My husband and I took a short vacation to Baltimore, MD. Strolling the streets of Fells Point, I noticed some rust on a lamp post that I could not pass up.  As we approached my new subject, we were greeted by two men who were sitting on the steps of the abandoned building. I started a friendly conversation with them while I took photos of the rusty lamp post with my camera. When I finished shooting, we learned from the men that the building had been the set from a TV drama series called “Homicide: Life on the Street.”

A month later, I watched a documentary that shared stories of people reaching out to the lost and “untouchables” living in poverty and oppression around the world. The film mentioned an organization called “Night Light International,” whose mission is to help women and children get off the streets and out of the sex industry. They are based in Bangkok, Thailand, but also serve women in the US.  Night Light enables these women and children to rediscover their dignity, providing a holistic transformation program that ultimately empowers them to live and work in their community.

Immediately, I knew that this image — with its bright symbol of love amidst the crumbling surface of the lamp post — had to be connected to this organization. I purposefully left this particular image untitled, for every woman and child who, through its purchase, is given a new beginning.

All the profits from the sale of this image will go directly to Night Light International.