New Jersey photographer Elizabeth Williams announces plans for Girl + Camera Photographyto once again join with photographers across the country for the Professional Photographers of America’s (PPA) annual “Family Portrait Month” this September. This national fundraising effort will benefit Dando Amor, a non-profit charity, founded by PPA members and dedicated to improving the lives of orphans living in deplorable conditions in the developing world.

“The great tragedy in Ecuador is the young boys end up starving on the street, turning to theft and the drug trade, or even as unaccompanied minors trying to enter the US because of cultural ideas and social mores in that country,” Elizabeth Williams shares. "At the age of twelve, boys are considered unadoptable and a risk for orphanages, so they're either thrown out onto the street or sent to rehabilitation facilities or mental institutions where they do not belong. Dando Amor stepped in to this humanitarian crisis and built the first ever orphanage for boys ages 12-18, saving them from a life of crime and poverty."

According to Susan Michal, President of PPA, “September is an ideal time for families to have their portraits created, because the holiday season is just around the corner. Few gifts are appreciated as much as portraits of family members. And when parents participate in Family Portrait Month, they are making it possible to change the lives of children around the world.”

SUPPORT THE CAUSE

Registration is well underway for the “Family Portrait Month” sessions. Sessions will be held throughout the month of September. Please call Girl Plus Camera Photography at 609.353.7646 to schedule your session or make your donation. Girl Plus Camera will donate $30 from every session to Dando Amor, www.danodoamor.org.

A variety of special portrait collections will also be available for purchase including fine art prints, matted and framed prints, and custom designed greeting cards that are not available at any other time of the year.

ABOUT DANDO AMOR

DANDO AMOR is an organization created by professional photographers dedicated to helping orphaned children. Serving in Ecuador, Burkina Faso-Africa and Haiti, Dando Amor provides volunteers who have taken part in hands-on activities ranging from repairing facilities, building classrooms, and replacing sewer systems, to purchasing vital furnishings and fixtures such as cribs, beds, mattresses, as well as everyday necessities that American children take for granted.

In 2013 Dando Amor opened its own orphanage in Quito, Ecuador for boys age 12 and older who would otherwise be turned out onto the streets by traditional orphanages in that country which are unable to handle the needs of teenage boys in a culture that treats these children as adult men. Find out more about Dando Amor, donating, or being a part of a future trip at www.dandoamor.org.