Giving Back
“The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.”
When you work with us, you’re also giving back to our local community. Let us introduce you to our non-profit family.
For the first couple of years of our existence, we used to donate a percentage of certain sessions to individual non-profit organizations.
Now, we give 5% of our sales back year-round to 4 local non-profits.
And just as building relationships is the foundation of what we do through our photography, our relationship with these teams is beyond fiscal; we love to donate our time and resources to them as much as we can as well.
We consider them our family. :)
Here’s a bit of how we got involved with each one:
Kunjani
Just after we started our business, in 2016, a new coffee shop opened in town called Kunjani Craft Coffee & Art Gallery and it quickly became our (& everybody else’s!) favorite.
When we learned they also had a non-profit organization called the Kunjani Project, we immediately felt called to support their mission.
Founded by shop owner and Zimbabwean native, Stephanie Fonseca, the Kunjani Project supports a variety of efforts in Africa ranging from clean water to educational scholarships.
Our next mission is to head to Africa to be able to tell the story of those they’ve helped.
Wellfit Girls
We were introduced to Wellfit Girls in 2017 and loved what they stood for. Meli wishes there had been a program like it for her when she was a teenager…
Wellfit Girls is a leadership, fitness and empowerment program for teenage girls. Each year, a few dozen girls go through the group curriculum together and then go on an expedition to test their skills.
We’ve been to Peru and Georgia (the state) to capture their stories, and look forward to seeing where we go with them next.
Cancer Alliance of Naples (CAN)
Almost 20 years ago, Meli & Matt’s late brother-in-law was one of the founding members of this organization, so it was a no-brainer to continue his legacy.
CAN helps to provide non-medical financial assistance to people/families who are fighting cancer. Their motto is “neighbors helping neighbors” and so, we are some of those neighbors.
Year-round, we are honored at the opportunity to tell the stories of families going through hardships and knowing that they’re finding the support they need thru CAN is a great feeling.
Eva’s Closet
Eva’s Closet came to us by way of a good ol’ Facebook poll. When we were trying to decide how to structure our Give Back program, Meli got the vision for the graphic of the heart with 4 chambers, but at the time, only had 3 organizations in mind, so we took to Facebook and asked people to nominate their favorites.
We received an awesome and overwhelming response, with a few dozen recommendations. Eva’s Closet was one that had received several votes, so we chatted with them and knew they were a great fit.
Eva’s Closet is a place where people who are at or below the poverty line can go to get basic necessities like toiletries and clothing, as well as things they may need for their home: pots and pans, etc…
The organization’s founder, Jessica Goodall, has her master’s degree in social work, so she also helps people in difficult situations find housing, jobs, and get back on their feet.