We had the good fortune of connecting with Terry Holmes-Stecyk and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Terry, is your business focused on helping the community? If so, how?
Tender Little Hearts (TLH) was conceived as an equine assisted outreach for children and adults. TLH was founded in 2018. In 2019 we registered as a nonprofit with the Arizona Corporation Commission and became a 501c3 nonprofit organization, The mission of Tender Little Hearts Little Hearts is to build productive relationships and make a positive impact in the lives of others, by inspiring hope and transformation through interactions with our equines.

I was inspired by my previous volunteer activities with miniature horse rescues and nonprofit organizations and asked myself, how could I incorporate my own darling, tiny equines to create a fun, out of the norm, opportunity to promote literacy and bring joy into this world? I successfully organized Tender Little Hearts Mini Tales, a reading program for children. This program brings reading opportunities to those who would benefit from the interaction with a nonjudgmental listener. By using my miniature therapy horses and donkeys, we provide young readers a safe, empowering environment to spur on literacy growth. We inspire young readers to develop new confidence in oral reading, giving them the opportunity to unfold their imagination, gain new knowledge and stretch their confidence in what they can accomplish.

Through our Tender Little Hearts Assisted Equine Services visits, we touch the lives of those most in need. They provide therapeutic comfort, a source of emotional confidence and confidentiality in their interactions. Just the simple act of petting our equines releases an automatic relaxation response, lowers anxiety, reduces loneliness, increases mental stimulation, provides a happy distraction, even acting as a catalyst to reduce resistance in the therapy process.

We have a unique niche in Equine Assisted Activities in that our qualified therapy equines and handler volunteers conveniently transport our miniature horses and donkeys around the Valley to a variety of hospitals, rehabilitation centers, programs and centers for physically handicapped children and adults, brain trauma centers, child advocacy centers, libraries, schools, memory care and skilled nursing care facilities… anywhere a human can benefit from our programs and services. Because we are mobile and use miniature equines, we can bring our qualified therapy animals to individuals who could not otherwise travel to a location for the benefit of the activities or therapy we offer.

At Tender Little Hearts Mini Tales and Assisted Equine Services, we are driven by a single goal — to do our part in making the world a better place.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I enjoyed a rewarding career as a registered dental hygienist for 40 years. I worked primarily within the Scottsdale area and midway through my career, I was offered a position in Saudi Arabia. It was magical. The diversity of experiencing so many cultures as we worked together, sharing our heritage, our skills and hobbies with each other was life changing. I suddenly saw the world rather than only the corner I lived in. I see this period of my life as creating a patchwork quilt, adding each piece to what has shaped me into who I am today. And if I see myself as this quilt, I hope that it is covering those I meet, those I visit for even a short time, with love and joy.

I was blessed to travel the world, have amazing life adventures, experiencing well over 50 countries, but I also saw poverty and suffering beyond anything I could imagination. I was not in a position to do a lot at the time, but I did what I could to let those less fortunate know they were seen, they were appreciated, they were loved. Volunteering with like-minded women led me to finding what my mission would be at home. Once I returned to life in Arizona, I questioned what I would do to help make the lives of others better, how I could bring joy and happiness, give back to those I crossed paths with throughout the rest of my life. I found it through the hearts of my miniature equines.

Was it an easy journey, certainly not and I am still working towards making Tender Little Hearts self-sufficient through writing for grants, donations and thinking of creative fundraising ideas to allow us to continue offering our services at no charge so we can continue to serve the underprivileged in our community. It’s an incredible amount of work, every day, to care for the animals, prepare for the visits, organize volunteer and visitation schedules. It’s a long list of to-dos. And somehow I still find time to offer visits to our mini ranch for a more personal experience. I retired last year which has allowed me more time to focus on my nonprofit, its mission, its vision. Yet sometimes, I still wish I had 24 more hours in a day.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Day 1 – We’d start with a delightful breakfast at the Soul Cafe for their lemon ricotta pancakes. We’d visit the Southwest Wildlife and Conservation Center to tour and learn about the amazing creatures we are blessed to share the desert with. Perhaps even take a short hike afterwards in the nearby Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve.

Day 2 – We’d enjoy the narrative cruise of the Desert Belle at Saguaro Lake. Then head into Cave Creek to shop and finish the day with an adult beverage and country music at the Buffalo Chip or Harolds… or both!

Day 3 – Head to Old Town Scottsdale for more shopping fun. Perhaps have lunch at The Mission. Visit the Western Spirit, Museum of the West and finish with a sweet treat at the Sugar Bowl.

Day 4 – We’d enjoy a road trip to Sedona to explore the red rocks, perhaps through a Pink Jeep Tour or helicopter tour. Spend the afternoon window shopping and have a late lunch at the Cowboy Club before coming home.

Day 5 – We’d enjoy a morning at the Botanical Gardens and have lunch at their restaurant. After, we’d explore the Mystery Castle at South Mountain.

Day 6 – We’d start our morning at Talisen West to learn about the architecture and desert home of Frank Lloyd Wright, then enjoy our booked tour of Cosanti in Paradise Valley to see how the famous Paola Soleri brass bells are created and of course, bring one home to enjoy. We’d end the day with dinner at El Chorro.

Day 7 – We’d enjoy a guided horse ride with Cave Creek Outfitters to further explore the Scottsdale McDowell Sonoran Preserve on horseback. We would visit one of several donkey or horse rescues in our area. And end the trip with a dinner at El Encanto in Cave Creek.

Of course, each day would start and end with chores and time spent with my amazing little herd of miniature horses and donkeys. 🙂

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Certainly our volunteers deserve a lot of recognition.  Each one brings a unique gift to our organization. We are 100% volunteer driven. Tender Little Hearts has an amazing group of volunteer handlers within our programs to facilitate our visits. To date we have provided over 10,000 hours of volunteer service to enrich the lives of children, adults and seniors in Arizona. The hope is to create an environment where every little horse or donkey is given a purpose to enrich a human life, bring joy and comfort, and leave every person with a reason to smile.

Website: www.tenderlittlehearts.org

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tenderlittlehearts_minitales/?hl=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Tenderlittlehearts

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutArizona is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.