Local boutique owner and single mother RoseMary Tucker said she leaned on her faith when her daughter, DyAnna, needed a life-altering brain surgery in late 2018. Tucker raised more than $60,000 to cover medical expenses by selling hoodies with inspirational messaging.

Her daughter is thriving now, Tucker said, and ever since she received such an outpouring of support, she has served those in need through her Hoodies 4 Healing Foundation.

“I’m basically just giving back to the community, just trying to find a way to do more with the blessings God has given me,” she said.

Tucker said she grew up regularly attending church, but she did not feel safe going in person when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. She decided to use some of the funds raised through hoodie sales at her store, Blessties Christian Apparel, to feed the homeless in downtown Houston on Sunday mornings instead.

She said she has served hot meals at the same time every week in the same location, near Franklin and Commerce streets, so people in that area know where they can find a comforting meal. Tucker said she helped serve nearly 300 meals on Easter Sunday.


“I want them to know that I’m there, and I want them to see the consistency,” she said. “I don’t go all over the place because I want them to know that every Sunday at 9 a.m., we’re fixing to get a hot meal.”

Even more recently, the Hoodies 4 Healing Foundation launched a new program that Tucker said hits especially close to home for her. Through the Mom of the Month initiative, Tucker is working to raise funds for single mothers whose children have significant medical expenses.

In March, Tucker highlighted the Georgia mother of a boy with Down syndrome who needed heart surgery, and April’s Mom of the Month was a Louisiana mother whose daughter had heart and brain conditions.

Each child highlighted has a hoodie and T-shirt designed specifically for them, and half of the proceeds from online sales goes directly to the child’s mother to spend on medical procedures and other essential bills.


“That’s just my way of doing for these mothers what people did for me,” she said. “I sold all those hoodies and raised all those funds to help my daughter, and so naturally, I have to be able to give back.”

While this limited-edition Mom of the Month merchandise is exclusively available online, Tucker said a portion of proceeds from the merchandise sold at Blessties goes toward serving the homeless in Houston. Tucker has owned her boutique for six years now and said she hopes to continue to grow her business so her charitable efforts can also grow.

“I want to grow to be ... a bigger and better blessing to the community and to the children,” Tucker said.

Blessties Christian Apparel, 18039 FM 529, Ste. D, Cypress. www.hoodies4healing.com