It’s no secret we encounter some incredible people and stories at Help-Portrait events around the world. What some don’t realize is that our volunteers are just as courageous and inspirational.

Meet Jaleel King. Jaleel, 36, brought Help-Portrait to the Inglis House in Philadelphia. It’s a home for economically disadvantaged people with disabilities. Jaleel lived at the Inglis House for a year.

“People don’t understand the power a photograph can bring,” he said. “Not so much ‘I was here,’ but, ‘I was happy. For this moment, I was happy.’ ”

At age 8, Jaleel was shot by a neighbor with a shotgun who was annoyed over the sound of fireworks. King was left paralyzed. Overcoming great odds, Jaleel became a photographer and now runs his own photography business, shooting weddings, portraits, and city scenes.

Through Help-Portrait, he’s able to give back in spite of the challenges he’s faced in life. Mike Allebach, a Help-Portrait Philly volunteer, met Jaleel the first year he volunteered with Help-Portrait three years ago. He shared Jaleel’s story with us, and we knew we had to share it with the rest of you. Check out this video to see his story, and this article, which talks about the Inglis House event.