A little more than seven years ago, To Be Like Me executive director Hollis Owens and her cofounders began reaching out to people about their new nonprofit—one that would allow children and, well, anyone, to learn more about what it is like to be disabled in a safe, nonjudgmental space. To Be Like Me, they decided, would create opportunities for field trips where students could talk to people with those who have disabilities, who are known as LEADers. (LEADers stands for Leaders in Education & Advocacy for Disabilities.)
The organization was a finalist in DCEO’s Nonprofit and Corporate Citizenship Awards last year and has hosted field trips and community days at its relatively new home at the Greenwood Hills Elementary School campus, which Richardson ISD decommissioned in 2024. To Be Like Me was also named a 2026 Crystal Charity Ball recipient.
Earlier this month, the organization had its annual fundraiser—Fashion for Compassion, an event that is part dinner party, part fashion show, and part auction. LEADers dressed up to strut the runway while the crowd cheers them on. This year, they wore designs by Nancy Volpe Beringer, a runner-up on Season 18 of Project Runway known for her inclusive, adaptive designs. The models for the evening beamed as they made their way down the runway at floor level, pausing to spin, wave, and show off in Beringer’s designs—often one-of-a-kind pieces that were created for challenges in Project Runway. (You can see part of the show here.) In a world that sometimes sees differences as inconveniences, the night was a celebration of what it means to be compassionate and proud…