Left: “Do you know if anyone can spare my brother, Albert Wayne, a kidney? He needs a $2800 kidney transplant. He won’t live to see another year if he can’t get one. If someone could help out, maybe he could get what he needs. Have them call (434) 981-1869 or (434) 295-5003. Thank you!”

Right: “I met Johnny Cash when he was here [in Charlottesville] in 1992. I’ve been to about 15 states, and I’ve been as far out West as Las Vegas. I went there because I won a trip out there from WWWV 97.5 FM.”

About:

The DTM is please to welcome new contributor Haley Burton, whose Facebook page Individuals of Charlottesville documents random people and their stories.

“As a journalism major and art student at James Madison University, ” says Burton, “my three passions are people, photography, and culture. I believe that the Individuals of Charlottesville make up their own striking culture that is diverse, interesting, and friendly. Through people one can learn so much.”

Burton says she got the idea while she was sipping coffee and people-watching on the DTM. Inspired by Brandon Stanton’s “Humans of New York” photo series, Burton began snapping shots and taking notes.

“As soon as I finished my coffee that morning,” she says. ” I raced home, grabbed my notepad, returned to the Downtown Mall, and began photographing.”

While The DTM will be featuring Burton’s work, you can visit the Individuals of Charlottesville Facebook page to see people in other locations around Charlottesville. We’ll be archiving Burton’s photos here.

Humans of The DTM