Local Nonprofit Executive Honored as Women Worth Watching
Profiles in Diversity Journal named Sandra Guynes in their “Annual Women Worth Watching Awards” issue. Guynes is President and Founder of Pearls for Creative Healing a local nonprofit focused on helping survivors of domestic violence. The recognition was based on outstanding leadership and creating an organization with an environment where women can thrive.Art Program for Survivors of Abuse, Receives Grant from the Arts and Science Council and NC Arts Council
Pearls for Creative Healing has kicked off it’s third year of capturing the stories of local survivors for it’s End the Silence Exhibit held each October for domestic violence awareness month. Since 2012, Pearls for Creative Healing has helped victims of abused through its mission of healing through artistic expression. Pearls for Creative Healing is the only organization in Charlotte that specifically targets the healing effects of the arts for survivors of abuse and sexual assault.Husband and Wife Team Uses Photography to Shine a Light on Survivors of Domestic Violence
The crime of domestic violence affects 1 in 4 women. Less than 3% seeking community resources due to stigma. What if we could change that stigma by sharing the stories of survivors? Sandra and Odell Guynes, photographers and domestic violence advocates, started the End the Silence Exhibit in 2012. The couple took their passion for photography and used it to create social change around the issue of domestic violence. The exhibit provides women an opportunity to share their stories through portraits to create awareness on the crime of domestic abuse. Sandra and Odell are President and Vice President respectively of Pearls for Creative Healing, a non profit dedicated to helping survivors of domestic violence heal through the use of art and art workshops.