Porch-raits for a Cause
It honestly started for a selfish reason.
I was bored. I missed people. I needed to get away from all the testosterone in my house. I needed some exercise. I NEEDED a creative outlet!
So I posted on my neighborhood’s HOA Facebook page that I would love to ride around on my bike one afternoon and stop by people’s houses to take a free family “porch-rait” from a distance with my zoom lens. I had 4-5 families reach out and say they would love for me to stop by, so I mapped it out and sent them all approximate times for when I would ride by their homes for some photographs! I photographed families on their docks, in their yards, on their porches, and chalking their driveways, some with their fur babies! As an extrovert who is seriously missing out on my Spring senior sessions, prom photos, bridal portrait sessions, and weddings, it was so refreshing to get to interact with other people and do what I love.
But then people wanted to pay me! As much as I insisted that this was for me as much for me as it was for them, some families insisted on giving me money. That made me feel guilty. There are families in our community who are struggling to make ends meet because they have lost their jobs, and there are healthcare workers working around the clock and risking their very lives to help take care of the sick. I’m a teacher, so while my days are looking VERY different, I still have a job. My husband still has his job in the school district. While this quarantine has not been easy for us, we are not struggling financially like so many others. And photographers are not essential workers, so I knew I shouldn’t be “working.” So I decided to put the money that people were giving me toward a good cause.
One of the moms in our neighborhood, who is also the mother of one of my very own students, is a nurse in a Covid unit, and I asked her if the nurses or patients might enjoy a little treat. Christie explained that the patients who are sick enough to be admitted would not be able to enjoy them (most are on ventilators and sedated), but the nurses, doctors, and technicians on her shift would certainly enjoy some goodies! So there it was: my mission.
I reached back out to my neighbors and a few other friends and clients who I know live close by and told them what I was doing, and I had a few more say they wanted to participate. So in the last several weeks, I have photographed 4 drive-by birthday parties, a model needing a few photos in a Katherine Kelly Lang Kaftan, a sweet sixteen session, a 13-year-old “quaranteenager” session, a just-turned-15-year old with her brand new kitten, a socially-distant going away party, and 11 different families, all within just a few minutes of my home while practicing social distancing with my zoom lens, of course. Together, we have raised over $600! (And I’ve put quite a few miles on my bike!)
I ordered bags and goodies from Amazon and took my first shopping trip since the quarantine to Sam’s Club to get as many treats as I could, and my two boys helped me set up an assembly line in our hallway to put the bags together. My kids and some of the kids in our neighborhood colored thank-you cards to include. One of my friends who owns the vinyl printing shop Homemade Happiness, Erica Fielder, also volunteered to make “Healthcare Hero” t-shirts for all of the doctors, technicians, nurses and drive-thru Covid test operators who would be receiving one of THIRTY goodie bags we were able to create! And these goodie bags were stocked with all the best treats: Coca Cola, Gatorade, M&Ms, Twix, Hershey Bars, Oreos, Goldfish, pretzels, chips, popcorn, gummies, granola bars, applesauce… They were delivered by our awesome nurse neighbor Christie Benoit, who was sweet enough to take a few photos (see slide show)! Another neighbor was collecting items to create snack packs for homeless children (visit Bright Blessings to find out how you can help with a project like this!), so with the leftover snacks and money, my boys and I put together THIRTY-FOUR snack packs to contribute. We used the random remaining items to make EIGHT snack bags to leave for our amazing mail carriers and USPS/UPS/Amazon Prime delivery people! And after THAT, when I still had over $200 left, I was able to purchase a huge cart of groceries to donate to the Clover Area Assistance Center’s Food Bank.
I didn’t set out to start this big of a project, but it has been such a blessing as I’ve gotten to get to know so many new neighbors! My own two children are also learning the value of giving back and volunteering. Some amazing essential workers on the frontlines of the war this country is fighting know they are appreciated. And many families and children will be fed. During a time of great difficulty and isolation, this project has given me a mission, but most importantly, it has given me and so many others hope!
THANK YOU to these friends and families for your incredible generosity:
The Strongs
The Lecks
The Benoits, especially Christie, who was the deliverer and inspiration for this project!
The Skrobans
The Jarvises
The DeCuirs
The Caputos
The Talaricos
The Steigerwalds
The Fielders, especially Erica, who designed and donated the 30 “Healthcare Hero” t-shirts for the goodie bags!
The Arzenos
The Houses
The Webers & Trainers
The Welborns