Attendees clap after Tahidi Perez, a student of the Literacy Council of Tyler, spoke during the 2021 Women’s Fund’s Mother’s Day Luncheon honoring inspiring women at Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler. (Tyler Morning Telegraph File)

The Women’s Fund of Smith County honored inspiring women and their “together is better” mission statement Thursday during the nonprofit’s annual Mother’s Day Luncheon.

Tahidi Perez, a student of the Literacy Council of Tyler, served as the guest speaker to share how she learned English through LCOT’s classes for the event at Willow Brook Country Club in Tyler. 

Perez began by telling the crowd about herself, such as that she’s from Venezuela and she’s the mother of a 4-year-old boy. She said programs at LCOT allowed her to study English and share study opportunities with her son.

“It gave me the opportunity to study English and at the same time shared many educational activities with my son. A few months later, they offered me the opportunity to take business classes,” Perez said.

Those business classes helped lead Perez closer to her dream of owning her own business — a restaurant serving Puerto Rican and Venezuelan foods and desserts.

“I took the classes where my goal of having my own business really began to take shape, which is today becoming a reality,” she said.

She and her business partner said they will open their restaurant, Lemon Yellow Latin Bites, this summer.

Perez then noted the literacy council offers family literacy programs, GED classes and more to help those in need.

“We have access to all of that and it’s helping members of the community to get where they want to be,” Perez said.

Whitney Patterson, Literacy Council of Tyler executive director, called Perez a “true success story.”

LCOT is among the nonprofit organizations that the Women’s Fund gave grants to this year. Other recipients include Bethesda Health Clinic, Children’s Advocacy Center of Smith County, Christian Women’s Job Corps, PATH and St. Paul Children’s Services.

Jennifer Henry, chair for the Women’s Fund of Smith County Mother’s Day Luncheon, said the gathering at the luncheon is a representation of why “together is better.”

“We can make Tyler and East Texas a better place for women and children,” Henry said.

The Women’s Fund then announced that teen entrepreneur and author Mikalia Ulmer will serve as the 2021 Power of Purse Luncheon speaker on Nov. 9 at Green Acres Baptist Church Crosswalk Conference Center.