There are a few charities that are near and dear to our hearts, and we feel blessed to have the opportunity to highlight and give back to them. We’ve listed links and information about them below. If you feel so inclined, please consider donating to any or all of them to help further their mission! 

HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit organization that "helps families build and improve places to call home." Families who partner with Habitat for Humanity work alongside volunteers to build their home, and then pay an affordable mortgage. Their organization believes that affordable housing plays a critical role in strong and stable communities. 

During our renovations of the original cottage, now known as No. 1450, we donated the original building materials and any that we had left over after our projects. We also purchased from their ReStores (with locations all over the U.S.). In fact, the reclaimed ceiling pieces in our No. 1450 cottage came from a Habitat for Humanity ReStore and ultimately inspired the entire color scheme of the home! Each store's stock will vary, but you just might find some treasures of your own. 

Photo by Haylei Smith

To find out more about Habitat from Humanity, click here.

The wendy wagner foundation

We had the deepest love for our dear friend of many, many years before her passing due to brain cancer in 2014. Yet her artistic legacy lives on and empowers women artists throughout Houston working across a wide array of disciplines and in all stages of professional development. Preserving the spirit, vision and legacy of its professional namesake, the Foundation provides creative mentorships, workshops, grants, and artistic scholarships to those women who color our world.

To find out more about The Wendy Wagner Foundation, click here.

The Depressed Cake Shop

Born out of a desire to raise awareness about mental health, The Depressed Cake Shop was started by Emma Thomas in 2013 in the United Kingdom. The cakes were intentionally gray with just a pop of color to symbolize hope. After a successful launch, The Depressed Cake Shop began to catch on among other bakers who wished to host a pop-up shop of their own. Today, shops have popped up all over the globe, in places such as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Glasgow, Houston, Seattle, Kuala Lumpur, Atlanta, Australia, and India. 

Their motto is "Where there is cake, there is hope...and there is always cake." We love their mission and that the movement has stimulated a discussion surrounding mental health, with many pop-up leaders having experience firsthand or with family members with mental illness. 

To find out more about the mission behind The Depressed Cake Shop or hosting a pop-up shop, click here.

NAMI TEXAS

NAMI Texas has a variety of education and support programs directed to individuals living with mental illness, family members, friends, professionals, other stake holders, and the community at large to address the mental health needs of Texans. NAMI Texas works to inform the public about mental illness by distributing information about mental illness through every means of communication. Interviews are produced on television, stories are featured in newspapers, brochures are produced and distributed, referrals are provided and newsletters and other publications are utilized.

To find out more about NAMI, click here.