There is rawness to life in Franklinton, infamously known as the Bottoms. Streets are littered with abandoned houses marked by signs warning off trespassers, yet advertising their vacancy for a transient population who use this neglected space to get high or make money for their next fix. Yards are overgrown, and windows are shattered from years of neglect. Sex workers and homeless wander the streets while traveling to soup kitchens and churches that offer food and free salvation. The eastern half of the neighborhood is scattered with public housing projects and dilapidated warehouses, although a few warehouses are being filled by artist studios or new bars in an effort propelled by private-public partnerships to revitalize the neighborhood. The western half of the Bottoms is generally populated by those with strong ties to Appalachia, but in recent years a steady influx of mixed demographic newcomers have relocated here. Home ownership is no longer the trend, and while the neighborhood was well maintained through the 70s by working class homeowners, many houses have succumbed to a preponderance of absentee landowners and local slumlords. The residents of the Bottoms have a loyalty to the place, finding their identity in these streets, and with it a tenacity to survive. Men and women have long known how to work in an underground system to earn money using skill sets that won’t always merit them a job in mainstream society, but that allow them to get by living within an informal economy unique to Franklinton. Despite the struggles that exist here, a reformative energy is driven by groups of newcomers and residents whose families have lived in the neighborhood for generations. They are working as grassroots initiatives to make positive social change within Franklinton by combat problems plaguing the area, and by promoting the positive aspects of the neighborhood’s distinct identity. It’s these characteristics, and the rich history of Franklinton that first enticed me to photograph the uneasy mix of people who coexist here. I am interested in how the history of the place affects the families who have long called Franklinton home, as well as how the influx of investment money to revitalize Franklinton will change the way all demographics living here engage with their neighborhood. The interactions I have shared with individuals involved in this photo documentary have deepened over the past year, pulling me further into the reality of their lives and giving me a first-hand view of what life is like for a girl selling herself on the streets, a homeless man fighting to keep his campsite, or a concerned mother trying to raise her child in an environment as stigmatized as the Bottoms. Little is known or understood of the struggles faced by so many in this neighborhood, but through the lens of my camera I intend to permanently document the diversity of the human condition expressed in this struggling, yet revitalizing place known as Franklinton.

Michele Dobos is an addict – one who has stolen, taken drugs to a drug screening and broken other laws. But she is not alone. In fact, she is one of thousands across Ohio struggling with addiction. http://www.newarkadvocate.com/story/news/local/in-depth/2014/08/16/pull-drugs-hurts-just-user/14103067/

The Central Ohio Youth Ballet is about family and putting friendship above competition. The dancers get ready for their homecoming dances together at the studio. They laugh with each other through the good times and are there to support their dance family when things get hard.

Jessi and Kevin Deeds began Fostering children 9 years ago and over the years have housed 35 different foster kids in their home. The Deedses adopted four of those children, in addition to their four biological kids brining their family total up to 10. There have been ups and downs over the years, but both parents say they would repeat the experience because of how much they have learned about themselves and the world.

Stacey Heath was diagnosed with stage 0 breast cancer in June. After much thought she opted for a mastectomy on heft breast and a DIEP flap tissue reconstruction. During her surgery, however, it was discovered that the cancer had spread to her lymph nodes and she was upgraded to stage 3 cancer. This meant her battle with cancer would be longer than originally thought. After recovering from her surgery Stacey began her chemotherapy treatment. Stacey's battle with breast cancer has taken its toll on her entire family, especially her children.

Tom was diagnosed with Alzheimer's eight years ago. He recently moved in with his son Morgan, daughter-in-law, Abby, and their two young children. Tom will never know the children he is living with are his grandchildren, and they struggle to understand what it means to have a grandpa who's brain is broken.

Fatherhood is defined as: Noun: the kinship relation between an offspring and the father Noun: the state or responsibility of being a father Of all the moments that a person experiences across their lifetime, few can match the magnitude of becoming a parent. The lessons one is required to learn without tutelage come fast and hard and the stakes could not be higher. Desmond Gordon, a 35-year-old union electrician, is the father of four children: three girls and one boy. When asked what fatherhood means to him, Desmond responded “Fatherhood definitely means responsibility, guidance, protection, counsel. It’s scary. It’s emotional. I have a lot of fun as a dad. I look at the world differently now because kids teach you things that adults won’t.” Having two girls in elementary school has taught him a lot about having patience for fashion shows and makeup lessons, but most importantly, “Having daughters, the thing I have learned the most is how to be a gentleman. To make sure the way I treat my wife and the way I treat my daughters is the way they expect men to treat them, and nothing less.” Desmond loves watching his children excel, and grow whether it’s in sports or school, or in the way they learn to treat others. He is determined to make sure they have dreams and help them follow those dreams. “I’m trying to teach my kids to be educated and create a good job. Its all about doing for yourself, how to create, be ambitious and an innovator.”