Booneville, KY is the poorest place in America yet the people of this city are some of the nicest, friendliest and warmest people you could ever meet.  Located in the Appalachia Mountains, this area is remote but it's beautiful and serene.  I had the pleasure of getting to know this city and its people during my time with them last year while I was working on a national documentary project.  I knew I needed to get back there again to tell their story photographically.

This campaign is important to me because the people of Booneville, while poor, are rich in pride, faith and community.  I want to show the world how they live and the challenges they face all while maintaining a smile on their faces.  My goal is to spend a week in Booneville during the week of Thanksgiving (week leading up to Thanksgiving) to see what they are thankful for, how they celebrate this holiday and the culture of this proud Appalachian city.

The money I raise will be used for the following:

1) Driving from Los Angeles to Booneville and back to Los Angeles ($600)

2) Lodging for one week while in Booneville ($700)

3) Food and toiiletries while in Booneville and along the journey (roundtrip) ($300)

As you can see the monies collected here are soley for the trip and there isn't room for much else.

My goal is to create an art show in a gallery back in Los Angeles that shows off these great people and how their lives have been impacted by their location, lack of solid employment opportunities and the recent recession.  In many ways, the people of Booneville are forgotten and I want people to know about them and their lives so they are NEVER forgotten.

I hope you will contribute to allow me to tell their story since these people mean so much to me and have had a tremendous imapct on my life thus far.  Hopefully their images and stories will have an impact on you as well.