Homeless Prenatal Program

by Keri Vaca

My motto has always been, "I believe that every woman deserves a beautiful photograph from their pregnancy." I had no idea when I started my business photographing pregnant women that it would lead me to photographing homeless and less fortunate moms as well. It couldn't have been a more perfect union.

A few years ago. I discovered HomelessPrenatal.org. I was intrigued and instantly wanted to get involved. I had been photographing pregnant women for years and saw this as a great way to get involved in my community. I contacted founder Martha Ryan and arranged to go once a month to photograph the pregnant moms. They were no different from my other clients; they already loved this baby growing inside of them. They were excited and nervous about the birth. Some had picked out the baby's name, others were waiting for the birth. The only difference was that these moms had hit a rough patch in life while they were pregnant. For me, this is even more of a reason for them to have a gorgeous photograph while pregnant. We sacrifice so much as mothers, a beautiful maternity photo is a truly special gift to ourselves.

I have been photographing the moms at Homeless Prenatal for a year and a half, providing framed photos from the previous month's shoot. I love to see their face when the first see the photo. They always get a big smile and they can't believe it is them. I have heard stories from the women who work at HPP, of seeing a mom in tears turn to smiles when she saw her photos. One mom said that seeing herself so strong and beautiful in the photo helped her know she could be a good mother. The moms are always gracious and thankful. I just love knowing that somehow the 2 hours a month I set aside to photograph the women at HPP can actually make a difference in someone's life. The Homeless Prenatal Program is an amazing resource in San Francisco.

There are so many ways that we can help out in our community, we just have to be open to it.

Keri Vaca on behalf of Homeless Prenatal Program