Photography Invitational Exhibit at St. Charles Community College January 30 - March 4, 2012.
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HOMELESS AND NEARLY DEAF IN ST. LOUIS
In 2008 a job layoff combined with a family dispute resulted in Robert being forced to leave his home with very few possessions. Later his van was stolen, and he lost tools and almost everything else he owned. After staying with friends for a short time, he found himself sleeping in a cardboard box behind a dumpster. Robert developed a serious hearing disability as a child, and has struggled to keep enough batteries on hand to maintain his drugstore hearing aid. He soon became very knowledgeable about living on the streets and about the hazards and benefits of the shelter system in the downtown area. In May, 2010 he joined the tent community known as Hopeville. Last fall Robert was given a digital camera by Inside Dharma and asked to provide photographs for a website about Hopeville. This project came together quickly, but he didn’t stop taking pictures. Every week he would turn in images of a downtown St. Louis that most people will never see. Inside Dharma is a Buddhist outreach program that provides assistance prison inmates, parolees, and to the St. Louis homeless community. The organization is now promoting his work.   |
