Why one P.E.I. photographer gives away 10 per cent of his income

Simon Reid gives away 10 per cent of every dollar he makes as a photographer and uses it for humanitarian aid in Haiti donating close to $15,000 in the last three years.

The Charlottetown photographer shoots mainly weddings and family portraits, and found that business dries up in the winter, leaving him little to do.

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"A really cool branch of my business is I have a whole side of humanitarian work, in which I serve internationally as well as locally," the soft-spoken 22-year-old said.

Reid explains how his philanthropic path began: he first visited Haiti in May 2015, helping provide manual labour to build homes with Lifeline Christian Mission.

"I fell in love with the people there and got a sponsored child through the organization we were with, a little boy named Clifton," Reid recalled.

He wants to use his gifts to show the world there's beauty in places there is poverty. Taylor Keupfer, Lifeline Christian Mission

Reid visited the boy's home and was dismayed to find 12 family members living in a tiny 10-by-10-foot shack.

"So I quickly decided that I was going to give back and build him a home," he said.

Reid raised enough money to do that by taking 10 per cent of his profits as well as some help from generous supporters, and went back to build the child's home the following winter.

With that task complete, Reid has continued to put aside money and plans to spend it on building another Haitian family a new home. He and his wife have also sponsored another child, a little girl, to help pay for education and food.

A couple who had an eco-wedding on P.E.I. this summer said they chose Reid for this very reason they loved knowing that they'd be helping Reid in his philanthropy, just by hiring him.

"Brides and grooms love the fact that I give back," he said. Some couples have even told him it's their deciding factor.

"I've even had a few people who've given on top," Reid noted.

'Happy to take a little cut'

Reid acknowledges he could raise his prices by 10 per cent to "cover" the cost of his philanthropy, but said that doesn't seem right.

"I've thought of that," he said with a smile. "But I feel like I'm kind of cheating the system doing it that way. I'm happy to take a little cut on myself when we have such excess and so much here in North America, and just think about them every time I do it."

Reid admits there are times when he wishes he had the extra money to reinvest in his business, for new equipment or advertising.

"I keep coming back and remembering the amazing people there and how thankful they've been when we've been down and those thoughts just disappear. It's so worth it when I think about it.

"I'm happy with the generosity and it's definitely worth it when I can see the impact," he added.

Since witnessing the dire need of others, Reid said he and his wife now tend to live more simply themselves.

"It almost becomes our responsibility to help them out, as we have so much ... and just help out their quality of life," Reid said.

'Simon is incredible'

Reid plans to travel this fall and winter to Central America and an Indigenous community in Arizona, where he will provide free photography services in exchange for his expenses to the organizations where he's volunteering.

"I really enjoy it," he said, adding he's thrilled to create affordable, quality photography for non-profits to enhance their websites.

"Simon is incredible," said Taylor Keupfer from Lifeline's office in Ohio, praising his generosity and talent. "Simon just goes above and beyond all the time."

The group didn't know Reid was a photographer until he posted photos from his first Haiti trip on social media then they knew they could use his talents in better ways than pounding nails, Keupfer said.

'Feeling of hope'

Lifeline is a Christian mission organization with missions that provide schools, health clinics and churches in nine countries using an annual budget of up to $8 million.

"I think he wants to use his gifts to show the world there's beauty in places there is poverty," Keupfer said. "The circumstances are bleak, but his pictures have a feeling of hope to them."

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