Since it’s inception, HeARTs Speak has rested confidently atop a foundation of supreme collaboration, compassion, and courage. By nurturing and developing a growing community of like-minded individuals we’ve pushed artistic expression to the forefront of what’s considered beneficial in the fight to help shelter animals.
HeARTs Speak members already go so far above and beyond expectations, it begs the question: what great heights could they achieve if they received a grant from HeARTs Speak?
Turns out, they can touch the sky.
Thanks to the generous support of people and organizations that share our passion for animals, HeARTs Speak is able to provide member artists with the resources and tools they need to prioritize their work in the animal welfare community.
Sherry Stinson is one of the first recipients of the HeARTs Speak ‘Helping. Artists.’ grant. Sherry, a longtime HeARTs Speak member, filled us in on her recent work, which was made possible by her ‘Helping. Artists.’ grant: “I actually helped three different rescues with the grant. First, I shoot weekly at Tulsa Animal Welfare. It’s about a 45-minute drive from me and we arrive at noon each Friday.
Set-up takes about 45 minutes, and then we shoot until the doors close at 6 p.m. We photograph anywhere from 40-60 animals or more during this time.
I also traveled to New Orleans to volunteer at Villalobos Rescue Center right after receiving the grant. There I photographed several dogs at the request of VRC staff. I was told the same day some of the photos were posted they had adoption applications submitted for the puppies. We are still in the process of loading more photos for them. One of my local rescues headed by a veterinarian also had me photograph a few dogs. One, a Basset Hound named Paris, had an inguinal hernia and required surgery to save her life.
Within one day of us photographing Paris and posting the call for funds, Paris had the necessary $1400 to perform the life-saving surgery.”
Sherry’s kindness and dedication are unparalleled, and we are delighted that the grant allowed her to extend her already impressive reach for homeless animals. Visit Sherry’s website and Facebook page to follow her work.
