When local nonprofit Memorial Assistance Ministries (MAM) celebrates the 20th anniversary of its main campus opening in Spring Branch next year, the festivities will be happening at a significantly expanded campus at 1625 Blalock Rd.
After initially being constructed in 2006, MAM’s Spring Branch campus gained its current education wing in 2012. The nonprofit also opened additional service locations in Westchase (2018) and the Heights (2022) to better address the needs of the community.
And then last October, MAM broke ground on the Hamill Education & Workforce Training Center, part of a comprehensive campaign to help support the needs of MAM clients now and in the future.
The new facility, which is at MAM’s main campus in the Spring Branch District, is expected to be completed in early 2026, with the full campus renovation complete in the summer of 2026, said Ciara Major, the director of Development & Communications for MAM.
The project includes renovations to the existing building and resale store in addition to the construction of the new workforce and education center facility, Major said.
“Simply put, we are out of space! MAM serves over 15,000 people a year, and virtually all programs and services are at capacity due to space constraints,” she added.
The new facility will add 21,000 square feet of classrooms and workspace, 7,000 square feet of partnership space, and 12,000 square feet of shell space for future buildout.
Combined with the renovations to the existing facility, MAM will be able to increase private client services (including financial coaching, mental health counseling, immigration legal services, and navigation) by 80 percent and increase core training and education programs by 50 percent.
Also in the plans are a new Connections Café and a dedicated group volunteer space, in addition to the expanded Resale Boutique.
The Hamill Workforce & Education Center is named for the Hamill Foundation, which was the first philanthropic foundation ever to support MAM with a grant and now has come somewhat full circle with a $2.5 million lead gift in support of this project.
The total campaign, including the renovations to the existing facilities, will cost just over $21 million, Major said.
Memorial Assistance Ministries was founded in the 1980s when local churches sought to respond to the financial downturn that cost thousands of people their employment.
Churches banded together and pooled their resources to provide food, rental assistance, and clothing for local families. This initiative spurred the formation of “Zip Code Assistance Ministries,” as churches volunteered to serve specific zip codes to efficiently address needs around the city.
Out of this effort came Memorial Assistance Ministries, which has grown from a small food pantry to a 501(c)(3) that serves a huge variety of needs. In 2023, MAM served 18,474 people from 15,146 families.
Major said the local community can support MAM’s mission through the expansion process by donating (money or items to the retail store), shopping at MAM Resale (in Spring Branch, the Heights, or online), and by volunteering.
“Our parking will be impacted during the construction process, but we need people to keep coming,” Major said. “We will still be open for services, and our resale store still needs shoppers and donations to support our programs.”
For more, visit www.MAMHouston.org.
— Dorothy Puch Lillig
