31 Aug Tortuga Raises Funds For Lacey Food Bank
In times of uncertainty, come hope. Chris and Jessica Connors understand the challenges we are all facing during COVID-19 and decided to use their skills to make an impact, raising $750 for the Lacey Food Bank and giving the community a reason to smile.
The Connors’ together founded and operate Tortuga Creative Services, LLC, a digital marketing and design company based in Ocean County.
In late March, as New Jerseyans were being ordered to stay at home and non-essential business were closed, the husband and wife team sat across from each other at their dining room table discussing ways that they could reach and assist their community during the stay-at-home period of COVID-19. As active participants in the community, the pair wanted to help in some way once again.
They agreed upon Front Steps Project. The Front Steps Project, which originated in Boston, MA is a socially distant photoshoot, where families pose for photos in their yard or on their front porch. The initiative raises funds for charity. The Connors’ decided to bring the project to Ocean County as a way to give back, while bringing some hope to the community.
“It was a chance for us to capture a historic moment and at the same time, give a reason for families to smile during the stay-at-home period of COVID-19,” said Chris Connors, creative director at Tortuga.
Through the company website, tortugacreative.com, participants were able to register for a 5-minute photoshoot with the couple.
Some families took the opportunity to have family portraits taken, while others opted for graduation photos and birthday photoshoots.
Promoting maintaining a safe physical distance, after arriving at a home, the duo set up their zoom camera lens and camera equipment on the sidewalk or front yard. The couple offered the photoshoots for free. During this time, they accepted donations through their website to benefit the Lacey Food Bank.
After several photoshoots, Tortuga raised $750 and earlier this month, the Connors team presented a check in that amount to the Lacey Food Bank. According to Fulfill (The Food Bank of Monmouth and Ocean Counties) the donation will provide 2,250 meals to those in need. The donation assisted the needs of the foodbank due to the result of both the COVID-19 pandemic and Tropical Storm Isaias.
“We always try to give to our community in one way or another,” said Chris Connors. “We realized this year that a lot of families would be dealing with food insecurity due to COVID-19 and wanted to donate to the Lacey Food Bank.”
The project had a substantial impact on the community as a whole, providing food for those in need as well as some much-needed excitement during these uncertain times. For the Tortuga team, that’s all they could ever ask. “A lot of families thanked us for getting them out of their pajamas and giving them a reason to smile,” said Chris Connors.
More about Tortuga: Tortuga provides local businesses online marketing opportunities within the Jersey Shore region. We establish an internet presence for small businesses to help them evolve in order to stay relevant for the rapidly changing web. Our company specializes in web design and graphic design. Services include web site design, development and maintenance, hosting and domain services, search engine optimization (SEO), and website analytics. Additional services include custom email setup, online advertising, and social media marketing and management.
