News & Events

We are proud to share our journey of growth and service. In 2023, our impact touched over 10,000 lives, thanks to dedicated programs and support from our amazing community. From […]

GIVE A GIFT FOR MOTHERS DAY, here Santa Maria was founded in 1957 with the mission to empower women and their families to lead healthy, successful, productive and self-fulfilling lives.  […]

On April 16, 2024, more than 100 of Santa Maria’s dedicated supporters gathered at this annual fundraiser celebrating the thousands of women and families whose lives are transformed via Santa […]

Santa Maria is a grant recipient from Wellpoint Foundation to expand the Caring For Two program (CFT). CFT’s focus is to improve maternal and child health outcomes for pregnant women […]

We’re excited to be a 2024 Houston Methodist Mental Health Innovation Grant recipient to help support women and children through our Caring For Two and MIRRORS program. For 30 years, […]

January 2024 is recognized as National Human Trafficking Awareness Month This month is dedicated to raising awareness about different forms of human trafficking, ways to support trafficking survivors, and educating the […]

Santa Maria is honored to be a recipient of the Special Beginnings® maternal and infant health grant from Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX), as part of BCBSTX’s […]

PLEASE JOIN US FOR SANTA MARIA’S ANNUAL FUNDRAISER, RISE PICNIC FOR RECOVERY, ON TUESDAY, APRIL 16, 2024. Individual tickets are now available for $250 each.  To purchase tickets online click here. […]

We are excited and honored to be awarded the Inspire Change Grant from the Houston Texans organization. We are proud to be recogized for our work among many other great […]

Santa Maria is honored to be recognized as Goodwill Houston’s Community Partner of the Year for 2022. We are delighted to partner with Goodwill to offer our participants the very […]

Dear Friend of Santa Maria, In music, life is often compared to a highway or a winding road. When challenges come many are able to stay the course. However, for those […]

We are very excited to announce that last night Santa Maria was one of the two organizations selected by Impact100 to receive a $100,000 grant award. This award will allow […]

WE ARE HONORED TO PARTNER WITH REVEREND PATRICK MILLER FROM ST. MARK’S EPISCOPAL CHURCH TO CELEBRATE HIS 100TH INDOOR CYCLING RIDE. We are very excited and hope you can join the […]

We are so proud of you!  

  Santa Maria E-news June 2023 Santa Maria E-news October 6, 2022 Santa Maria E-news September 22, 2022 Santa Maria E-news September 6, 2022 Santa Maria E-news July 28, 2022 […]

Click to read our 2021 Annual Report

We are very excited to welcome Rachael Wright as the new Chief Development and Communications Officer at Santa Maria Hostel. Rachael will be responsible for implementing all aspects of fundraising including […]

With a click of a button, you can change a family’s life. Make a Gift Here or Text GIVE to (713)715-1435 After maintaining sobriety for several years, Angel moved from her Houston [...]

Laura entered Santa Maria on July 4, pregnant, making a decision that she would break her addiction and bring a healthy baby into this world. Drug and alcohol were all […]

With a click of a button, you can change a family’s life. Make a Gift Here or Text GIVE to (713)715-1435 “We came to this country to provide a better future for [...]

With a click of a button, you can change a family’s life. Make a Gift Here or Text GIVE to (713)715-1435 Kerri was born in Marble Falls, Texas. Although she lived in […]

Dear Friends, As the year draws to a close, there is a special feeling in the air. The holidays are upon us, and our thoughts are concentrated on celebrating with family and […]

Electronic Version   RECOVERY ROOTS Ashlynn knew that night it was time to go for help. Somehow, she made it home after a night of binging, but did not remember how. […]

Texas Veterans Commission’s (TVC) Fund for Veterans’ Assistance (FVA) presented over $6.2 million  in grants to 23 organizations in the Houston and Gulf Coast areas for providing services to approximately 6,100 […]

We are seeking an individual (s) with strong organizational and creative skills to assist with the planning and presentation of children’s’ and family celebrations at our Bonita House location. The perfect […]

In concert with the 32nd National Rally for Recovery, Houston and the State of Texas celebrated the 11th annual Big Texas Rally for Recovery (BTRR), on Saturday, September 18 at the George R. […]

 LaNisha’s story starts with trauma. When she was just two years old, her father was murdered; later her mother whom for years suffered from addiction to substances was incarcerated. Once moved to live […]

Back to School is right around the corner, it is that exciting time of year when children all over the city get ready to go back to school, and our […]

Last year, as the pandemic hit one of its peaks, Episcopal Health Foundation stepped in with some much-needed COVID emergency funding. A portion of that funding was devoted to the [...]

We are excited to welcome Baylor College of Medicine addiction psychiatry fellows to Santa Maria. The fellows will be assisting with our detoxification and medication assisted treatment programs as well […]

Family and Community Literacy Workshops and Resources Read and Rise program is back, at SMH, and our residents are enjoying every word of it. The Read and Rise program provides families […]

Santa Maria Hostel (SMH) is honored to have been awarded the Houston Methodists’ Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) program grant award. Houston Methodist has designed the award to continue a […]

Something was missing from our hearts, celebrating with our tightly packed women’s groups has been impossible due to COVID-19 restrictions. So, on Friday, May 28th, we finally headed outdoors to pick […]

In April, Santa Maria was selected as one of 10 sites to participate in the Alliance for Strong Families and Communities’ Texas Change in Mind Learning Collaborative. With generous funding from the […]

NAS refers to the symptoms a newborn baby experiences from in utero exposure to substances or medication, typically an opioid. Every 25 minutes a baby is born with NAS. Texas’ […]

Cary White, our new Chief Development and Communications Officer is a native of Florida but no stranger to the needs of underserved communities and families struggling to make ends meet […]

Our original award of CARF (Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities) recognition was March 3, 2018. Our recent renewal survey awarded us three additional years of recognition. This distinguished award was earned by […]

Santa Maria (SMH) was recently the beneficiary of an award from the Texas Bar Foundation for our Court Liaisons Services program, led by Tommy Austin. This program is the only one […]

If you were unable to attend our Rise virtual fundraiser, not to worry, there is still time for you to GIVE.   DONATE   Your continued support has had a [...]

This year, there are glimmers of hope as the number of vaccinated people increase.  However, at Santa Maria we are still adhering to strict COVID-19 protocols, so our celebration had […]

Led by Amelia Murphy, our Senior Director of Recovery Support Services, many of our peer recovery support specialists are learning and practicing advocacy skills through preparation and participation at the […]

Her father had always been frightening. He loomed large over her, in rages that would often end in severe and painful “punishment”. Trying to protect her two younger sisters, she would stand […]

Nine years ago, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) began the Healthy Kids Healthy Families program started as a three-year initiative designed to improve the health and wellness of […]

We are so grateful for the many inquiries of how we fared during the snow storm and the frigid temperatures.  Like most of the city, indeed the state of Texas, […]

SHARE YOUR LOVE! Give An Act Of Kindness In today’s world, we can all benefit from some positivity. We’d like to encourage you to feel empowered and share kindness with […]

Providing Connection; Providing Heart Connection is one of the most important treatments of substance use disorder (SUD). Connecting with other human beings that share similar experiences is one of the strongest […]

Often we tell the stories of our clients’ residential treatment, the center and history of our organizational service. However, over the years, we have been adding programs that expand the continuum […]

When you buy a T-shirt, you are supporting the Peer Advisory Council of Santa Maria. After completing the purchase transaction, bring your receipt (it can be either printed or electronically) […]

Low Masters Car Club teamed up with friends Viejitos Car Club, H-bombs Car Club and Brown Impressions Car Club on Christmas Eve to lead TEAM Maldonado in a parade through [...]

Our Holiday Helpers 3 of 3 Unfortunately, our residents at Jacquelyn House were unable to see their children due to COVID protocols. Therefore, our staff took on the responsibility to deliver [...]

Our Holiday Helpers 2 of 3 We received so many gifts and blessings of attention during the holidays, it will take three emails to recognize them all! Almost daily in December, [...]

Our Holiday Helpers 1 of 3 The holidays were amazing at Santa Maria! Our caring community supporters really came through with so many types of blessings this season. Beginning with a sumptuous [...]

Most of our supporters know of our two main treatment campuses, Jacquelyn and Bonita House. A lesser known hidden gem is our original location on Paschall, just north of downtown […]

Sometimes you have to lose something to realize how precious it is to you.  This was true for Shannon and her right to vote.  She realized how important this election […]

Santa Maria wishes to express their strong opposition to the rule change adopted on Friday, October 9 during the joint meeting of the Texas Behavioral Health Council and the Texas […]

Seeking Safety is a type of therapy that is used to help people obtain a sense of safety from both trauma and substance use disorder. It is an evidenced-based approach […]

Come Home Houston is a new program recently awarded through funding from SAMSHA to Baylor College of Medicine, with Santa Maria (SMH) serving as a sub-grantee. The award is for […]

  “Having empathy for another person means your heart is breaking, because you understand the intensity of their experience, and at the same moment you are absolutely, equanimously present. You are not clinging to […]

National Recovery Month is a national observance held every September to educate Americans that substance use treatment and mental health services can enable those with mental and substance use disorders […]

As the opioid epidemic rages, the world community has looked for answers to saving lives and providing a path to recovery for those that are affected.  We are proud to […]

On August 4, the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), a component of the Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), awarded and announced $35,104,338 in grant funding to […]

Did You Know? According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health, 55 to 99% of women in substance use treatment and 85 to 95% of women in the public mental health […]

Last week, we looked at the science of debilitating trauma and discovered that the brain is often changed significantly with repeated, chronic or serious trauma and violence.  The study of […]

Holly made the Dean’s List for her third semester!  While attending HCC, fall 2019, spring 2020 and summer 2020, Holly continued to succeed in her studies with classes focusing on […]

TRAUMA -A series (part one of three) From Websters: trau ● ma/ ‘ troumә  ‘ trởmә a disordered psychic or behavioral state resulting from severe mental or emotional stress or physical injury Did You […]

Yolanda Ross is the kind of woman, kind of mother that we all hope to be for our children.  She is filled with love, with hope, with respect, with pride for […]

Over the past several years, the staff at Santa Maria has benefited from training with nationally recognized FASD (Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders) specialist Dan Dubovsky. FASDs are a group of conditions that […]

“FOR Me” is an offender re-entry program that has served 105 participants over the past 2 ½ years. The objectives for each participant in the SAMSHA funded program are to: Increase […]

Dear Friends, As we have all been made too aware with the senseless death of George Floyd, racial injustices continue to stain our communities. We stand with those across the […]

In January 2020… Santa Maria was awarded special funding for our Caring for Two program from Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF) At that time, EHF announced a groundbreaking $3.4 million investment […]

Our thanks go out to Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale once again! Several times over the last few weeks, his trucks have pulled up to our delivery door with necessities and […]

Without the generous support from our sponsors and donors, Santa Maria’s annual fundraising luncheon would never be successful.  We are so thankful for our donors who have continued to support us […]

Our supporters tell us that the most powerful way to share our work is through a story of one of our clients…so here goes our attempt to do that with […]

Download Spring 2020 Newsletter

We want to celebrate some very special people that remembered us for the Easter holiday!  Their generosity and giving spirit lit up our days with goodies for our clients and their […]

Everyone with school-age children has been facing the reality that students will not return before the end of the school year. Nationwide, parents are learning to assist with “home-schooling” their […]

Please join us for our Virtual RISE Event benefiting Santa Maria, on Tuesday, May 5. In light of the current COVID-19 health concerns we have decided to mover annual RISE […]

The health and safety of our clients, visitors, and staff is one of our top priorities. In response to the declaration of a Health Emergency in Harris County, Texas and […]

During the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, keeping everyone safe is our top priority. We are temporarily limiting guests and volunteers at the facility. This means family groups and family visitation may […]

Priscilla and Brysha began our interview with big, happy smiles which clearly revealed their deep sense of accomplishment surrounding their recent achievements.  They had just completed their career development phase […]

On February 3, the Charity Guild of Catholic Women awarded $484,926.00 to 47 non-profit organizations to help children in need in the Greater Houston Area. The presentation took place at the […]

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo and Commissioner Rodney Ellis hosted the first of a listening series, a community conversation aimed at gathering input for programs that support early childhood development. […]

The organization, First3Years, celebrated the early experiences that shape lifelong potential for all babies with a state-wide event, Baby Day on February 15. The day was created to promote bonding […]

Strengthening Families… Expanding Prevention Services in our Community We are excited to announce the award of a Texas Health and Human Services Commissions grant, Strengthening Families Program (SFP) that began […]

Twitter For Good Elevates Houston One Day -13,000 Volunteer Hours Last week the city of Houston welcomed about 4,400 Twitter employees (Tweeps) from 35 of their different global offices. They […]

With the Community Quarterback awards, the Houston Texans and BHP recognize outstanding volunteers from local United Way agencies working to make Houston a better place. On December 8th, during the […]

  Download 2019 Fall/Winter Newsletter

We could not be more grateful to Exxon Mobil for partnering with Santa Maria and United Way of Greater Houston for the two amazing Day of Caring events that took […]

We were happy to host our community partners from University of Houston Downtown on Wednesday October 28, 2019; Jonhatan Schwartz, Dean of College of Public Services, Ashley Blackburn and Judith […]

On September 13, a group of 30 volunteers from DOW Chemical, visited Santa Maria -Bonita House for a Day of Caring. This group of volunteers were visiting Houston to attend […]

On September 5th we hosted a large group of volunteers from ExxonMobil at our Corporate Offices. This amazing group of people worked very hard to build a beautiful deck in […]

We are honored to be one of the non-profit organizations to be awarded a grant from The Indo-American Charity Foundation (IACF). The IACF is a non-profit organization that helps the […]

Congresswoman Sylvia Garcia visits Santa Maria Santa Maria was privileged to have a visit from freshman US Congresswoman Sylvia Rodriguez Garcia, on Monday July 29th, the first day of her […]

We are excited to announce the date for our upcoming Annual Luncheon in 2020! Please Save The Date and plan to join us on Tuesday May 5th, 2020 at 11:30 […]

More than 300 friends and supporters of Santa Maria gathered on Tuesday, April 30th at the River Oaks Country Club for our Annual Luncheon which celebrates our commitment to walking with […]

Santa Maria receives a $15,000 grant from the Charity Guild of Catholic Women to support a program for child development On February 4, the Charity Guild of Catholic Women awarded […]

Santa Maria is one of the 12 organizations in Texas to receive a grant from Episcopal Health Foundation (EHF) to focus on giving children the best chance at a healthy […]

This new policy at Santa Maria, bans the use of all tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars, pipes and smokeless tobacco, within all properties owned, leased, or occupied by Santa Maria.This […]

Our 9th Annual Run For Recovery kicked off with a non-competitive 1k Kids Fun Run, followed by a competitive and non competitive 5k Run/Walk. Our sincere appreciation to all of […]

For her commitment to helping Santa Maria in our mission to empower women and their families to lead healthy, successful, productive and self-fulfilling lives, Kathryn Griffin-Griñan has received the Houston […]

On Wednesday November 28, Constable Alan Rosen and the Precint One Office organized their annual Car Wash and Toy Drive. For this year, they chose Santa Maria as the beneficiary […]

The renovation project was valued at over $300,000 and included a generous amount of donated materials and volunteer time. Volunteers participated in refurbishing the dining room and two group counseling […]

Over 30 volunteers from ExxonMobil visited Santa Maria -Bonita House on October 16 for a Day of Caring. This group of caring volunteers helped us to take care of our […]

Palais Royal partners with us to open a non-transactional store for those we serve On Thursday June 28, Santa Maria Hostel in partnership with Palais Royal hosted the Grand Opening […]

Santa Maria Hostel in partnership with artist Branislav Jankic hosted MILA – A sculpture and performance  Words by Celia Wickham In Branislav Jankic’s latest iteration of his ongoing visual and literary […]

A New Start Luncheon, benefiting Santa Maria Hostel, was held on Tuesday, May 22 at the River Oaks Country Club, to honor and recognize the many women and families whose […]

We are truly honored and excited to be the recipient of the AEC Cares Project-Houston. Renovations to the Santa Maria Jacquelyn House will start in October of 2018. These renovations […]

Sunday, December 17 was a great day for a race. The weather cooperated and the racers were ready sporting their Holiday gear to participate and show their support to the […]

We would like to congratulate Lisa Carpenter, member of our Board, for being a recipient of the 2017 Community Quarterback Award presented by BHP on December 9. Pictured from left […]

Santa Maria Hostel (SMH) was pleased to work with Shell on an imaginative and impactful program aptly named Shell Shark Tank. Our staff was asked to submit a management challenge […]

By donating to Santa Maria you are helping us restore hope, transform lives and promote long-term wellness and recovery to the women and families we serve.   DONATE NOW   […]

Friday, November 10 was a busy and exciting morning at Santa Maria, Jacquelyn House. We were fortunate to host some of the Houston Rockets staff and players along with the […]

Registration for the Recovery Coach Training is now closed. Please contact LaNisha Jiles if you will like to be added on the wait list and be notified about future trainings. […]

Our friends from ExxonMobil did it again! On Tuesday October 24, a group of volunteers from ExxonMobil came to Santa Maria Hostel-Bonita House and worked on several projects around our […]

We’d like to sincerely thank Rev. Karen Jacobs and The Jewels of Brentwood from Brentwood Baptist Church for organizing A Day of Compassion at the Santa Maria Jacquelyn Residences. Thank […]

Our sincere gratitude goes out to the large group of volunteers from ConocoPhillips that came to our Jacquelyn Residences as part of their Day of Caring on Wednesday October 12, 2017. [...]

Every September, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration (SAMHSA) promotes Recovery Month to increase awareness and understanding of mental health and substance use issues and to celebrate communities.  On […]

Our sincere appreciation to Exxon Mobil for their Day of Caring on Friday October 6. This group of volunteers came to our Jacquelyn Residences and painted our dining room and […]

Letter to My Mother was awarded for Best Short Film Documentary at the International Film Festival in Madrid on July 2017. We’d like to congratulate the author Branislav Jankic, the […]

Home Depot Day of Caring at Santa Maria! A huge thank you to the amazing group of volunteers from Home Depot (59 and Little York location) for putting their skills […]

Our sincere gratitude goes out to the World Changers Church volunteers and Pastor Creflo Dollar for coming to Santa Maria on Saturday August 12 and organized a fun Back to […]

We are grateful to our long time friends and supporters at Stage Stores and Palais Royal for all the donations received early in the month of August. Your contributions are greatly […]

Bonita House was turned into a perfect stage where Allison Iraheta (an American Idol Finalist) performed with her Halo Circus Band on Wednesday July 5th 2017. This concert was a great […]

Santa Maria clients and staff from all of our three residences including outpatient, along with other Santa Maria alumni and PAC members gathered on June 10th to celebrate Recovery! Over […]

Our sincere gratitude to each of our sponsors, donors, honorees, guests, and volunteers for helping to make this special event such a success! With your support we will continue to […]

Santa Maria’s clients from Baby and Mother Bonding Initiative (BAMBI) Program were featured on FOX 26 News this month of May 2017! We are very pleased to see these women […]

A wonderful group of volunteers helped us to start off this day with a presentation about the history and impact of Martin Luther King Jr in the USA. This was […]

Please enjoy pictures of our First Annual Luncheon in 2015

Thanks to the more than 260 guests that supported Santa Maria’s Inaugural Luncheon, the event was a complete success. Funds raised from the event will go to support the more [...]

A special thank you goes out to the BHP Billiton employees who collected monies and brought donations for the women and children at Bonita House. Pictured are Roger Fritz, Finance […]

Special thanks to the Professional Football Players Mothers Association (PFPMA) for donating toys to the children of Bonita House. Pictured (left to right) are SMH’s Cynthia Turner with NFL Mothers […]

A special thank you to Green Standards and ExxonMobil for their generous furniture donation. We deeply appreciate your continued support! SMH’s Cynthia Turner stops for a “selfie” during the delivery.

Santa Maria staff gets in the spirit during jersey day.

Thank you to Green Standards and ExxonMobil for their recent donation of office furniture and their continued support. We are deeply appreciative!

Santa Maria was recently awarded a grant from the Harris County Hospital District Foundation (HCHDF) to offer mental health services for our children and families. Pictured is Santa Maria’s CEO, […]

Make sure to read this great article about Santa Maria and one of our biggest supporters, HomeAid Houston. For more info on HomeAid Houston: www.homeaidhouston.org

Santa Maria Hostel and the VIEWS program have been selected for the Excellence in Veterans Assistance Award, to be presented at the 2014 Veterans Mental Health Summit. This inaugural award […]

A special thank you to Charlene J., Cynthia A., and Karnisha C. for going above and beyond the call of duty to help the women and children of Santa Maria. […]

Santa Maria would like to express our gratitude to more than 50 ExxonMobil volunteers that rolled up their sleeves during a recent “Day of Caring” at Santa Maria’s Jacquelyn facility. […]