Channels’ photographer shows life under quarantine in Wisconsin
May 1, 2020
With City College going fully online and my job at Starbucks closing down all within a few days, I felt lost and panicked all at once. On March 15, I decided that the most logical thing for me to do was fly back home to Wisconsin in less than 24 hours to be with family, so I did.
My friend dropped me off at Burbank Airport, and I made my way home to the small town of New Holstein, Wisconsin where my parents live.
My mother, Terese Brunner was furloughed from two of her jobs and laid off of her third, leaving her with an abundance of free time. While my Step-Father Mitch Schrage operates his own carpentry business that has been booming since the stay-at-home order went into effect in Wisconsin on March 23rd.
Over the last six weeks I’ve photographed everyday life in quarantine for my family at our home in New Holstein.
Mitch Scrage and Terese Brunner share a laugh over their cat Sully jumping on the table and on top of the puzzle they started together on April 6, 2020 at their home in New Holstein, Wis. Throughout the uncertainty of shelter in place orders Brunner and Schrage have been enjoying the extra time together.
Terese Brunner works on filling out unemployment forms after losing her jobs due to the shelter in place order on April 6, 2020, at her home in New Holstein, Wis. Two out of her three jobs have already asked her to come back when it is safe to do so.
Mitch Schrage wipes the sawdust off a new screen he installed on his house on April 2, 2020, at his home in New Holstein, Wis. Schrage is used to work picking up this time of year, and with the shelter in place order in act, his business has not been affected at all, if anything has increased.
Mitch Schrage trims a part needed for the new screens he is installing on his house on April 2, 2020, at his home in New Holstein, Wis. Schrage is an independent contractor and does not get the same luxury of time off as people will always need a door fixed, porches redone, windows put in, and sometimes the occasional toilet paper holder screwed in.
Terese Brunner changes the bobbin on her embroidery/sewing machine on April 2, 2020 at her home in New Holstein, Wis. Brunner is taking advantage of free time and has been testing out new embroidery designs and finishing up a baby blanket for her expecting goddaughter.
Terese Brunner cuts Mitch Schrage’s hair at home while barber shops remain closed in the area on April 15, at their home in New Holstein, Wis. Schrage occasionally gets his haircut at a barbershop and usually has Brunner trim his hair in-between visits.
Mitch Schrage takes a break from putting a puzzle together with Terese Brunner to hug their cat Sully on April 6, 2020 at their home in New Holstein, Wis. Schrage finds comfort in the company their pets provide during these stressful times.
Mitch Schrage and Terese Brunner laugh with their 3 year-old grandson Oscar over facetime on April 10, at their home in New Holstein, Wis. Both Schrage and Brunner are sad that they’re unable to babysit Oscar or see him in person, but they’re thankful to see him through video chat.