NEW HAMPSHIRE, USA — A Beaumont native is using photography to share the stories of Ukrainian refugees, while also helping them in anyway he can.
Southeast Texans are coming together to send relief to Ukraine, and aid can come in many ways. Patrick Patterson is sharing the stories of Ukrainian refugees and helping them once they cross the border into Poland.
Patterson went to West Brook High School and then Lamar University, before he moved to New Hamshire. Now, he is a visual storyteller who is documenting historic moments concerning the plight at the Ukraine-Poland border.
“I'm a visual storyteller, so focused on projects that have some significance to showing what's going on in our world,” Patterson said.
The Beaumont native spent a week on the border helping refugees and capturing historic moments on cameras.
"While we're there to document what's going on, you know, we allowed ourselves to, you know, insert ourselves into their experiences,” Patterson said.
Patterson and others are helping in anyway they can. He said while their primary goal is to capture photographs, they could not just stand by and watch those in need.
"We loaded two mothers, their three infant children, a small dog in the backseat of our car and had a large wolf-like dog in the front seat, along with the two of us," Patterson said.
They drove the women from the border to Warsaw. The drive took more than six hours and could not be described as peaceful.
"Whether it was a mom and her two kids needing a ride from the border to Warsaw, or needing someone to help secure housing, it just came naturally,” Patterson said. “You know, it wasn't our plan. We opened up our hotel room to families, let them rest before they would head off towards the Germany border."
Patrick hopes his photographs will start a bigger conversation about refugees around the world.
“When you can look in the eyes of a child and mother coming from Ukraine, we should be able to do the same on our southern border,” Patrick said. “We should be able to do the same around the world."
For those who want to keep up with Patterson’s work, they can follow Patterson’s Instagram account, @PIDDAPAT.
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