Last spring I was introduced to Rehabilitation Through Photography by Nancy Adler, a photographer I hired to teach a class in digital photography for a club I sponsored for PS 93 in Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn.  

Nancy told me a little about RTP and how they were reorganizing and revitalizing.  Rehabilitation Through Photography’s history began by helping returning veterans from World War II cope with reentry into society through taking pictures.  

Piquing my interest, I met with Ron Sharpe and Jane Becker, the two people who were primarily responsible for this "rebirth".  I wanted to take the next step and see what RTP was doing now, so I agreed to visit the Block Institute in Coney Island, Brooklyn.  Block Institute is a State funded, non resident organization that hosts people with emotional and physical disabilities.   We brought along 5 digital cameras to donate and spent several wonderful hours meeting staff, clients, and touring the facility.  While I was there I met Todd Adelman, who is the person responsible for the relationship between RTP and Block.  

Todd is the Director of Special Services at Block, and he truly understands how to "marry" the notion of public/private partnerships and produce results for the institute.  Before I left I asked Todd if he would like to take his camera group to my farm in Lyme, Ct. for a day in the country. A visit with my menagerie of animals would be a great opportunity to take some terrific pictures. 

Todd, et al arrived in October, while it was still warm enough to spend time with the goats, sheep, chicken and horse.  Before the group arrived, he said to me that many of them had never seen a farm before, much less animals close up and friendly enough to touch.  I have to say the animals were wonderful models and posed well for our Coney Island photographers.  The farm has a large barn and a number of outbuildings that our animals call home, all of which are perfect for taking lots of pictures.  We enjoyed a lunch on the patio overlooking it all and we ended the day going home by way of the Hadlyme Ferry which crosses the Connecticut River.  

Rehabilitation Through Photography is not just an organization that collects and distributes cameras to many needy New York City organizations; they go much further, providing instruction, day trips, and photo classes which empower disadvantaged and disabled populations to succeed.  Through their work, Rehabilitation Through Photography enables the students to express their many talents through the lens of a camera, teaching us all what they see and bringing light to our lives.