Category Archives: Giving

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North America’s Cutest Family [Columbia, SC Photographer]

February 5, 2010 – 5:42 am

Amy McWatty Photography is participating in the International Charity Model Search to select North America’s Cutest Family and to raise funds for the non-profit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep Foundation. (NILMDTS.org) Are your loved ones North America’s Cutest Family? We’ll give you the opportunity to prove it!

Many exciting prizes will be awarded, and the grand prize winner receives a new car!

Model Search Special: $50 entrance fee includes a 30-minute model session and one image submitted to the national gallery. Finalists will be determined by online votes. Each vote is $1 (no limit on the amount of votes you can cast), and all proceeds from votes benefit Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep (NILMDTS.org). Grand prize international winner will be determined from the 52 city finalists. The winners will be selected from the finalist gallery by photography and modeling industry experts. The winning family also receives a session with the renowned portrait artist Sandy Puc’ and international recognition.

 Call 803-361-7486 now to enter your family in this exciting contest.

*Contest open to residents of the US and Canada. For more information, visit http://sandypucmodels.com/.

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Love of Life [Columbia, SC Photographer]

January 21, 2010 – 4:27 pm

Have you ever sat in silence thinking of what’s going on around you?  My daughter’s sound asleep and I don’t get many moments like these, so I’m basking in it.  But, the silence doesn’t feel that warm to me.  Because when I stop and unwind, I begin to think about what’s going on in the world…and, all I can see in the background are images of our children.  If Haiti had been the US would we had responded the same?  Or are we just a product of selfishness and greed.  It’s definitely something to think about.  No matter where you stand politically, the situation in Haiti is beyond heart wrenching.  I was chatting with a friend earlier today and we were trying to come up with the words to describe what’s going on over there and we came up with words like, pitiful, sad, heart wrenching, devastating, and many others.  Yet, none of them seemed to describe the emotion we felt in our hearts, nor the sadness of those children left without a family, or loved ones who don’t know whether their people are alive or dead. 

Choose to pull a little bit out of the coffee money, or whatever you splurge on each week.  For me, it’s clothes.  And NO it’s not clothes for ME!  It’s clothes for my daughter.  I almost cried last night as I was going through her closet to donate clothing my daughter’s outgrown, just thinking about the thousands of innocent, pure and loving children of Haiti, without a family, without clothing, yet still full of hope. 

Here are several places you can give a gift of love to these precious people. 

American Red Cross and designate Haiti Relief and Development

Doctors without Borders

World Vision

Max Lucado’s Message for Haiti Fundraising Efforts (Because I thought his perspective is much more representative of the Christian faith and this situation).

xoxo, Amy

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Family Photography [Columbia, SC Photographer]

January 15, 2010 – 7:20 am

Is there a deserving family that you’d like to bless?  If so, please comment with your story and nominate that special family. 

I’ve had the opportunity to read about what other photographers across the country are doing for families in need in their community.  Many of these families are going through some trials in there life and complimentary photographs seem to just bring a smile to peoples face.  One photographer Cristina Coco just announced the family she’d be photographing a couple weeks ago.  Reading her blog prompted me to do the same and reach out to someone deserving of something that they might not otherwise have been able to do.  And, that’s what life’s about isn’t it?  Sharing our God-given talent with others.  Seems as if it’s a win-win for everyone involved.

So nominate a special family and share a few things about why you’d like them to receive a day of photography.  We’ll include several prints for the family, as well. 

There’s nothing more special than ’family’…and, I can’t wait to meet this one.  Winner will be announced on Valentine’s Day.  Check my blog for information or email me with questions.

[caption id="attachment_990" align="aligncenter" width="900" caption="What's a post without an image right? Well, this family just makes me smile. So full of love and fun!"][/caption]

xxoo,

Amy

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Help Other People in Need [Columbia, SC Photographer]

January 9, 2010 – 2:58 am

Before reading, please pardon my hyperlink drama…my Wordpress system isn’t working the way it normally should, i.e. allowing you to see the name of the site instead of the full blown website.  Anyway, I thought this post was well deserved before I was able to wrap my hands around my dilemma. 

Real story starts [now]!

There are so many people who need help today due to unfortunate circumstances.  It’s a visceral feeling when you consider how fortunate some of us are to even have a roof over our head.  Yet, all too often, we’re so focused on our selfish needs that we ‘fail’ to realize what our ‘true’ needs are.   I minimized my computer screen and googled the definition of ‘need’, and as it turns out…the meaning is necessity.   The question I have for myself is, “What does necessity mean to my family”?  That’s when I stumbled upon http://www.cristinacocophoto.com/blog/a-visit-to-safehouse/. 

 The sincerity, courage and love for humanity shared in this message resonated with me. 

I encourage you to go online to http://www.safehouseoutreach.org/ and see for yourself what they’re all about to get a true picture.  For more reading visit http://learningtolivelove.blogspot.com/. 

Just imagine.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_RVZgf1frM

In 1982, Philip Bray took to the streets to es and runaways in Atlanta, Ga. Inspired by his own experiences; he wanted to reach those who the church considered unreachable. A booth in a local hamburger restaurant became the headquarters for SafeHouse on Friday and Saturday nights. Within 6 months, over 200 volunteers came togethehttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_RVZgf1frMr with manpower and compassion and began reaching out to anyone in need. Soon Safehouse outgrew the booth and moved to a storefront off Peachtree Street. They held church service at midnight on Friday nights and became known within the city as a place where the unreachable could come for assistance. This was the beginning of Safehouse becoming a full service community development organization.

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