What do you think of when I say, “Father’s Day?” Does your mind instantly bring up an image of your own father? Of a childhood memory you shared? Is it something that brings a smile to your face?
Since coming to the city 25 years ago I’ve had a strong connection to the Old Town area. My first volunteer work was with Sister Maria and the homeless folks she cared for. I took photos of her clients and mailed them out to family so they would know they were loved and cared for.
Many of the men Sister Maria cared for were fathers. Many of the men you see on the streets around Old Town waiting for food at the Union Gospel Mission or catching a meal at the Portland Rescue Mission or the Blanchet House are fathers too, but mostly they aren’t honored on Father’s Day. Many fathers have been forgotten.
Father’s Day is a day to honor fathers. Even the fathers we don’t know or who seem so invisible to us as we pass them on the streets. Pictured here are some of those fathers from Westward Hotel, the Stewart Hotel and the streets in Old Town. To each I asked, “What advice did your father give you? What advice did you give your children?’
— Benjamin Brink