Often, I AM is used to identify our feelings, our professions, our choices. But who I AM can be so much more. To utter the words I AM identifies our essence. Essence is something beautiful, something that cannot be taken away. An I AM statement does not, however, need to be limited to essence. You can write about your future hopes and dreams, as well. Project I AM was seen in a dream. Photographers Salgu Wissmath and Meghan Peter are following this dream into a reality. They are setting out to photograph women who are the heroes in their families and communities but are often quiet about their heroism. The vision of Project I AM is to celebrate women—their essence and beauty, in addition to their heroism.

We have photographed portraits of women who have overcome the huge challenge of homelessness and who have recently graduated from a rigorous job training program to make a better life for themselves and their children. With this grant we will professionally print and frame the photographs and then hang them in homeless shelters where the women graduated. We hope these images will inspire those currently living in the shelters and offer words of encouragement and possibility.