Somerset business owner feeling the love after $7,000 in camera equipment stolen

Local business owner Allison Faunce is well known throughout Somerset and surrounding areas.

The brain behind SOAM, Southcoast Open Air Market, as well as Faunce Photography, and the newly opened non-profit Art Pop, was vacuuming her car when she left a bag with her camera equipment behind. The bag was not there when she returned and was not brought to local police. Faunce, who posted a heartfelt video on her Facebook, told friends that she had just had a newborn photo session and that those photos were also taken. Also, inside the bag, a lens of friend and fellow photographer Jeff Simbro who lent her the equipment for a few days. Faunce was beside herself and admitted that asking for help was outside her comfort zone.

“To get really vulnerable here, I have been working extra hard taking on sessions the last six months to solely fund the start-up of Art Pop. Pretty much all my money that I make from photography these past months have gone to keep Art Pop’s lights on during this start up season. As a small business owner, you do what you have to do to keep things going. I have not stopped. I always turn to myself to solve the problems, never want to feel a victim of any challenges and never expect a handout or for things to be easy. But this season has been a great sacrifice.”

Art Pop is a new child focused art non-profit that offers art classes and drop-in events for children and teens. Located in the former Bank of America storefront in Somerset, the business opened this fall.

Photography sessions Faunce had scheduled were “going straight into the Art Pop account to make payroll for next week.”

Faunce reluctantly started a GoFundMe Thursday night, hoping to recover the $7000 needed to replace her and Jeff’s equipment. The post was quickly shared all over Facebook with donations pouring in. Friends and clients gave testimony to Allison’s talent and love of community.

Friend Diane Lynn shared: “The world would be a less enjoyable place without your photos. I hope you can piece things back together and get back to your gifted craft quickly. No more tears unless they are tears of joy. Happy Holidays.”

Shena Sullivan Goncalo wrote: “Allison Faunce is the type of person that will do whatever she can to help you. When our house flooded last winter, she offered us hers to stay in. I’m not sure you can live in Somerset and not know the pure magic that she is. She has given so much to our town and our families. It’s our turn to help her.”

At the time of this writing, the GoFundMe exceeded its goal and has raised $8530 with over 143 donations to help Faunce in less than 24 hours. Faunce took to her Facebook once again this morning to share her feelings and thanks:

“Where to even start. I cannot even explain the welling up of emotion I am experiencing. All my life, I convinced myself that the only true way to get through challenges is to dig deep, find the courage somewhere in yourself to keep figuring it out – Never to run away from hard work. I believe God gives each of us a backpack of skills and tools to learn how to navigate best our unique path in life. Yesterday, in the physical sense, the tools of my trade, how I have been keeping things going during this challenging season, were gone. What I am experiencing right now is I have had another backpack all along. That backpack contains the support and tools of friends, family, and the generosity of complete strangers. This experience is truly one I am marking as life changing. To feel wrapped up, safe, in the support of those around me, is a sense of peace that is not meant to put into words. For right now, I will inefficiently say “thank you”. If for some reason the bag is returned or found, please know the first thing I will do is return any funds to those who wish and/or I will turn every extra cent into a donation to Art Pop to keep it going.”