CoolxDad capped off November with a one-of-a-kind event.
On Sunday, November 28, we hosted the first-ever #fromustoyou holiday portrait session for families from Big Brother, Big Sister Houston. Sixteen families showed up for free portraits by photographer Fred Agho, videograhper Vinh Luong with design by florist Hannah Lowery from Edges Wild Studio.
This event was so important to the CoolxDad team. Holiday photos give families a much-deserved chance to take a break from the chaos of everyday life and enjoy a moment of togetherness. Nakia Hillary Sims brought her family for a portrait and let us know how much it meant to her.
“Thank you for the opportunity for our family to have our first professional picture with the four of us together,” Nakia said. She even gave CoolxDad a little blessing: “Continue your amazing mission/ministry.”
And guess what? One-hundred percent of the attendees on Sunday agreed. Everyone said they wanted to continue this initiative for years to come.\
Around the holidays, we put in an extra effort to bring together the community and give back to hard-working parents and the kids in their care. Big Brother, Big Sister, a vital part of this effort, is also the recipient of our signature Color Box gift drive. Thanks to generous donations, we were able to collect 450 gifts this year for kids in the program!
As we wrapped up both events, we took some time to reflect on what makes our mission so crucial. It isn’t about toys under the tree or likes on Instagram. What we’re doing is providing a platform for families to be with each other, whether that means cheesing for photos in matching outfits, sitting together on Christmas morning, or sitting around the dinner table.
When CoolxDad says we want to encourage fathers to be there for their families, we mean we want them not only to show up, but also to make a long-lasting impression — to be part of the photo albums both real and mental.
We’re talking about quality connections.
When kids look back at these portraits years from now, we hope they remember a family that laughed together, cared for each other, and saw each other through tough times even when the camera was off. We’ll do whatever we can to help make that possible.
Keep that mission in mind as we go into the new year together, more driven than ever to build up a healthy, connected, strong, caring community, #fromustoyou.
Written by Elizabeth Lepro
Photography by Jontrice Murray
