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Help food insecure Arkansans by purchasing masks

One man's photos of Arkansas’s beauty are printed on the masks and sold online with all proceeds going to feeding people who are food insecure.

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — If you’re shopping for a face mask, you can now purchase one that will help Arkansans in need.

A few years ago, Michael Shelton started taking photos to cope with loss. 

“I lost both my mom and my husband within a few weeks of each other, and so in the aftermath of that, I kind of turned to photography as a way to deal with the grief and the depression,” Shelton said.

With an iPhone camera, Shelton captures the essence of Arkansas life. His photos can now be found on face masks that serve a bigger purpose.  

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“When I switched over to photography and then saw the impact of COVID had on Arkansas, I researched the Arkansas Hunger Alliance which I have volunteered with before to try to find a way to be able to help them continue to do their work,” Shelton said.

His photos of Arkansas’ beauty are printed on the mask and sold online, and all proceeds go to feeding people who are food insecure.

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“Nearly 600,000 Arkansans struggle with food insecurity prior to COVID, and so now we’re seeing those numbers skyrocketing. And so, the avenue that I thought would best help them was to create these face masks,” Shelton said.

“We’re all in it together and I think that’s an important thing to remember whether it be small or big,” Shelton said.

Shelton also encourages the community to get involved by going to the organizations, website:

Click here to learn more about food insecurity or to give back. 

You can find Shelton’s masks here.

Editor's note: This fundraiser does not benefit the Arkansas Foodbank. The money goes to the Arkansas Hunger Relief Alliance. 

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