Beautiful day at Melrose Houses Reunion in the park under the trees. Thank you Jennie Cruz, TA President for inviting COCOON. Delicious Jamaican barbecue by Chef Dave Fraser, a basketball clinic, a field day of children running races around cones & hula-hoops -- lots of trophies, DJ David “Tricky". And families, dads and moms and aunts, uncles, grandparents, sisters and brothers and lifelong friends. 

Eric took portraits, the COCOON team worked with people as they made symbolic objects and I recorded the stories on family and new babies, on friendships and sharing delicious food, on the extraordinary pain of losing people to gun violence, on loving children, growing vegetables at Melrose back in the early days, on the pet chihuahua in a pink dress and pearls, and on new school backpacks.

Thank you to everyone who shared their stories on Melrose Day and to the COCOON team Eric, Alejandro, Jewels, Mirana and Taj. 

© all by photos Eric Etheridge