On Monday, Networking Phoenix held their 10th Signature Event at The Talking Stick Resort.  One of our favorite charities, The Girls Rule Foundation was there to raise awareness of their very important mission – to help girls create bright futures. One of the co-founders of this amazing charity is Dena Patton, life coach extraordinaire and founder of Chat, Chew and Chocolate.

We were there to document the attendees of the event – women who were proud to make the pronouncement that all young girls need to hear; that they are all “Brilliant, Beautiful & Bold”. Check out Girls Rule!

Wow, here’s some pretty scary stats taken from their website:

Stats That Hurt:

• Arizona has A 32% high school dropout rate

• Only 56% of girls like their self-image
• 60% of girls 14-17 are on ‘diets’

• 1 in 17 Arizona teens are in gangs
• Arizona’s teen birth rate is the nation’s third worse
• 60% of students who have a child don’t graduate

• Research shows that a girl’s confidence and self-esteem start to decline during her early adolescence

“Helping Girls Create Bright Futures”

Girls Rule is an organization that provides educational programs that empower and inspire girls in four main areas: how to find happiness within when the world says the opposite, how to be accountable for their own greatness to make wise choices, how to build their self-esteem instead of depending on boys, drugs or peers, and how to become their most brilliant self by learning mapping skills that will powerfully build a step-by-step plan for their future.

{We happen to know a very special Phoenix family that could greatly benefit from donations to this program – if you would like more info about how you can help them directly, please email me!}

A Valuable Tax Credit for you — A Quality Education for a Deserving Child.
HELP FUND SCHOLARSHIPS WITHOUT INCURRING ANY EXTRA COST FOR YOU!
This tax credit money ONLY funds scholarships for families with finacial need.
Example …

If you owe $4,000 in AZ state income tax, THEN…

EITHER… You pay $4,000 to the Arizona State Treasury;
OR… You GIVE $1,000 to the School of your choice for scholarships;
AND You ONLY Pay $3,000 to the Arizona State Treasury. YOU DECIDE!
How it works …

Send up to $1,000 ($500 if single) to the School of your choice by December 31.
AZ gives you a dollar-for-dollar credit against your state taxes. Any amount counts as a payment towards state income tax and reduces the total amount you owe the state. If the combination of your contribution to the School of your choice AND the taxes withheld from your paycheck is greater than the amount you owe the state, you will receive a refund from the state. Contributions must be received by December 31.

Your chosen school uses these directed tax dollars to provide scholarships to needy students. We believe that all children should have access to quality education, and we treasure the diverse community these contributions permit us to create.

Other school tax credits …Please note that this contribution does NOT preclude you from taking advantage of the AZ state tax credits for a contribution to a public or charter school. We strongly encourage you to take advantage of this opportunity as well.

For more information about all state tax educational credits, access the Arizona Department of Revenue at www.azdor.gov and type “school tax credit” into the search box.

I just received this email from Anthropologie…they are featuring the plight of the honey bee in their stores…here is an excerpt and a picture of the video…please check it out!  It is amazing how these little buzzing creatures have such an impact on all of our lives!! 

…” our goal for the entire month of April is to raise awareness of the plight of the honey bees. How, you ask? To start, our store windows and displays will celebrate all things bee—from amber-filled honey jars to gigantic hive and honeycomb formations made of recycled materials. Secondly, we have partnered with socially responsible clothing company EDUN in the design of two bee tees, made of 100% organic cotton. (Limited quantities will be available in most stores the week of Earth Day!) Lastly, and most significantly, we will make a generous donation to the Department of Entomology at Penn State University, a leader in honey bee and sustainable pollination research. (Pretty sweet, eh?)

Still stuck on honey bees? Check out helpthehoneybees.com

Well I just flipped through my most recent issue of Cookie Magazine…as usual, it was full of great tidbits and info.  We are always wondering what we can do with our kids that will give them life lessons about giving and generosity…Cookie had a great age-appropriate article about just that!  Here is a quick summary:

Smart Giving

If your kids are ready to learn how to save, they’re ready to learn how to give.  Here, three websites to help you kick start their generosity – Mireille Hyde

1.  echoage.org – before your kid’s birthday party, ask guests to donate money to this site instead of giving gifts.  Half of the sum will go toward one large present, the rest to a charity your kids chooses.

2.  acmesharing.com – the  mission of this blog is to inspire parents to raise socially conscious kids.

3.  thevolunteerfamily.org – If you want to get involved, check out this site, which can help you find reputable charities for which you can volunteer together, organized by cause and state.

The parents of a school mate of our daughters are hosting a fundraiser to benefit the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation this Friday evening, November 21st. The dinner event will be held at Blanco (a new taco & tequila restaurant brought to you by Fox Restaurant Concepts) at the Borgata in Scottsdale.

Dinner reservations can be made on the half hour between 5:30-8:30pm. Blanco is donating everything, so 100% of the ticket cost ($50 per person) goes to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. Reservations and payment are required in advance: RSVP to (480) 285-5494.

Keith has decided to offer $50 of his sitting fee – for sessions reserved before December 15th – to the CFF. Please mention Cystic Fibrosis when booking your session to insure that a donation will be made on your behalf.

A few months back, we were having lunch at Paradise Bakery and we noticed some children’s artwork hanging on the wall – upon closer inspection the artwork was an example from a charity that Paradise Bakery had a community partnership with – Free Arts of Arizona. For some time, we had been discussing donating a percentage of our sales to an organization that was local, something we believed in and had a creative aspect to it – something that fit with what we do, photography and children. We felt so lucky to have come across such a great organization! Once we researched more about Free Arts Arizona, the choice was clear – we fell in love! To find out more about Free Arts of Arizona, please visit their website freeartsaz.org. Here is a little intro from their website so that you get an overview of their mission.

“Children Painting Their Hopes, Coloring Their Wishes, Drawing Their Dreams

Free Arts of Arizona is a nonprofit organization that sparks the creative spirit of abused, homeless and at-risk children. Our goal is to inspire and transform their lives through the power of artistic expression. Volunteer Mentors use the visual arts, music, theater, dance, literary and culinary arts with children living in over 100 group homes, residential treatment centers and shelters in Maricopa County. Since 1993, Free Arts of Arizona has touched the lives of nearly 56,000 young people, helping them build self-esteem, improve social skills, renew trust and learn to express emotions in a positive way through the healing effects of the creative arts.”

For the last few months, we have donated 5% of all sales to Free Arts AZ – we sincerely hope that this is the beginning of a very long relationship.

Hi All,

Here is a shot from the trip to Camp Rainbow that I posted about recently. He is such a cute little guy and very funny. This is why W.C. Fields didn’t work with kids. They are too cute to compete with. Enjoy the photo and feel free to share a couple of the 1000 words that this little guy is telling you.

Sincerely,

Keith

Hi All,

Here are the dogs I photographed the other day for Robin Hood Animal Rescue. They were such a friendly lot. These are mostly dogs that would not be rescued by the pound or most other shelters. Bob, the head of Robin Hood Animal Rescue is probably the kindest hearted man I have ever met. He does this completely out of love. He works a difficult job full time and still manages to run his shelter. If you are looking to adopt a dog or cat then please consider his shelter first. He has many more pets than I am showing here (we ran out of time on a 118 degree day in Glendale, AZ). I will be making periodical visits with him to photograph more of his pet guests in the future. Please look and be thankful that somebody like Bob and his Robin Hood Animal Rescue exists. 

Sincerely,

Keith

Please click on the images to enlarge.

Hi All,

Today my main computer is in the shop getting checked out. Therefor there will be no photos accompanying this. Instead I will tell you a few goings on.

First… I just got back in the office after spending the night with my wife at the beautiful (really) Royal Palms resort for our fifth anniversary. It is a gorgeous place and I felt like I was on vacation. It is only 10 or so minutes from my studio but it felt like I was transported somewhere else entirely. We ate at T. Cook’s, the resort restaurant and both the food and service were fabulous. T. Cook’s has been rated as the best restaurant in the valley and I can see why. If you like mediterranean inspired cuisine then definitely make a trip there.

Second… I am looking forward to todays shoot. I am photographing the animals at Robin Hood Animal Rescue. I met them one day when I was buying food for my dog “Pooch” with my daughters. Like most kids, they love to look around pet stores and see all the different animals. This day Robin Hood Animal Rescue was there showing off their foster dogs. It struck a chord with me. I lost “Chloe” in Manhattan a number of years ago. She slipped the leash and got away on a busy night in the Hells Kitchen area where we lived. We put up fliers immediately  and started to call the local animal control centers. I visited the Manhattan center in Harlem every day for a month and then twice a week for another month. All the while checking the internet for anything I could find. We never saw Chloe again. What I did see was a steady stream of new dogs every time I went to the animal shelter. I got to recognize them and then when I returned they were missing and replaced by new dogs. Most were euthanized. I cried just about every time I visited that place. All this came back to me as I saw these really cute, homeless dogs that day and I started to tear up again. Thats when I asked them if I could photograph their pets so that maybe people would see them in a better light and take them home. Robin Hood Animal Rescue is a non profit labor of love and I hope that my photography will find their cute animal charges a loving home.

Third… I am privleged to have been considered and accepted to photograph for the local chapter of Flashes of Hope. They are an organization that brings in photographers (mostly commercial) to local hospitals to create black and white portraits of children with cancer. The work is strictly pro bono. It is a chance to make the children feel as special as they really are. It also provides the families with portraits of their children that they might not otherwise be able to get. It is at times like these that I feel I truly have something to give as a photographer. Let me mention also that I am lucky to be sharing this honor with Linda Wagner, a gifted makeup artist here in the valley. When I contacted her for her availability she informed me that she had only one day off this month ( she also works at Destiny’s Bride) and it happened to be Friday the 27th, the day of our shoot. When I told her what I was doing she immediately and enthusiastically said yes. I will not however be able to share the photos with you on this blog as they are very personal. Some may appear on the Flashes of Hope website. If there is a chapter in your area then I urge you to find a way to participate, whether by donating time, talent or money. It is a worthwhile cause.

I will post more photos and less commentary soon. As always, I would love to hear from you. 

Sincerely,

Keith