Jaretta Copeland, A Portrait of Dedication to Humanity

Let me tell you a story about Jaretta Copeland who I knew in Nashua, NH.  She was originally from Brooklyn, NY who was a single parent of two children. She was on public assistance and decided that this was not the example to set for her children. She moved to a primarily white State and worked for the USPS under a Federal program. She earned her Associates Degree in Human Services and became the Director of the Nashua Soup Kitchen as well as the Nashua Drop-In Center. She believed that it was not sufficient just to feed the poor. Obviously, the look of the poor then in Nashua was basically white families.  She not only led to bring in food to feed the poor but also acquired clothes as well as found shelter for them. She worked closely with the people attending the soup kitchen to be fed and she eventually nourished their spirits. I remember many times we would pick up the homeless and deliver them to the kitchen. She arranged to gain care for the sick, and helped them to find work.  After a while, there were less people at the kitchen.  The customers became the workers. She became an advocate for children and families.  She spoke up with the truth when it was not popular to be spoken.  Eventually the soup kitchen dwindled in numbers as she assisted them in becoming useful members of society.   Eventually, the members of the Soup Kitchen became the workers of the Soup Kitchen and helped others as they remembered so well of their experiences.  Some of them were found jobs hundreds of miles away.  She arranged transportation and a place to stay to get them started.  It got to a point that the homeless were trucked from other areas in so that Jaretta could help them.  She had the knack to get others to assist her. I remember one time I spent 24 hours with a woman and took shifts with 3 others including Jerry Durante to make sure the woman did not stick a needle in her before she entered a drug treatment facility. The woman is now a substance abuse counselor.  I remembered one time; she had helped two separate people get off assistance of the soup kitchen and started a new life together. I was the Justice of the Peace at their wedding.  I think that she should be nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. We need more people like this. I believed that she also changed the way NH people, at least some, may have viewed black people. She was a pioneer for the human spirit.

On numerous occasions she had saved the lives of many people met with misfortune. As you see in one of the attached articles, she was nominated for Person of the Year for saving a human life. I believe she should be nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.  At one time, she saved the life of a young male who later became a fire fighter. Some years later, that person dramatically saved 3 children. The children became homeless. The fire fighters family adopted the three children so that the children would not have been separated from each other. I pulled up these articles which I had saved some years ago.  The last time I spoke with her was four years ago. She has continued to be driven to be a supporter for family and especially children. It is people like her that make life what it ought to be.

JACQUES WIESEL VS ELIE WIESEL

JACQUES WIESEL VS ELIE WIESEL

Marc Gagnon, photographic artist, recently did a photographic art collage that defines the life of Jacques Wiesel, Writer, Motivational Speaker, Sales Trainer and Humanitarian. Jacques Wiesel recently published a book which is his autobiography. The name of the book is 9 Knockdowns 5 Miracles. Jacques is a holocaust survivor although he has never spent time in a concentration camp. His family luckily had a strong feeling to flee Brussels before it was too late. Jacques Wiesel escaped to America where he landed on Ellis Island. The photographic art piece that Gagnon created is actually on the back cover of his cover while Mr. Wiesel’s cover is a painting that was done by his first wife, Carol Morris.

Here is the link to Jacques Wiesel's recent interview http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dZhDlKrqLw 

Elie Wiesel has been well noted by historians for his brave survival of the imprisonment at a concentration camp.  His life though has been totally defined by that life experience.  He has written books of his experience and retells the story again and again.  Marc Gagnon did another collage entitled THE HOLOCAUST COLLAGE which makes a statement that we as a society should go forward and work discovery and gain strength from our differences. Obviously, Elie Wiesel wants the World not to forget so that the World does not journey down the same path again.

What makes Jacques Wiesel so different is that the Holocaust experience does not totally define his existence.  When he stepped on America soil, he dedicated his life to make this Word a better place. He surpassed all job expectations in sales related jobs. He then began to train others to reach the same results. He has written articles for a number of publications from the Northeast of America to Florida. He has also written four books focused at improving one’s life.  Gagnon was told at his art function in Newport RI by a Mr. Rubenstein that he had met up with a Buster Patrick at a function in Las Vegas. Buster Patrick is an actor who played the character of Eddie Munster of the hit show The Munsters. The show only lasted two years. Some 40 or so years later Buster Patrick’s life is focused on only 2 years of his existence in the past. With regards to Jacques Wiesel, his emphasis is to learn from the past to make you stronger today and to envision the future.  Elie Wiesel’s experience is not being down played by Gagnon but Jacques Wiesel is a person with his vision on the future and not stuck in the past.

Amanda Dobbs the One that Started Photographic Artist Marc Gagnon

Amanda Dobbs the One that Started Photographic Artist Marc Gagnon

Back in 1981, Marc Gagnon had a personal relationship with Amanda Dobbs who was visiting New England from England. She was an artist at the time, actually watercolors, and had a strong interest in English literature.  Gagnon began as friends and slowly developed a romantic relationship. Amanda influenced Gagnon in a profound way. Gagnon purchased his first camera with Amanda Dobbs. The camera was a Minolta XG1 which Gagnon still owns. Gagnon and Amanda Dobbs began going on weekend trips throughout the northeast.

Both Gagnon and Amanda Dobbs were only children and neither of one wanted to move to each other’s country. Amanda was working at the time for the Government of England while Gagnon was working at Nashua Federal Savings Bank as a teller.

Shortly after they broke off, Gagnon started experimenting with portraits, weddings, product photography, and proms. Gagnon eventually got into modeling photography because of a girl he met at John Martin’s Manor IV a past restaurant and bar located in Nashua, NH. From there, he met five other models which Gagnon positioned at top NYC agencies. 

This blog though is dedicated to Marc Gagnon’s past friend Amanda Dobbs. Gagnon would never have ventured into photography if it was not for her.   Some years later in Florida, Gagnon met Rhani Jan who was actually friends with Amanda Dobbs while Rhani lived in England. Rhani now works for the City of Sunrise. It is definitely a small world. Below are pictures of Amanda Dobbs.  Rhani Jan is also pictured below with her husband.