(WBNG) — The Front Steps Project is a nationwide movement in which photographers capture photos of families on their front steps while stuck at home in exchange for a donation to a local charity. Here in our area, local photographer Kelly Mellander says the Front Steps Project is capturing an important part of our history.
“I’ve had people put on costumes and just be silly and fun with it because this is life right now. I’m documenting it so that people can look back and say this is what happened and we have a picture of it.”
While documenting the pandemic for the history books is important, she says that’s not what first got her involved with the project.
“I decided to do it because I wanted to be able to help our community and with the project, everything is going to a local charity, and I’ve chosen CHOW.”
Mellander says her photos have raised more than five thousand dollars for Binghamton’s Community Hunger Outreach Warehouse (CHOW) while also bringing joy to the families who have become the face of the project.
“I pull up to these houses and the kids are on the porch, and they’re waiting and they’re jumping up and down for their mom and dad saying ‘she’s here she’s here!'” she said.
Mellander says she gets joy out of providing families with a little break from the stresses of the crisis.
“I’m only at these houses for two to three minutes but It’s giving them two to three minutes of normalcy and getting smiles from them is so easy,” she said.
She aims to create lasting memories for a good cause.
“Life gets in the way, and being able to get a family picture is hard,” she said. “It’s about being able to document that this was the time our family was together. I think it’s awesome that people want to capture that while helping their community.”
If you’d like to sign up to get your photo taken and contribute to the cause you can do so by messaging Mellander on he Facebook page.