'Every woman is capable of doing wonders' | Central Texas nonprofit hosts Thanksgiving Fest to raise awareness of domestic violence

CEDAR PARK, Texas — For women and by women: that is the purpose behind Thanksgiving Fest at Lakeline Park in Cedar Park. The event was organized by Inspiring Divas in Austin -or IDIA USA- a nonprofit organization that aims to help South Asian women.

The festival features vendors, music and entertainment with a purpose.

"We decided to do something to raise awareness towards the Blue Campaign , which is run by the Department of Homeland Security," IDIA president Sneha Kashyap Thakur said.

"A lot of cases which come to us is around domestic violence , women not feeling independent financially, women not having a place where they can express themselves and be who they are."

Thakur hopes to create a space where women feel comfortable with each other. She shared a symbol that people can use if they are going through sexual abuse or domestic violence: holding their thumb against their palm and covering it with the rest of their fingers.

"It could happen with a friend and you would never know," Thakur said.

Heather Shults is a vendor who attended the event. She represented Growing Heart, a nonprofit that feeds people in need, as well as her own business, Heather's Baked Eats. Everything sold from her business is being donated to Growing Heart.

"As someone that has been through it myself, I want to stand and fight with women against the abuse: mental abuse, physical abuse," Shults said.

"It took a lot of healing, a lot of growth, but that's why I want to fight and help stand up and fight and fight against it."

The nonprofit is taking steps to rewrite the stories of women by empowering them first.