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Chris Matthews was raised with a camera in his hands by a mother who published her own photography magazine using a mimeograph machine on the family’s kitchen table.

With that background, it is no surprise that the Reidsville man grew up to be a photographer and entrepreneur. What may be surprising is the strength of his commitment to the children of Haiti.

Matthews is a member of First Presbyterian Church in Reidsville, and a former pastor introduced him and Peter McKinnon, a partner in his photography business, to the organization Hearts with Haiti.

The group was started by a former brother in Mother Teresa’s Brothers of Charity who wanted to go beyond caring for displaced Haitian children in night shelters and provide them with an education and stability in their lives.

The mission began 25 years ago with only a few boys and has grown to three group homes with more than 80 children.

Matthews and McKinnon visited Haiti in 2008, and they were captivated by the joyful natures of the children, who had little reason to be joyful.

The average Haitian is middle-aged at 22, and most families live on less than $400 per year. They make, eat, and even sell dirt cookies when the price of rice is too high.

“The people of Haiti live in hope,” McKinnon said. “If you ever doubt your Christianity and want to get your own soul in line, go there to get ministered to by smiling, happy people with nothing in the world. God is alive. The holy spirit is working.”

Matthews and McKinnon, who run a business called Heirloom Photography, were so touched by the children of Haiti that they decided to adopt the slogan “Art with a Mission.” They contribute 40 percent of the selling price for each gallery print to Hearts with Haiti. Not 40 percent of the profit, 40 percent of the selling price.

Matthews went to business school, and he is also part owner of a computer tech firm in Greensboro. Digital photography gives him the ability to blend photography with his computer background.

“To me, pictures are about a story. They are not just random shots,” he said. “I try to capture a moment in time and reveal a story.”

Matthews is most interested in macro photography, close-up shots.

“I like to look at small things and find something interesting that might be overlooked,” he said. “I like to make people stop and take stock and look at something in a new way or remember something they have seen.”

In addition to gallery prints, the company sells a line of greeting cards called “Paw Prints.” They are printed on beautiful, nearly indestructible Lotka paper, handmade by villagers in Nepal.

The Lotka bush regenerates quickly and the paper has been made in the same way for thousands of years. Matthews prefers to use this paper, not only because it is beautiful, but because it helps people maintain a sustainable lifestyle in their small mountain villages.

“Haiti makes you take a step back and see that there is more to this world than what we experience with our five senses,” Matthews said. “Our goal is to make a business to live off of but also to provide help to Haiti. And the paper we used helps villagers in Nepal.
“We are a socially conscious company, one that is culturally mindful and gives back, he said. “We don’t want profit just for the sake of making a profit. We want the opportunity to be involved in something genuine.”CutlineCourtesy of Chris Matthews

Chris Matthews and Peter McKinnon, a partner in Matthews’ photography business, visited Haiti in 2008 and were captivated by the joyful nature of the children — despite living in extreme poverty.