Project Jane ~ A Celebration of Hope, Love & Life.

“Photography is a way of feeling, of touching, of loving. What you have caught on film is captured forever… it remembers little things, long after you have forgotten everything.”  ~Aaron Siskind

I have thought about this post for over a year and now is the time………I am a pretty private person and don’t normally share too much about myself.   However, I would like to share my story and the reasoning for starting “Project Jane”.

It was the Wednesday night before finals of my Junior year in college when I received the call from my our neighbor, Kathy, (whom I call my second mom).  My mom was to suppose to substitute teach that day and never made it to the school that morning.  She had had a stroke while getting ready that morning.  My brother and I drove home from college that Friday morning due to having to attend the last classes before finals. Ok due to my brother having to attend….I skipped mine (nothing out of the norm for me ).  My mother ended up passing late Saturday evening due to another massive stroke.  She was only 54 and I was only 21.   We (father, two older brothers and I) were devastated.  She did it all (homemade meals every night, always had a dessert for us (I have a major sweet tooth), kept the house tidy, shuttled us to and attended every activity we were involved, and just a very giving/loving person in general.   She was the mom everyone wanted.

I think of her every day and am thankful for the time I had with her.  Thankful for every picture and  every memory of her.  However, what hurts me the most is that my children, my nieces and my nephew will never be able to meet their wonderful Grandmother.  This is why pictures are so very important.  They are so much more than a piece of paper with an image on it.   The photos of my mother bring back so many wonderful memories.   They help me remember her voice, her laugh, her smell and everything about her.  Those photos are the only way my children know their Grandma and how I am able share our memories.

With this being said, it is very hard for me to watch others going through hardships.  Within last year, I have known several families that have a loved one who is battling or has overcome the odds of cancer.  My automatic response to those stories is that I want to reach out to them and offer them a photography session at no charge, something that would document this time in their lives, whether it be to leave behind memories of those they loved or to commemorate a happy and joyful time.

 Help me share this gift with others.  Here is how you can play a part in giving back:

I challenge you to nominate a young family with a child or parent suffering from or overcoming an illness, who is deserving of such a celebration.  Nominee must reside in the Sheboygan area.  Take an active roll in those lives around you – Email : info@kirstinroethelphotography.com 

All Nominations will be considered.  Only a few nominations per year will be chosen for  Project Jane.  Each family will receive:

• complimentary session of the nominated person(s) and close immediate family
• on-line gallery of proofs
• all images on a CD

Applications:

Your application of nomination must include:

• your information

• name
• email address
• phone number
• detailed description as to why you feel this person or people deserve a session

• nominees information

• their name
• email address
• phone number

**Please have your nominations in by May 28th.   Email nominations to info@kirstinroethelphotography.com