When photographer David Cohen and Bainbridge Youth Services Executive Director Lori Midthun met and chatted on a random ferry crossing late last year, she came away with a nice thought.

“He could be a great judge for a photo contest,” she said.

Cohen had something larger-scale in mind: a project that would pair his work with community voices, and generate a hoped-for $10,000 for BYS.

The final product, “Standing Here: A Gift for Bainbridge Youth Services,” has just hit the shelves at Eagle Harbor Book Co.

“I see this as a gift. And I see it as a gift with multiple givers, and multiple receivers,” Cohen said.

After 20 years at Adobe Systems, Cohen had semi-retired to start a photography business on the island.

Unfortunately, as he put it, “somebody flushed the economy down the toilet,” making this year not so optimal for a new venture. The 35 minutes he spent learning about BYS helped turn his wheels in a slightly different direction.

Like many nonprofits, Midthun told Cohen, the organization had begun to experience budget decline; sponsorships for its annual July Fun Run fundraiser had dropped significantly, and it anticipated a reduced amount of support from the City of Bainbridge Island.

The drop would have a direct impact on BYS’s core services, which include counseling, a jobs program, a volunteer recognition program, a community service referral program and an annual student-run photo contest.

Midthun said the jobs program, which matches skilled students with community members who need help – think yard work, office work, babysitting – is probably BYS’s best known program outside the doors of its office at Bainbridge High School.

The counseling program, however, lies at the heart of BYS. As a confidential service, Midthun said, it’s not necessarily a program BYS calls loads of attention to. But that doesn’t mean it’s not critical; during the 2007-2008 school year, youth ages 12 to 19 took advantage of roughly 1,000 hours of mental health services, all free, and all from just two part-time counselors.

“Like most social services organizations, we’re seeing an increase in demand, and a decrease in services,” Midthun said.

Cohen and Midthun applied a little “grass-roots pressure” to find seven islanders who were interested in seeing their work in print. Each selected one or more black-and-white photographs to accompany their writing.

The images span a range of subjects, from landscapes to portraits to candid shots. All are island-specific and, Cohen hopes, all work with the text to capture the spirit of Bainbridge.

Donations covered the cost of the book’s printing, binding and delivery, and the bookstore agreed to co-market and sell the books.

The rest of the effort was all-volunteer which, along with Cohen’s clear enthusiasm for the project, struck Midthun as the best part about it. Even though no one person could do it all, each contributor offered what he or she could. And together, they made something bigger than themselves.

“They feel great about it, we feel great about it, and ultimately kids benefit,” Midthun said.

Learn more about BYS at www.bainbridgeyouthservices.org.