#TheFrontStepsProjectSanMateoCty

Who knew that a new Coronavirus would completely upend life as we know it? It has been surreal to have schools, restaurants, and many businesses closed, and everyone home sheltering in place. It could be worse. We could have been asked to go to fight a war. But instead we have been asked to stay at home. So simple, and yet so complicated. Kids are home trying to adjust to distance learning for the rest of the school year, and missing their friends. We are all missing our extended families. Businesses are struggling to survive, and many people are out of work. My business is taking a hit, but I’m used to working from home, and I’m so very fortunate that my husband normally works from home, and his business is holding its own. Neither of our kids are in pivotal school years, and both are relatively independent. Yet so many others are worrying about how they are going to pay the rent, and where the next meal will come from.

I decided to put my skills to work to help raise money for members in my community who are living with financial and nutritional instability. Inspired by photographers in other parts of the country, I launched #TheFrontStepsProjectSanMateoCty. I added “San Mateo County” to the hashtag, as I wanted my efforts to benefit those in my immediate community. I chose four organizations that are doing fantastic work in San Mateo County — Second Harvest Food Bank of Silicon Valley, Call Primrose, Samaritan House in San Mateo, and the San Mateo County Strong Fund. Each of these organizations are providing vital support for our neighbors in need. I asked families to donate at least $50 to one of those organzations in exchange for a quick picture of their family sitting on their front steps. (Taken from a safe “social distance.”)

The response was overwhelming! I thought I would get a few friends to participate, and the next thing I knew I had 75 families all wanting to donate. Many donated more than $50, and some even had company match programs. So in the end, my little project raised well over $4,000! I couldn’t be more proud that my project was so successful, and that I get to live in such a caring and giving community!

Summer

We did take a couple summer trips this year -- one small and one big, but there was a bit of time in between when we just enjoyed unstructured time. There was a lot of playing with friends, a birthday at the beach, a bit of running through sprinklers, a lot of scooter time at the skatepark, a little tourist trip to AT&T park, Girl Scout camp, riding bikes and the annual block party. Sometimes the little stuff is pretty fun.

The Domenici Family

In support of the Lucille Packard Children's Hospital, the Domenici family purchased a photo session with me. They let me come to their home on what turned out to be a really hot day. They all hung in there, and the girls made the shoot so fun. I am very late posting this, but had to get these images up of this sweet family.

The St Helena Walking Group

My parents live in St Helena in the Napa Valley. It is one of the most beautiful places, and is definitely my happy place. They have been lucky to be part of a circle of friends that are warm, supportive, and fun to be around. Most of the ladies in the group meet every weekday morning to walk. Then they have coffee, and maybe even celebrate a birthday here and there. They have been walking together for many years -- I believe I heard somewhere in the 30 years neighborhood. For this occasion five of the fifteen "walkers" and one of the husbands were celebrating their 80th birthdays. One walker was away on a trip, but all the others were at the party in a gorgeous setting on top of Howell Mountain in St Helena.

The Vaughan Family

It's still a bit strange, at my age (which shall remain unspecified), that I can say I have known and been friends with a person my entire life. Someone outside my immediate family, of course. That statement is true of my good friend. We lived across the street from each other when we were born. She was the youngest of three, and I was the oldest of two. We had our ups and downs in those early years, but when my family moved 20 minutes away, and we never went to school together again, we managed to remain friends. We wrote letters, we talked on the phone (this was well before email and texting was an option), we had sleepovers, and generally stayed in each others lives all these years. Now that we're all grown up, and have families of our own we still get busy with our family lives, but always manage to stay in touch, and luckily live fairly close. Her children are growing up, and with one in college (with boyfriend in tow), and the next a senior in high school, the family dynamic is changing. There is less and less time together as a family of five. There was a short window this summer when everyone was home and together. They love to laugh, and their sense of fun shines through in these pictures.

The Kang-Kirchner Family

I had the pleasure of meeting this family when my daughter and their youngest were in Kindergarten together. The girls are still friends, and I got a chance to know the rest of the family a bit when they invited me into their home for this shoot. Both parents have interesting jobs -- in fact Mom asked me to shoot fresh head shots for business purposes. And the kids are involved in all kinds of cool activities from fencing to gymnastics, rock climbing to art. They are a beautiful family.