SHEPHERD — One Shepherd woman is looking to give back to the Billings community at a time of rising costs and cold weather.
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Jeanne Larsen is a dog lover, nature photographer, but most importantly, a giver.
Larsen believes no act of kindness is too small and a few dollars go a long way.
"I've had so many experiences in my life where I've really seen the need, and it breaks my heart that people are struggling," Larsen said Wednesday.
Larsen moved with her husband from Wisconsin to Montana about 20 years ago. She's a full time photographer and owns A Closer Look Photos. She enjoys taking pictures of landscapes and animals in her backyard or at national parks.
Larsen said she got the name for her photography business after taking a picture of a dandelion.
"I remember there was a time when I was just looking for something to take pictures of. I had a macro lens on, and I got down on the ground. It was just a simple dandelion. But, when I zoomed in on it, it had teeny tiny tendrils that were just amazing that I never seen before... The world is so big, we just need to take time to look a little closer," she said.
But one thing Larsen loves more than taking pictures is giving back to the community, and helping whenever there's a chance.
"I worked at Habitat for Humanity, and that really popped my middle-class bubble, per se. Because, I really got to see close and personal how people were really struggling... I remember one year on the Angel Tree, I had chosen a gift to buy a child and it was a bed. It was for a two year old," she said.
That's one of the reasons Larsen is currently doing four fundraisers. On her photography website, she's raising money for Habitat for Humanity, Emmanuel Shepherd Church, a mission in Costa Rica, and one for users of the Facebook page, "I'll (Actually) Help - Billings."
"I'll (actually) Help - Billings" is a private Facebook group for community members seeking temporary assistance. The administrator of the group, Elizabeth Pincolini, says most requests are for food, gas money, household supplies, or medical prescriptions.
Pincolini wanted to create a judgment-free safe space online, a place where people would feel comfortable asking for help.
"We just wanted to make sure that people weren't humiliated for asking for help, you know, and could actually get a little assistance if they needed it," Pincolini said over a phone interview Wednesday.
She says the group has brought a lot of positivity to the community.
"It's good to see that community come together, and help one another," says Pincolini.
When Larsen found the Facebook group, she knew she had to create a fundraiser for members in need.
"I just saw a lady that just needed a pound of ground beef, because she had nothing to make her family for dinner. You know, $20 for gas, diapers for a child... Things that everybody else, a lot of people, take for granted.," Larsen said.
When purchasing Larsen's photos with the code "HELPBILLINGS," 50% of the profits will be donated to the group.
Pincolini says she's grateful for Larsen's contributions and sees it leaving a positive impact on Billings.
"Just letting people know that this out there, and that people need help, I think is bringing attention to the group. I think that alone is probably super valuable... more resources for people who need them... I'm super excited to see if this might bring some help and maybe some more assistance out there to folks out there that need it," she said.
Larsen said even if the donation is a few dollars, it could mean a meal for a family, a medical prescription, or a gallon of gas to get to work. She says you never truly know what someone is going through.
"The only person I can control is myself. The right thing for me to do is help somebody, and whatever they do with that, that's between them and whoever," she said.
