Where you begin does not have to determine where you end.

There are parts of my story that many people in my life today may not know.

People often meet me through the lens of who I am now. They see the business I have built, the community I love, the people I serve, and the life I have worked very hard to create.

But I came from a very different place.

I grew up in a home where abuse was part of our reality. Physical abuse. Verbal abuse. Emotional abuse. I watched my mom live through circumstances that no woman should have to endure, and I watched how difficult it was for her to leave.

Things were different in the 1980s. There were fewer conversations about domestic violence, fewer visible resources, and far less understanding of why a woman might stay in an unhealthy or dangerous situation.

What I understand now is that when someone does not have control over their finances, when they have been isolated, or when they have been made to believe there is no other option, leaving is not nearly as simple as saying, "Just get out."

I have vivid memories from that time in my life. I remember hiding in closets and under beds. I remember seeing bruises on my mom. I remember watching my dad being taken away in handcuffs after violence in our home.

And I sometimes wonder what our story might have looked like if my mom had known that a place like Texas Baptist Children's Home was available to her.

Texas Baptist Children's Home provides a safe place where mothers and their children can stay together while rebuilding their lives. They are given more than shelter. They receive counseling, support, education, life skills, and the opportunity to regain stability and independence.

It is a hand up, not a handout.

My mom did eventually find the strength and opportunity to leave. She went on to write a different story for herself, and in doing so, she changed the story for me and my siblings.

I wish she were here today to see the life that came after all of that. I wish she could see the work I now have the privilege of doing for other women.

Because one of the things I believe most deeply is that women deserve to be protected, cherished, and honored. And when circumstances have taken those things away from them, I believe we have a responsibility to support the people and organizations helping them find their footing again.

That belief is also why I have come to love another incredible local organization, Key2Free.

Key2Free serves women who have survived sexual trafficking and helps them rebuild their lives with safety, dignity, support, mentorship and practical resources.

Their circumstances may be different from the women and families served by Texas Baptist Children's Home, but the underlying truth is the same. Abuse is abuse. Vulnerability is vulnerability. And people deserve a path toward safety, dignity and a different future.

For me, something that began as heartache many years ago has become part of my purpose.

I want women to know that where you begin does not have to determine where you end. You can come from one place and create something entirely different.

• You can break a cycle.
• You can change what life looks like for your children.
• You can change generations.
• You can be the one.

And if I can help another woman become the one who changes everything for her family, then I want to do exactly that.

That is the heart behind the T. Kerr Property Group and Russ Phillips Team Giving Gala.

On September 10, we are bringing our community together for an incredible evening benefiting Texas Baptist Children's Home and Key2Free. There will be wonderful food, live entertainment, incredible auction items, and a whole lot of fun, but underneath all of it is a purpose that is deeply personal to me.

We are helping create opportunities for women and families to write a different next chapter. And I would genuinely love for you to be part of it.

Tickets are still available, and there are opportunities to attend individually or gather some of your favorite people and join us together.

I know we all get asked to support a lot of good things. This one has my whole heart.

Maybe my family did not have an organization like Texas Baptist Children's Home step into our story when I was a little girl. But today, I get the privilege of helping make sure it is there for someone else. And that feels a little bit like bringing the story full circle.

I hope you will join me on September 10.

With love,
Tanya