”
“My hope is to feed a penguin.”
“My hope is to find the end of the rainbow.”
“My dream is to go to college.”
Photography 101
Solomon instructed basics of photography with her slides about- near and far, composition, and focusing. After the tutorial they were given new digital cameras. Surprise! Excitement rippled across the room when they receive their own new cameras. The cameras were generously donated by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation. Kiddos were buzzing around squealing with joy—photographing their friends, their things, and their parents. Linda reviewed their papers to chose one of the hopes and dreams for them to capture with the camera. The children and mentors then left the museum to explore Old Town and nearby areas.
Brave at the Microphone
In May, the final images were displayed for the children, mentors, and guests to view. Some children were brave and shared a comment about their photograph. One child’s photograph captured “My hope is to live a happy life” with an oversized purple bear in a yellow patterned dress. The bear looks relaxed and happy sitting on the bench in the shade. She shared that, “I just think the bear looked very happy so that’s why I took it.” Another young man shared, “I really want to go to college so I can get a successful job like a therapist.”
Community and Connections
This program made an impact on our children and the organization. After the May event, Saranam received a monetary gift and letter explaining why someone from Michigan had made an online donation. The travelers were driving through Albuquerque on Route 66 and happened to be in Old Town the same morning as the children ventured out to take photographs with their new cameras. The visitors were approached by an excited young boy who wanted to photograph their dog named Chloe. He wanted to photograph his dream of having a dog. The boy and dog had an instant connection and she “hammed it up for the picture”. Chloe, in fact, had a hard first 3 years of her life, but was rescued with 68 other dogs from a terrible situation. The mentor explained why the boy was photographing their dog and about the program. The visitors were impressed by the organization and that each participant received their own camera. They were “happy to help”. You never know how people hear about Saranam and begin their journey by making a gift.
That’s my Car
A local man, Jerald Rule, was winding down his day when he saw news coverage about Pictures of Hope on the TV. He recalled the children from the day, but what caught his eye was the photo of his 1966 gray Malibu Chevelle! Rule had been out with his car parked around the plaza with other car owners and saw the children and mentors. The mentors explained to the car owners why the children were taking pictures and he said, “Have at it!” He never expected his car to be chosen, “It was cool!” he said. He was sure to purchase a couple sets of notecards which included a photograph taken by a 6-year-old boy. Rule noted the children “all have really good eyes!”
Pictures of Hopes and Dreams
We love it when people connect and engage with our community. Children connected with mentors, mentors guided our young future leaders, and people out in the community connected with the children’s dreams and Saranam. We are grateful to Linda Solomon, her team, and all those that support her program. This is a wonderful opportunity for the children. They are in a safe environment to explore, meet role models, and bravely share their hopes and dreams with the greater community.
If you would like to support Saranam and Pictures of Hope, we have greeting cards from 2025 available for purchase. We have sold out of the 2026 greeting cards. Link HERE to purchase. Thank you for your support and may all your dreams come true!