This project wouldn't have been possible without the help of the incredibly talented and generous people I have met along the way. I am thankful for those who took the time to not only respond to my emails, but to also meet with me in person or talk to me over the phone. While searching for people who had connections with these places, I also made some new unexpected friends who did so much to help and support me. 

Marisa scheinfeld

After seeing Marisa's name and photos come up on numerous online articles and blog posts about The Borscht Belt I realized that this was Marisa Scheinfeld as in the Marisa Scheinfeld whose book was currently en route to my house. Her photos of The Borscht Belt hotel blew me away the second I saw them but her personal connection to this area and specific resorts and hotels brought something special to the work she created.
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I reached out to Marisa hoping that by some miracle she would respond. Not only did she respond, but she also offered to meet with me which was something I didn't expect. Marisa sat with me at a quiet coffee shop for quite some time discussing her experience, asking about my project, and helping me plan my next trip to shoot The Borscht Belt. 

Marisa, thank you so much for taking the time to get together with me, help me with this project and inspiring me to keep moving forward with this project and with photography. It means so much to me to have someone that I admire support what I am doing and encourage me to follow through with it. Thank you for everything you have done.
visit http://www.marisascheinfeld.com/ 
to see more photos and order her book
 The Borscht Belt: Revisiting the Remains of America's Jewish Vacationland
Photos taken by Marisa Scheinfeld click here for more 

​will ellis

Thank you to Will Ellis for answering any and all of my questions for this project. While all of our communication was online, he was more than willing to help me in any way he could. Will's website Abandoned NYC was my first source of inspiration when I discovered the culture of abandoned photography. Since then, his website and book have both been major sources of inspiration and information. His full interview is available here
visit ​http://www.willellisphoto.com/
Photos taken by Will Ellis click here for more

Gwen campbell

I had the pleasure of talking to Gwen Campbell after finding her site while researching Letchworth Village. Gwen told me that even as a child she knew what she wanted to do but her experience while at Letchworth on a Girl Scout trip really influenced her future career path. Gwen is currently a dedicated Special Education Advocate in California but still took the time to talk with my over the phone about her experience.
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Thank you Gwen for not only being so interested in the project and being willing to open up about the experience you had but thank you for all of your hard work as an advocate. Your natural inclination to help others and give a voice to those who feel as though they don't have one is incredible, thank you for dedication and kindness
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Visit http://www.gwencampbelladvocate.com/
To read more about my interview with Gwen click here

Justin 

While I know Justin's last name, he may not want the online users of his website to know it so I'll just call him Justin, creator of Vacant New Jersey. After going back and forth with Justin about his site, my project, and our love for exploring, I learned a lot about him. Justin is an incredibly talented creative writer who has a different take on abandoned buildings as a writer than I do as a photographer. I originally got in touch with Justin because I had questions about his site and a few locations but I ended up wanting to include some of his writing on this site as well as share the link so that others could read it too. 

Click here to read some of Justin's writing