"Witnesses to Hunger," a research project and photography exhibit that started at the School of Public Health, will soon travel across the state in a tour that was launched by U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and his wife, Mrs. Terese Casey. The statewide tour recently started with an exhibit at Marywood University in Scranton, PA.
The "Witnesses to Hunger" project uses photographs to document hunger and poverty in Philadelphia. The project started at the Drexel University School of Public Health with 40 mothers capturing their daily struggles with hunger using digital cameras provided by the school.
"Witnesses" from the Scranton area were also included in the display at Marywood University.
The exhibit is slated to continue to expand and travel across the state.
The exhibit will be on display at the Marywood University's School of Architecture from November 16 - 20, 2009. The exhibit is free and open to public, and the hours are from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM.
"Witnesses to Hunger" was designed and organized by Dr. Mariana Chilton, a professor in the Department of Health Management and Policy at the School of Public Health. Chilton’s goal was to have the women tell their story directly to policymakers, and to show how the daily hurt of poverty and hunger in their lives impacts their children.
“We think that listening to the voices, experiences and wisdom of mothers who are the true experts can truly inspire the public and policy makers to make decisive changes in policies for low income families,” Chilton said.
“These women are the real experts,” Chilton said. “They each have something to teach the world, and are not ashamed of what they have to say. They are fighting each day to provide for their children, and this was a way that we could give them a microphone to the world.”
More than 6,000 photographs taken by the women show a desolate collage of run-down homes and kitchens in disrepair. They also show family life, beautiful children and hope for a better future.
The exhibit was initially on display at Drexel University, and has since been exhibited in Washington, D.C., Harrisburg, PA and other sites across the City of Philadelphia.