By HEAL Staff Writer Jessica Martinez
Pat Deleon Brent has owned a camera for about as long as she can remember; she received her first Canon over thirty years ago as a gift when she was pregnant with her second child. She has not narrowed down her camera work to a specialty, saying, “I just shoot what inspires me, which can include great big land and skyscapes, little bitty insects and plants, architecture, reflections, and all kinds of faces…humans and critters alike.”
Pat has lived in Lincoln County for 20 years. She had been pondering doing some volunteer photography work recently when she was approached by friends and HEAL Board Members Sheri Rodgers and Micah Woodul about doing a photo shoot for Sweet Charity.
“Lucky for me, my friends reached out to me about the Sweet Charity photo shoot,” she said. “ I was more than happy to help my friends at the Nest!”
“We decided to have a photo shoot to help promote Sweet Charity as a great place to shop for high quality clothing and accessories,” said Micah Woodul, HEAL Board Member. “After all, Sweet Charity is a resale boutique (not a thrift store) whose proceeds benefit the Nest, Lincoln County’s first and only domestic violence shelter.”
Pat recruited her friends Sally Mize, Tabitha Rue, Natalia Vargas and Efren Roque to model outfits they found at Sweet Charity. “They were all very excited about volunteering their time,” Pat explained. “The models had fun going through the wonderful clothes and choosing some to fit their personal styles. The models did great and we got some fun shots to showcase the variety of clothing and accessories from Sweet Charity. There truly is something for everyone there!”
According to Woodul, HEAL is working to revitalize Sweet Charity. “We are planning on painting, reorganizing, rearranging, and overall revamping the store to make it even more of an elegant and enjoyable shopping experience.”
June Shaughnessy, who recently retired from her work as an advocate at The Nest and now works at Sweet Charity, added “My vision for the boutique is to make it a pleasant experience for our customers – a friendly staff, warm/welcoming atmosphere, high quality and upscale goods and fair pricing.”
Also, donations to Sweet Charity are tax-deductible. “We give you a tax receipt so you can ask your CPA or accountant about the deduction at tax time,” Shaughnessy said.
“I have the utmost respect for HEAL,” Pat concluded. “They have created a safe haven for those who are experiencing a difficult time due to domestic violence. HEAL’s Board Members dedicate and volunteer so much of their time to this extremely worthy cause. Many years ago, I found myself in an abusive relationship, so I can personally relate. I was honored to help and I would encourage anyone who might want to step forward and volunteer in whatever capacity might suit them to do so.”
Pat Deleon Brent’s fine art photography is available at www.photosbypat.com. She is available for portrait work of all kinds.
Shop fabulous name brands, vintage finds, high quality clothing and a wide range of every day items including furniture at Sweet Charity, located at 26156 US Hwy 70 in Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico. Sweet Charity is open Monday through Saturday