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Porch portraits document families quarantine experiences

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GRETNA, Neb. (KMTV) — These are the days bringing families a little bit closer and keeping neighbors apart.

When the world slowed down and gave us that free time we didn't even ask for.

“We usually do baseball this time of year,” Michelle Klug said. “So it’s just a great opportunity for us to be together as a family and just enjoy that time that we usually don’t have.”

“We will read about it in history books! That’s insane.” Megan Jones, owner of Megan Michael Photography, said.

Jones is documenting these days in Gretna too.

“Because it’s crazy,” Jones said. “I’ve never experienced anything like this before. Some people are looking at it in a negative way. You can look at it in a more positive way too that everyone can spend more time with their family and what a fun way to document it.”

She is taking porch portraits. A project she believes was started by a photographer in Tennessee.

“We’re not really supposed to be working right now,” Jones said. “It’s keeping our social media going and getting face time with potential clients too. So it will be really awesome in the long run and it’s providing tons of meals for those kiddos.”

Jones is donating her time and talents to raise money for kids lunches in Gretna. As of Wednesday she is just $1,000 shy of hitting her $5,000 goal – enough money to supply 2,500 meals to kids in need.

“A lot of kids depend on those meals to be able to eat outside of school,” Jones said. “If they don’t have those, I mean they’re not going to have school until August, so it’s going to provide a lot of meals for those families.”

“We love what she is doing as far as raising money to support the community and support kids right now as they’re not able to be in school,” Klug said.

It's too soon to say how these days will be remembered.

The days that kept us apart or that revealed the best in us?

“Give me the best smiles you’ve got boys. Oh they’re good! They’re good!” Jones said.

With how we overcome the academic as a community,” Sarah Rector said. “Even getting through the virus and the hard times we are still coming together as a community and helping each other, lifting each other up.”

Jones hopes her portraits will help tell the story she’s living out with her family too.