Photographer, community donate Children’s Home of Lubbock picture day to show ‘they matter’
LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) - Photographer Amanda Wise has donated her services for a fifth year to the Children’s Home of Lubbock to capture all the children in its care, their siblings and cottage families.
“It’s such a special day and I enjoy getting to spoil the kids, getting to make them feel special,” Wise of Wise Design Photography said. “It’s just kind of a magical, magical day.”
Other individuals and businesses donate their services too in order to make sure the children are “picture perfect.” Eberly Brooks donates the venue, Dillard’s donates clothing and Designers Group Salon does their hair and makeup.
“It’s so rewarding to see the smiles on the kid’s faces and to know that they may come from a broken home or something but they have these volunteers, these people that pour love into them and show them love every day and just want to take care of them and be there for them,” Wise said.
Rebecca Galindo is the director of the Emergency Shelter and Assessment Center at the Children’s Home. She told KCBD the children that come to them are often escaping abuse or neglect. Picture day is part of the Children’s Home working to fill holes in their life.
“Most of these children, they miss out on a good portion of making memories because they’re not with their biological family,” Galindo said. “Growing up, you take pictures, you go to an event, you take family pictures, you take individual pictures, things like that. These children miss out on that.”
She said that’s why it’s so important that the community comes together to provide them with a moment to remember and the picture to go along with it.
“Sometimes kids think they’re all alone,” Galindo said. “When they see everybody coming together, out of the kindness of their heart, it makes them realize that they are important, that people do care outside of their circumstances and that they matter.”
The house parents, case workers, and others who care for the children also get a photograph with the kids to cherish when those young people grow up and move on.
“They do put a lot of time and energy in loving on these children and they build a relationship with them,” Galindo said. “These pictures really mean a lot to them, to be able to have them, just to remember the good times.”
Wise hopes that picture day is part of those good times.
“I see a light in them,” Wise said. “When you get that smile out of them, they’re just full of life and full of love. I just love getting to see that little light in their eyes and that smile on their faces.”
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