At 15, a young woman became pregnant and feared her life was over. Having grown up facing hardships and watching her single mother work hard to support the family, she wanted something different for herself. With support from her family and Memorial Assistance Ministries, she stayed in school, completed vocational training, and found a job.
Today, at 21, she is studying molecular medicine, and through MAM’s financial coaching and matched savings program, as well as first-time homebuyer resources, she recently bought her first home.
Her journey reflects the core of MAM’s work.
“Our mission is to partner with hardworking Houstonians to build healthy, stable lives and hope-filled communities,” President and CEO Sonja Gee said.
What services does MAM offer?
MAM offers a broad range of services designed to address several challenges individuals and families face, including:
Vocational training programs: Pathways to become an EKG technician, certified nurse aide, licensed commercial driver, and electrical pre-apprentice.
Skills development: English as a Second Language courses, resume assistance, as well as computer and digital literacy education.
Wraparound services: Help applying for benefits, access to health care, counseling sessions, and immigration services.
Financial empowerment: Courses and one-on-one coaching to learn about credit scores, savings, debt management and building assets.
“Financial coaching makes a huge difference as we try to help families become stable, healthy and independent,” Gee said. “Often, we find that people don't know about good money management techniques, and how important it is to save, even if it's just a little bit from every paycheck. They don’t know how much peace of mind and strength that can give them and their family. A lot of what we do is encourage people, because it can get hard, especially when they're facing a health crisis, or they lose their job. We say it's about helping people gain skills, but it’s also about confidence and connecting them to resources so that they can reach their goals.”
Most of MAM’s services are free to the public, with some offerings available on a sliding scale.
To provide these services, MAM uses different sources of funding. 20-25% of that funding comes from its resale stores, which have supported the organization for more than 40 years and now generate more than $2 million in annual revenue.
What can shoppers find at MAM’s resale stores?
MAM operates two resale stores, including The Blalock Flagship Store on the organization’s Spring Branch campus and a second location in The Heights.
The flagship store recently expanded its boutique, taking the total store space from 13,000 square feet to over 15,000 square feet. The boutique offers high-end clothing, shoes, a vintage jewelry counter, handbags, home decor and items sold by entrepreneurs in MAM’s entrepreneurship program, called Innova.
“[Innova] helps low- and moderate-income families who own businesses, or want to own a business, grow and expand,” Gee said. “In the [expanded] boutique, there's an area where our entrepreneurs can showcase and sell their merchandise, … so that's a really fun component.”
In what other ways is MAM growing?
MAM recently opened the Hamill Education and Workforce Training Center, bringing additional resources and opportunities to its campus. The center includes a computer lab where community members can work on resumes, apply for jobs, develop digital skills and more.
MAM has also partnered with Harris County Public Library to host a library and innovation lab featuring tools such as 3D printers, laser cutters, embroidery machines and sublimation machines. The space gives entrepreneurs and community members opportunities to learn, create and develop new skills.
A new cafe near the expanded boutique now creates another space where visitors can gather and connect.
“Sometimes, people want to take a break and hang out with their friends [when they’re] thrifting. We'll now have a really cool space where they can sit and have a coffee,” Gee said.
Additionally, MAM’s new volunteer workroom makes it easier for large groups to participate in projects supporting the organization.
“We have a new large volunteer workroom, and it is really inviting,” Gee said. “Sometimes, people are looking for a place to come as a big group and do something great for the community. We've never been able to host those groups because we didn't have the space for them, so we're really excited about having this and the community engagement room.”
On Aug. 29, MAM will host a community celebration from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. to showcase the expanded campus and its new spaces. The family-friendly event will include food, giveaways, games, opportunities to explore the facilities and products from MAM entrepreneurs. The cafe will also be open for samples.
How can the community get involved?
“What I love about MAM is that everyone can do something to support [our mission],” Gee said.
This includes volunteering, donating gently used clothing, books, toys, electronics, furniture and jewelry to the resale stores, or making a financial contribution. Businesses, schools, civic groups and other organizations can also organize donation drives or volunteer together.
Ultimately, when individuals and organizations contribute their time, resources and skills, they help create more opportunities for families throughout the community.
“When we can put our differences aside and work together, we really can make a positive difference,” Gee said.
Those interested in learning more about MAM can find resources here:
Website: https://www.mamhouston.org/
Address: 1625 Blalock Rd., Houston (this is also where the Aug. 29 celebration will be held and where the Spring Branch resale store is located)
MAM campus hours: Mon.-Thurs., 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m., Fri. 8:30 a.m.-2 p.m.
Spring Branch and The Heights resale store hours: Mon.-Wed. and Fri.-Sat., 10 a.m.-6 p.m. (Heights 9 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sat.), Thu. 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Heights resale store address: 1015 E. 11 St., Houston
A quick recap FAQ
Who can access MAM's services, and what is the cost of those services?
MAM's services are open to the Houston community and are mostly free, with some offerings available on a sliding scale. Programs include vocational training (EKG technician, certified nurse aide (CNA), commercial driver, and electrical pre-apprentice), English as a Second Language courses, resume and digital literacy help, financial coaching, credit and savings education, and wraparound support like benefits assistance, health care access and counseling. Anyone interested in getting started can visit mamhouston.org/services.
How do MAM's resale stores connect to its programs?
The two resale stores, including the flagship store in Spring Branch and a second location in The Heights (1015 E. 11 St., Houston), now generate over $2 million in annual revenue, covering 20-25% of the organization's annual funding that supports the more than 25,000 individuals MAM serves annually. The flagship store recently expanded its boutique with high-end clothing, vintage jewelry, handbags and home decor. The boutique also features a dedicated section where entrepreneurs from MAM's Innova small business program can showcase and sell their products.
How can individuals and organizations support MAM's mission?
There are several ways to get involved. Community members can volunteer, donate gently used clothing, books, toys, electronics, furniture or jewelry to the resale stores, or make a financial contribution at mamhouston.org/donate. Businesses, schools and civic groups can organize donation drives or volunteer together as a group. More information on volunteering is available at mamhouston.org/volunteer.
The above story was produced by Senior Multi-Platform Journalist Sydney Heller of Community Impact's Storytelling team, with information solely provided by the local business as part of their "sponsored content" purchase through our advertising team.
