Humans of New York (HONY), a popular Tumblr by photographer Brandon Stanton, has raised nearly $85,000 in less than 24 hours for Hurricane Sandy relief.
“All of the blog’s content will be dedicated to telling the stories of people affected by the storm,” Stanton wrote in a Tumblr post Sunday that has since collected 2,500 notes. “Sandy left behind a lot of sad stories, but also some happy ones. We’re going to try to tell them all.”
Over the last two years, Stanton’s photography blog has become a mainstay on Tumblr. Its purpose is to “construct a photographic census of New York City,” one person at a time. To date he has captured over 5,000 photographs of New Yorkers going about their everyday lives.
Following the storm, Stanton took to the streets of New York to photograph the devastation and people who refused to be kept down. One photo features a man standing amidst the rubble of his house, who told Stanton of his gratitude toward the police officers who forcibly evacuated him.
HONY has partnered with Tumblr for the fundraiser and is providing stickers and tote bags for $15 and $30 respectively. Other fundraiser perks include a signed 8 x 12 signed photo print for $100 and a chance to follow Stanton around New York for $2,000 as he searches for people to photograph. All of the donations will go to the Stephen Siller Tunnel to Towers Foundation, which has been hard at work helping to feed and clothe those in need.
The goal of the fundraiser is to collect $100,000 in the next 10 days.
“Donating to a great cause! The sentiment behind HONY and the spirit that is already helping to rebuild these communities are perfectly aligned,” Marian Shelley commented on the fundraiser’s Indiegogo page. “They are an affirmation that kindness and empathy still matter in this city!”
Photo by Brandon Stanton/Tumblr
