First Come, First Served

A photo exhibit at the Woodrow Wilson School shows how The Crisis Ministry helps get the needy back on their feet.

By: Susan Van Dongen

Photo by Chrissie Knight

A man’s family suddenly grows when he takes in this youngster after the boy’s mother was unable to care for him because of her addiction..

   We complain when we have to wait in line for a table to open up at a restaurant. We get antsy standing in queues to buy tickets to a sporting or concert event. And we lament about the black hole of time we fall into at the Division of Motor Vehicles offices. But at least we have a car to drive, or enough money to go to the big game or a nice restaurant.
   The people who come to The Crisis Ministry of Princeton and Trenton have to wait in long, long lines just for food on the table or a roof over their head. Help is only available on a first-come, first-served basis, so the needy have to get in line early in the morning and wait for their names to be called. It gets especially cruel during a frigid winter like this one, or in the summer heat and humidity.

Photo by Nancy Hodges

Minnie receives a food delivery each month from volunteer Nancy Hodges, who took the photograph.

   "I am still uncomfortable with the lines, and even more so with the increasing number of people in need of life’s necessities," writes the Rev. Sally T. Osmer, director of The Crisis Ministry of Princeton and Trenton. Her narrative is part of the introduction to The Faces and Spirit of the Crisis Ministry, a photography exhibit at the Bernstein Gallery of the Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs at Princeton University. The exhibit features documentary work by local photographers Nancy Hodges and Chrissie Knight and is on view through April 11.
   "The lines pose a challenge for us who want to maintain the spirit of care and hospitality that The Crisis Ministry so highly values," the Rev. Osmer writes. "The lines also have a jarring impact on my sense of justice as I see the extreme need amidst so much prosperity. On the other hand, I am continually inspired by the individuals who form our lines, by their stories of hardship, courage and transformation."
   That was the basic idea for the documentary project — to capture the spirit of the people coming for assistance, to give faces to folks who are unknown in more affluent walks of life. Ms. Knight, a Princeton resident and volunteer at the ministry, had been seriously interested in photography since her days as a graduate student at Princeton Theological Seminary. Ms. Hodges, a psychotherapist and Lawrenceville resident, was an ideal choice to do most of the shooting, since she’s also been volunteering at The Crisis Ministry for years. In addition, she and Ms. Knight have been sharing their skills through In Focus, a program that teaches photography to underprivileged children in the area.

Photo by Nancy Hodges —>

Eric, who was helped by The Crisis Ministry to make a security deposit, gives breakfast to his son.

   "When I meet these children, if they see a camera they all want to hold it," Ms. Hodges says. "Then when they look through it, they’re immediately fascinated. They want to start taking pictures."
   Both children and adults from The Crisis Ministry were thrilled to have their pictures taken, which made the project easier for Ms. Hodges. She worried that the hardest part would be to gain the trust of her subjects.
   "I was excited to be taking the pictures, it’s the chance of a lifetime," Ms. Hodges says. "But I also wanted to be respectful of their circumstances, to be vigilant about the dignity of each subject."
   "Each of my hosts was enthusiastic, kind and gracious," she writes in the exhibit’s introduction. "They were proud of their homes and their lives and did not define themselves by poverty. It is that circumstance, however, that brought me to know them."
   She was especially smitten by one client — a single father from Princeton named Eric — who welcomed her into his kitchen on a Sunday morning to share breakfast with his four children.
   "The children were so friendly and open," Ms. Hodges says. "They clamored into the dining area, and I turned away for a second to (check the camera). When I turned around to take the picture, they were all at the table saying Grace. They do it at every meal."

Photo by Chrissie Knight

   Ms. Hodges was inspired by Eric’s domestic abilities and knack for planning. The single father of four also has a full-time job, so after Sunday breakfast he launched into even more cooking, preparing meals for the week ahead.
   "He told me his mother taught him how to cook so he wouldn’t have to depend on a woman," she says. "So he could be with a woman because he wanted to, not because he needed to."
   The young man’s story is especially poignant since he falls into the category of "the working poor." Eric had been granted custody of his four children but, even with a job at a local hospital, wasn’t able to get the security deposit together for a decent place to live. The Crisis Ministry was able to help.
   "That’s one of the things we try to do, to help people obtain housing," Ms. Hodges says. "If they’re just starting out and they think they can maintain (an apartment), we can help with the security deposit. Or if they’re in danger of being evicted, we try to help."

Photo by Nancy Hodges —>

Youngsters wait in line for The Crisis Ministry services. The Rev. Sally T. Osmer, director of The Crisis Ministry, is working hard to eliminate these lines, as well as those that divide clients from volunteers.

   She notes that tough economic times have exacerbated the need, and she too has seen the lines at The Crisis Ministry.
   "The volume has increased," Ms. Hodges says. "We can see that with our financial assistance (programs). We’re out of money by the first few days of the month. We take the people coming for assistance on a first-come, first-served basis, and if they come after the money is gone, they have to wait a whole month.
   "Once you’re in poverty it’s very hard to get out of it," she continues. "Those who are off welfare still don’t have adequate support for maintaining jobs or child care, and the wages are incredibly low."
   If The Crisis Ministry can’t completely solve a person’s material woes, they have wonderful ways of repairing their spirit and self-esteem.
   The lead photograph shows one such person — a beaming fellow named James, who came to the ministry as just another man in line but now has become one of the most enthusiastic volunteers for the organization.
   "The Crisis Ministry helped him so he could have subsidized housing," says Ms. Hodges, who photographed James making the bed in his spartan rooms.
   "His bedroom had just the bed and the painting that sat on the bed," she says. "That’s all there was but it was immaculately clean. He was so proud. He kept saying, ‘It’s not fancy but it’s mine.’"
   An avid amateur photographer, Ms. Hodges sharpened her skills about four years ago when she studied with famed documentary photographer Mary Ellen Mark at one of Ms. Mark’s Maine Photographic Worskshops.
   "I was the only non-professional in the workshop," Ms. Hodges says. Ms. Hodges’ assignment was to find and follow a subject at a local nursing home — not an easy task. She even had to wheedle her way in the door by mentioning her mental-health credentials.
   "I found this great woman named Annie and I finally had everything set up," Ms. Hodges says. "I spent four days photographing Annie and her family and then got to have my work critiqued by Mary Ellen Mark."
   Ms. Hodges and Ms. Knight produced hundreds of images for the project. The editing process was a joint effort by the photographers, the Rev. Osmer and Kate Somers, another long-time volunteer with The Crisis Ministry.
   "For every picture we kept there were hundreds more," Ms. Hodges says. "We got together in a big room and laid out every picture taken. The first time around we picked the ones that were the most striking, then we tried to see what we had as a group. We tried to put the story of The Crisis Ministry together visually."
   Ms. Hodges says the best part about the project was seeing the reaction of the subjects. Almost as rewarding is the thought that the show will raise the viewers’ own awareness of poverty issues — even if it’s only one person who gets the point.
   "I don’t know who’s seeing it, but that’s the fantastic thing," Ms. Hodges says. "The show went up on a Saturday and by the following Monday morning a student had e-mailed Sally (Osmer) asking about how he could get involved with The Crisis Ministry — just based on seeing the pictures."
The Faces and Spirit of The Crisis Ministry, photography by Nancy Hodges and Chrissie Knight, is on view at the Bernstein Gallery, the Woodrow Wilson School, Washington Road and Prospect Avenue, Princeton, through April 11. Gallery hours: Mon.-Fri. 9 a.m.-5 p.m. For information, call (609) 258-5566. For information about The Crisis Ministry of Princeton and Trenton, call (609) 921-2135 or (609) 396-9355. On the Web: thecrisisministry.org