They say “Every picture tells a story,” and last month, when the world was in turmoil dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, one photographer used pictures to help a local family while telling many other stories.
FishHawk resident Audra Nicole wears many hats. She’s a mom of three, a business coach, photographer and the host of the ‘Mompreneur Marketing Podcast.’
Nicole wanted to do something to create happiness and give back to people during these stressful times.
After messages from her friends about the growing trend of safer-at-home porch portraits, Nicole decided it was the perfect way to use her skills. She quickly made the decision to give half of the proceeds she made to a local charity.
“I could give families an opportunity to come together and do something silly, fun or just get a cute family photo for a very affordable price; from a minimum of 6 feet away, of course,” Nicole said.
Shortly after deciding to offer the pictures, Nicole heard about the Finstein family, Starling residents whose daughter, Alyza, had to have surgery to have a brain tumor removed. Operation Lotus, a nonprofit whose mission is to restore hope for people who have experienced a loss or tragedy, was collecting money to help the family.
“It’s surreal. First, to be living through what I call a nightmare is just crazy, but having everyone from our community and Operation Lotus supporting us is just unbelievable,” Jayme Finstein said.
Josh Finstein is extremely thankful for all the help his family is receiving during this very challenging time.
“I have been blown away by how quickly an organization like Operation Lotus is able to mobilize and create such a widespread network of support and love, that has been truly humbling and amazing,” Josh Finstein said, “I feel like I could say ‘Thank you’ a million times and it would never be enough.”
To have Audra Nicole do a safer-at-home porch portrait, visit www.audranicolephotography.com. To learn more about Operation Lotus or to make a donation for the Finstein family, search for the group on Facebook.
