When Faye Chapman isn’t capturing memories for newlyweds, she is focusing on the homeless. A petite woman with a huge heart, she extends her passion for photography by bringing light to an often dark subject.
One day while snapping pictures at the beach, a homeless woman accidentally stepped into Faye’s zoomed lens. The homeless woman’s disoriented expression turned to embarrassment, when she noticed the camera focused on her. It is a look Faye will never forget. The experience inspired her book: Faces of the Shadows – Life on the Streets giving a name to the faces of the homeless and telling their stories.
As Chair of the Laguna Relief and Resource Center, Faye is actively involved in providing services for the homeless. On Laguna’s Homeless Task Force, she proposed a “Meters for Change” program to discourage pan handling and instead, provide support for the homeless. Compassionate donators drop coins in artist-painted meters on busy corners of downtown Laguna Beach. Since its inception in 2008, more than $8,000 has been collected for the cause. Recognizing the program’s success, the city added three more meters in July.
I interviewed Faye recently to ask her if we could realistically solve the plight of the homeless. Her optimism is enlightening. This is a woman who is changing lives and making a difference.
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