When photographer Najlah Feanny Hicks of Clifton and her co-founder began the Heart Gallery of New Jersey, her only thoughts were of the foster children caught in New Jersey’s child welfare system. Though eligible for adoption, many languished in the system for years. She enlisted the help of photographers and editors to capture the smiles of nearly 350 children to create a traveling portrait collection, and then launched a Website and marketing campaign to bring their plight to the attention of potential parents. Because of her efforts, nearly half of the first group of Gallery children have been adopted and have permanent, loving homes.

Heart Gallery is dedicated to raising awareness about foster children available for adoption. Through the volunteer efforts of some of the country’s most prestigious photographers, portraits are taken that help capture the individuality and spirit of each foster child who is eligible to be adopted. These photographs are then shared via the web and through gallery exhibits in the hope that potential families will be moved to inquire about adoption.

She used most of her award to launch an organization called Do1Thing. It’s a nationwide effort of photographers, writers and Web designers to portray the face of homeless teenagers. The Web-based organization links to a number of non-profit partners that provide services to homeless teens. In recalling last year’s ceremony, Hicks said, “The beauty of this is that it allowed me to do one more thing. There is always something each of you can give.”