Duluth’s Help-Portrait Committee is organizing the second annual Help-Portrait event to take place on Dec. 7. Donations are needed to help provide free portraits this holiday season to those who may have never had the opportunity to have a professional photograph. We also need volunteers in the form of photographers, hair and make-up artist and people with big hearts.

History of Duluth Help Portrait

A former case manager of the American Indian Community Housing Organization was meeting with a client and  asked her to veer from our normal conversation of speaking about her needs and instead asked her to express something that she had always wanted but felt she was unable to obtain due to her current living situation and economic status. The women stated  that she had always wanted a professional family photo taken of herself and her two young daughters. 

The response got the case manager to thinking and she began contacting photographers to see if anyone would be willing to donate a family photo shoot. She became so inspired by the idea of being able to give the gift of a special moment frozen in time to a family or individual in the need of feeling special, important and valued, that she decided to organize a Help-Portrait event for our community. Duluth has a growing homeless population and the amount of people in poverty is growing as well.

Last year Duluth’s Help-Portrait was able to touch over 50 families with a free professional photo session resulting in one framed and one unframed 8×10 family photo to take with them just in time for the holidays. At the event families are given the option to have professional hair and makeup artist pamper them prior to the professional shoot with area photographers that volunteered their time equipment and expertise. During the event many participants expressed gratitude and said they had never had a family photo taken; there were tears of joy, and a sense of pride after the participants were given the framed photo. The event drew so much positive attention that the Duluth News Tribune made it the front page feature story.

The Call for Help

Our committee is dedicated to seeing this event through for a second year in a row with hopes to reach even more families, but we need your help.

Your donation will bring us closer to our goal of providing free portraits this holiday season to those who may have never had the opportunity to have a professional photograph taken. We will be providing participants with one framed 8×10 and two 5×7 prints. Many organizations and community members are on board as well as area cosmetologists and professional photographers willing to volunteer their time and talents. Our community is clearly excited and eager to see this event be a success for a second year in a row. Your business can be a part of that excitement by supporting with a donation. We are happy to acknowledge your donation at the event, unless you prefer otherwise.

We also need volunteers in the form of photographers, hair and make up artist and people with big hearts that would like to volunteer thier time to make a difference in people’s lives in our community. If interested, please join our Facebook group or use the contact information below.

I would like to thank you for considering this opportunity to be a part of this powerful event. If you have any queries regarding Help-Portrait please visit help-portrait.com. Questions regarding the event itself please feel free to contact Kelly at duluthhelpportrait @ yahoo.com or call 701-367-3085.

Thank you!
Kelly Foss
Duluth Help Portrait Event Director