Cara Thaxton was about 5, living on Chicago's Northwest Side, when she first learned of her parents' giving ways.
She was with her mom, Linda, and they came across a homeless woman and her two children. Linda invited the three into her home since they had no where else to go. And during Christmas time, Linda often took Cara to area food pantries, so her daughter would appreciate what she had, understand that others are less fortunate.
"That [ memory ] stayed with me; it definitely impacted me," Thaxton said.
Linda died in 2009, but helping others was "her nature," Cara said.
The same was true of Cara's dad, James, who died in 2008. He regularly brought dinner to their elderly neighbors.
"Both of my parents were always about making sure others were taken care of; they always went that extra step; they always gave back," Cara said.
Now it's Cara who's always helping others.
"Cara is, without question, the nicest person I've ever met. Ask anyone who knows her, and they will say the same thing. She is the most generous person I've ever met," said Jen Valles, Thaxton's partner for the past seven years.
Thaxton, in January 2011, joined the nonprofit Shriver Center, which aims to improve the lives of people living in poverty.
"I work with the data base, the mailing list and just a lot of computer stuff," Thaxton said. "It's a fun job, especially since I get to see the most generous side of folks."
The 2012 Shriver Center Benefit Performance, featuring Sarah Jones, is Friday, May 4, at the Thorne Auditorium and Atrium of Northwestern's School of Law, 375 E. Chicago Ave., 5-8 p.m. Jones is a Tony- and Obie Award-winning playwright and performer.
"The Shriver Center is not [ primarily ] an LGBT center, but we know that poverty definitely affects the queer community; we know that there are a lot of LGBT people living in poverty, especially [ from the ] trans [ community ] ," Thaxton said. "Everyone is impacted by poverty, and I'm just trying to help others"just as her parents did.
THE STATS
Age
34
Neighborhood
Andersonville
Job title
Development associate at the Shiver Center
Hobbies
Reading, woodworking, whittling and softball
Relationship status
Partners with Jen Valles
Favorite TV show
Roseanne
Favorite restaurant
Francesca's on Bryn Mawr
Family tree
Is the youngest of five; brother Jim, 37, is gay
Little-known fact
Sleeps with a blanket that was given to her mom as a baby shower present.