Tiffany O’Brien’s commitment as a board member and event chair for the Children’s Protection Center is driven by a mission that hits close to home.
“As a survivor of childhood trauma, I understand what it feels like to be frightened, hopeless and alone,” she says. “I often think about how different my own healing journey might have been if an organization like CPC had been available to me as a child, one safe place where I could have received compassionate care, advocacy and support.”
For a child who has experienced abuse, the traditional path toward justice often forces them to retell their story to police, doctors and social workers across the city. The CPC difference lies in its collaborative model, which brings a multidisciplinary team under one roof, minimizing the potential for re-traumatization.
“A child who has experienced abuse should not have to navigate a confusing system or repeatedly relive what happened by telling the same painful story over and over again,” O’Brien says. “CPC brings specially trained forensic interviewers, family advocates, medical and mental health professionals, law enforcement, child protection personnel and other partners together in one coordinated, child-centered response.”
CPC’s forensic interviewers are trained in the ChildFirst protocol, as well as child development, sexual abuse dynamics and other critical issues. To prevent children from having to repeat their trauma, interviews take place in a calming, age-appropriate environment and are digitally recorded for use throughout the investigation.
Beyond its clinical and forensic services, CPC is deeply committed to raising awareness about child abuse and the strong role the community plays in intervention and prevention through speaking engagements and free training classes.
“In my view, supporting CPC sends an important message throughout Arkansas: Protecting children is not solely the responsibility of one agency or one family,” O’Brien says. “It is a shared community responsibility. When children are given the opportunity to heal and families receive appropriate support, our communities become safer, healthier and stronger.”
CPC is elevating its annual fundraising efforts with a brand-new signature event titled Wine, Women and Shoes, and O’Brien was a natural choice to chair the inaugural event.
“I saw it as a chance not only to raise essential funds, but also to introduce more people to this mission in a warm and engaging way,” O’Brien says. “It is an honor to help create an event that will be joyful for our guests while making a very real difference for the children and families CPC serves.”
Guests can expect an evening that is “stylish, interactive, energetic and full of purpose.” The evening will feature marketplace shopping, wine tastings and a high-energy fashion show, among other experiences. All proceeds from the evening will go directly to support CPC and the services it provides.
O’Brien emphasizes that the team has been intentional about striking a balance, honoring the gravity of CPC’s mission while creating an evening filled with hope and celebration.
“The fashion, shopping, shoes, tastings, music and entertainment will allow people to connect in an uplifting environment while the moment of impact and fund-a-need portions of the evening will bring everyone back to the reason we are there,” she says.
O’Brien is especially excited about the “keys to the closet” experience. Guests can purchase a key for a chance to unlock a closet filled with local luxury, from travel experiences and beauty services to clothing, shoes and other prizes donated by area businesses. Attendees can tour the closet throughout the night to preview everything up for grabs.
“As our first signature indoor fundraiser and the only event of its kind in central Arkansas, Wine, Women and Shoes isn’t just an energetic and engaging celebration, it’s an investment in the future of the CPC and the children we serve,” executive director Jennifer Long says. “Together, we’re proving that when a community shows up, children have the chance to thrive.”
From personal experience, O’Brien understands that while trauma is part of a story, it never has to define the rest of it.
“Since joining the board in the spring of 2022, I have felt a part of my own healing begin as well,” O’Brien says. “Serving CPC has helped me recognize that what I experienced does not have to be the end of my story because I can use my experience to help children and families who are facing trauma today feel less alone.”
By putting children on the immediate path to healing, the CPC spares them the years of unresolved trauma O’Brien had to navigate.
“Abuse can have lasting effects, but with safe and stable support, expert treatment and caring adults, healing is possible,” O’Brien says. “This is about showing people what is possible when a community responds with compassion, expertise and action.”
Wine, Women & Shoes
Benefiting the Children’s Protection Center
Oct. 22, 6 p.m. | Chenal Event Venue
Info: childrensprotectioncenter.org/wws
PHOTOGRAPHY
JASON MASTERS
HAIR & MAKEUP
LORI WENGER
CLOTHING
DILLARDS
JE SHOT ON LOCATION
THE OLD MILL