Erin Dinan : World Humanitarian Day 2012

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Erin Dinan, is a native New Yorker and photographer who made a habit of preparing an extra sandwich in the morning to hand out to any homeless person she would happen to come across. This small act of kindness soon grew into a non-profit called One Sandwich at a Time that makes and distributes hundreds of sandwiches every day.

[The local hero Erin Dinan]

- [Cooper] We've been focusing a lot on change overseas,

and one of the things that Valerie Amos talked about was the importance of World Humanitarian Day

as not just something that's happening for people overseas but it's also

people making changes in their own communities right here in New York,

or Los Angeles, or in Iowa or anywhere around the world that they may be.

And that's one of the things that UN is really trying to hope to encourage people to do,

is to try to look in their own community,

that a lot people don't have obviously the resources to travel somewhere far away,

but they can look in their communities and that's how real change happens.

And I wanna introduce you to somebody who's made a change in her community.

Her name is Erin Dinan.

And, she's a photographer who started a non-profit for one sandwich at a time.

Erin.

[applause and cheers]

- [Cooper] Hey, nice to meet you.

So, um that's you mic.

So, you're a photographer, and you started this non-profit.

How did that come about?

- [Dinan] I took my camera and I started photographing some people on the streets with their permission,

and I wanted to speak with them.

And, I wanted to hear their stories because I think a lot of times we,

we tend to pass judgment on people on the streets.

I wanted to change that, I just wanted to raise awareness for them.

So, I didn't know how to give back for these amazing people,

and I've heard some incredible stories from these people.

So, I would hand them a sandwich.

And I would pack a sandwich or a few sandwiches every morning on my way out the door,

and I thought if I can at least help another individual make it to their next meal then I've made a difference.

- [Cooper] So, when you hear about World Humanitarian Day what do you think?

Why did you wanna be here, a part of it?

- [Dinan] I'm honored to be here.

I wanted to be here just because I think something needs to happen,

just around the world locally and globally.

I think we need to work together if we want this world to continue.

And we are all so connected.

I'm no different from someone on the street,

we've just had different trials and tribulations in life so...

- [Cooper] Thank you. Thank you so much. Really incredible.
- [Dinan] Thank you so much, thank toy.

- [Cooper] Do you have a website?

- [Dinan] I do, it's onesandwichatatime.com

- [Cooper] Alright, cool, you got a crowd you might as well get out the website.

[I Was Here - World Humanitarian Day August 19
whd-iwashere.org]