The normally bustling streets of downtown Fernandina Beach are quiet after businesses were forced to close because of COVID-19.

1. Woman uses photography skills to
help local businesses
The normally bustling streets of downtown
Fernandina Beach are quiet after businesses were
forced to close because of COVID-19.
“I was actually biking around our historic downtown,
which is so cute, and to see it jut completely closed,
nobody walking around none of the businesses open.
It just breaks your heart,” Megan Maines said.
Maines told Action News Jax she wanted to help her
community out the best way she knew how, through
her passion, photography.
She got the idea to photograph store owners in order
to let the community know these are the businesses
that need support right now.
“That’s so powerful that people can see there’s a real
person behind these businesses. You know there’s a
family, there’s people who are really struggling,”
Maines said.
Some of the stories are so emotional it's nearly

2. brought her to tears.
"One was a single mom who this is her sole income
and I wanted to hug her and of course you can’t right
now and I told her I felt like I was going to cry, I said I
want to give you a big hug and if I can do anything to
help you get through this I will do what I can," she
said.
Maines posted on her community Facebook page that
she was taking these photos for free.
Comments started pouring in with small businesses
eager to share their story.
Amelia Linen and Wood, the Beauty Bar, and
Driftwood Surf Shop are just a few of the businesses
Maines has photographed.
Although many people are struggling, she’s tells
Action News Jax she’s closer to her community than
ever before.
Maines has already photographed 11 businesses so
far and she’s still taking requests because she wants
to make sure all these businesses are still standing

3. after the pandemic.