haley house

I've spent the past two days making photos for Haley House. My son, Max, is one of five live-in residents here. He helps run the soup kitchen. He also helps with the clothing room and the food pantry. He works on the website. He even teaches a cooking class to at-risk high school kids. He's forging wonderful relationships with like minded good souls - people who have so much to learn from him and so much yet to teach him.

This is the philosophy of Haley House:


A revolution of the heart.

We believe in addressing problems at their very root. Using food as a vehicle we help alleviate suffering, build new skills and bring communities together. When people eat, work, and share stories, the barriers built by economic and educational disparities are broken down. Through these heart-connections we hope to create a genuinely peaceful society.

We believe in the possibility of transformation through personal relationships; where the advantaged and the most disadvantaged will be valued equally - while we honor the intrinsic goodness at the heart of every person.

We are open. We support spiritual exploration and do not discriminate against different practices. It is the power of various practices that transform people's lives and in the end, our world.

We are transparent. We listen deeply and collaborate before making decisions. This brings forth the best thinking from diverse points of view and experience.

This documentary, made in 2008 by Alexandra Pinschmidt, will give you a good idea as to the scope of what Haley House believes and the tremendous amount of good that Haley House accomplishes.





Here are some of my photos of guests who come to Haley House.

I made these photographs in the apartments of some of those guests who are now living in affordable housing thanks to Haley House.

Here are the residents: Mary Ashton, Albert, Tomas, John and Max (taken when they were on a retreat in New Hampshire several months ago).

And finally, here are Max and me standing in front of the soup kitchen.