From the Haugen Heart

I never really thought about an alarm clock being an essential school supply until I went to a meeting of the Salem Keizer Assistance League Auxiliary the other day. I was there to talk about the children's contest which supports one of the Auxillary's favorite charitable projects: Operation Backpack. I knew that they provided school supplies to children who need them so these kids can be successful in class and with their homework. What I didn't know is that they get requests from some of the schools for alarm clocks.  After I thought about it, it made complete sense. The kids being served are probably not being driven to school by their parents. They probably don't have a cell phone or even a $5 alarm clock from Walmart. So how are they going to wake up on time to get themselves to school? An alarm clock is an essential for these kids. The members of the Salem Keizer Assistance League Auxiliary collect funds throughout the year to support their program and then, in t

I love this time of year. There is a hint of spring in the air, I am photographing lots of children, and I get to support Operation Backpack and make lives better for children whose lives are a bit tough. The Children's Contest Our normal session fee of $125 is just $35 for the participants in the Children's Contest and ALL of that goes to Operation Backpack. In addition to the $35, we are donating 10% of all our sales to the cause of providing school supplies for needy school children. Last year over $1,000 was raised. That's something like 40 backpacks filled with supplies!   How does the Contest work? In a nutshell, we do a portrait session of your child or children (any child under the age of 13 is eligible). You choose any portraits you would like for yourself and one to go in the contest. The public gets to vote for their favorite by making donations to Operation Backpack. The contestant with the most donations made in their name wins the prize 24" wall po