CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Special Hearts in the Arts is a non-profit organization located at 3102 S. Alameda St. in Corpus Christi. The organization gives individuals with special needs the opportunity to explore programs in art, music, dance, theater, and film.
“We help each other out, we grow, we learn from each other, we stick as a team,” said Vicky Hinojosa, a participant in the program. “I would say I’ve developed a real strong bond with all of them here. We don’t judge each other, and I think that’s what brings a lot of the love we have, we support each other, we have each other’s backs.”
The Special Hearts learn their craft and work to become better at it every week. They even host performances around the city for the public.
“I’m so happy to make my family proud of me when I’m doing Special Hearts in the Arts,” said Malachi Riley, one of the special hears in the program.
“It [makes us] kind of nervous for us to go up, but once we’re up in front of people, we just do what we have to do,” said Krystal Salinas, also part of the program.
However, Special Hearts in the Arts has a problem: the organization has grown too big for its current home on Alameda.
“We’ve been getting more and more special hearts joining us, and we don’t have enough room to fit them in, to rehearse, and to do all the different projects we do. So, we are on the look for a new place,” said Sherri Davis, the executive director for the non-profit.
Special Hearts in the Arts has 40-50 participants. The current building has two floors, each about 2,000 square feet, but there is no elevator in the building, and some people, like Hinojosa, can’t access the second floor. Additionally, the stage in the current building is too small for how big the group is.
“I’m hoping that something comes up where our special hearts can learn even more, and grow with the talent they have,” Davis said.
Davis said they are looking at one potential new home right now, but it would need work to transform it from its current state into one they can use.
“We are in need of people helping us make the new place presentable, and be okay,” she said.
Davis said they would need supplies to clean, fix, and paint the new building to make it into the new headquarters for Special Hearts in the Arts.
Davis requests anyone with information on a possible new space for lease, or who can help fix up a new place when they find it, to contact her at 361-774-0033.
The special hearts, too, are hoping to find a new home soon.
“It will help us to follow our dreams, to get our new building, to do more art, more performances over there, and it will be so fun to do it over there,” Riley said.
Davis said the lease for the current building is up in August.
