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Looking Into Light

Published 7:00 am Wednesday, May 2, 2012

After raising 5 children of their own Darlene Burns (50) and her Husband Michael Burns (59) adopted three more children, Avrial, 17, her brother Justin, 6, and another brother (ID TK)16. When the Nevada-based business they owned failed, they lost their home and, homeless, moved to Colville Washington to be near relatives. With the help of Rural Resources, an eastern Washington social service agency, the family is now getting back on their feet. Darlelene is in school learning new skills and Michael has found part time work as a health aid for a senior citizen.
After raising 5 children of their own Darlene Burns (50) and her Husband Michael Burns (59) adopted three more children, Avrial, 17, her brother Justin, 6, and another brother (ID TK)16. When the Nevada-based business they owned failed, they lost their home and, homeless, moved to Colville Washington to be near relatives. With the help of Rural Resources, an eastern Washington social service agency, the family is now getting back on their feet. Darlelene is in school learning new skills and Michael has found part time work as a health aid for a senior citizen.

What’s the primary cause of homelessness? Poverty, obviously, but financial catastrophes often result from health crises. You don’t have medical insurance, get sick, spend all your savings, and suddenly you’re living in your car. Such scenarios—and the “Repeal Obamacare!” chants—are brought to mind by Dan Lamont’s photojournalism, part of the Looking Into Light show, which also includes archival images from The National Center on Family Homelessness. Lamont, a local shooter, received a Seattle University fellowship in 2010 and traveled the state to document young parents, war vets, and others who suddenly found themselves without a roof. One is a single mother living in Okanogan County. She’s raising two young sons, rides in rodeos, and is studying for a career in criminal justice. (There’s always a market for prison guards.) “Cowgirls don’t cry,” reads her neck tattoo, and she appears a tough but tender parent. Over in Issaquah, a former Marine tends his kids while living with his invalid mother. These are rural and suburban scenes, not the downtown shelters and Pioneer Square panhandlers many of us witness every day. Yes, the economy may be improving as the recession wanes, but Lamont’s focus is on the vulnerable who don’t need tax cuts, but direct assistance, to survive. (Note: show continues from lobby down the elevator to L-2 in the Anne Focke Gallery.) BRIAN MILLER

Mondays-Fridays, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.; Wed., April 4, 4-6 p.m. Starts: March 14. Continues through April 27, 2012

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