For about the past 5 years I have been offering photo sessions to ‘give back’ to Single Moms every Mother’s Day. Single Mother’s hold a special place in my heart and I feel it a worthy cause to donate my time to once a year. It started out as mini sessions and then morphed into taking nominations for deserving moms. I enjoyed these sessions but each method I tried always left me feeling a little unsatisfied. I love spending time with families and getting to know them but I wasn’t able to do that running people through the session like a herd of cattle. Last year, however, I came up with the idea to select one single Mom that I knew personally and really give her the works – a 2 hr session where everything is taken care of from the clothing, styling the session, choosing the location, hair and makeup, etc….all within a reasonable budget, of course. All they have to do is show up. I thought about how my own mother would have flipped out if someone had offered that to her when we were kids and I really wanted to give someone that experience. It ended up being exactly what I needed. I was able to be creative and get to know the family by spending an afternoon with them, all while giving back to a cause I feel strongly about.

This year I asked The Steeles if they would like to be photographed and I’m so glad they said yes! They are an incredibly strong family that I’ve had the privilege of getting to know over the last four years. Watching their struggles has been heart breaking at times but in spite of it all they are persevering. Thank you for allowing me into your life again.

Hair and makeup by Sarah Berry