Front Porch: Manassas Photographer Holds Coronavirus Fundraiser

MANASSAS, VA — A Manassas photographer is donating a portion of the money she makes from portraits of families sitting on their front porches in Manassas and Prince William County to Old Town Strong, a local fundraising campaign to benefit restaurant and bar employees impacted by the coronavirus crisis.

When photographer Sandy Schaeffer visits homes, she makes sure to stay a safe distance away — much farther than the recommended 6 feet — when she's taking photos. Schaeffer and her colleagues wear masks and gloves the entire time they are doing the photo shoots.

Schaeffer wanted to help local residents harmed by the coronavirus outbreak and she decided Old Town Strong was the perfect campaign. She and her husband enjoy visiting the tasting rooms at local breweries and distilleries. So she thought helping the people who have served her was a good way to give back locally.

The Old Town Whiskey Club launched the Old Town Strong fundraising campaign to help restaurant and bar employees. One part of the campaign allows the public to purchase T-shirts and hoodies, with 100 percent of the proceeds going to local service employees.

In the new phase of the fundraising campaign, Schaeffer, an award-winning photographer and photojournalist, is now taking front porch family photos to help raise money for the Old Town Strong fundraiser.

She's inviting families in Manassas and Prince William County who have been holed up in their houses to visit her website and book a time to have their photos taken. The photo shoot takes less than an hour. For $99, Schaeffer will provide customers with a link to the best photos from the session. Schaeffer will then donate 25 percent of the proceeds to Old Town Strong.

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With her professional photography equipment, Schaeffer doesn't need to get close to her subjects to get a memorable shot. And the campaign is not just for front porch photos. High school seniors who won't be able to have their senior portrait taken at school can book a session to have Schaeffer come to their house and take a photo, presumably on a sunny day.

Girls who bought beautiful dresses to wear to their junior or senior proms, which have been canceled due to the coronavirus, can put on their dresses and have Schaeffer visit their house and take a professional photo of them in their dresses. Schaeffer wants to make sure "buying the dresses doesn't all go to waste," she told Patch.

Not only will families receive professional photos that can be a keepsake for years to come, they know they will be helping their neighbors who work at local restaurants and bars and who are struggling to make ends meet.

Schaeffer, who began her career as a photojournalist with the News & Messenger in Manassas, now works as freelance photographer with a typically busy schedule when there's not a pandemic sweeping the world. She takes photos at D.C. area conferences and business meetings. Families also hire her to take photos of funerals for their loved ones at Arlington National Cemetary.

The coronavirus has brought in-person conferences to a screeching halt in the D.C. area. Schaeffer is still getting hired to take photos of funerals at Arlington National Cemetary, although many funerals are getting canceled. Full military honor funerals at Arlington National have been put on hold due to the coronavirus.

Schaeffer is hoping the slowdown in business among her regular clients means she'll have more time to take photos of families and personal shots that will make people feel better at a time of uncertainty and disappointment with so many events getting canceled.

If you live in Manassas or Prince William County and want to book a COVID-safe photo session with Schaeffer, visit her website.

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