Jordan Smith
Student in Athens, Georgia
Jordan Smith
Student in Athens, Georgia
My name is Jordan Smith and I am from the bubble of Peachtree City, Georgia. More importantly, though, this little girl's name is Journey and she lives in downtown Atlanta. Two minutes before this photo was taken, I had never met Journey, but when I walked in to the children's center at Restoration Atlanta, she walked right up to me and asked for a piggy back ride. She made me run around, play games, and be her personal ride for three hours, but for all I knew, this was the only time she would get to play until the next week. Restoration Atlanta is a homeless shelter run by the pastor of my previous church back home, where he takes in homeless women, provides food and shelter, and helps them find jobs to get them back on their feet. Once they are stable, all he asks in return is that the women come support the shelter and attend bible studies on Saturdays. However, many of the women cannot afford to find a caretaker for their children to attend bible study every weekend, which is how I came to meet Journey. The children's center of Restoration Atlanta has given me one of the biggest reality checks I have ever received, as I saw how little these children have and how much it means for them just to have someone to play with. In this picture, I was sweaty, tired, and caffeine-deprived, but the smile on her face and the fun that she had made those three hours worth it.