Coming Together

Citizen Carrie showing a beautiful Brookwood plant available in the Gallery Furniture greenhouse.

COMING TOGETHER

to Make a Difference

WRITTEN BY JACLYN RITTER

It can be said that the measure of a person is not how much they have achieved in their life, but how their achievement has improved the world they live in. This is the story of two such people, who through their mutual compassion and respect, with a combined appreciation for others, have made life better for many in need. Their friendship and kinship are a shining example in of how we can all make a difference within our community.

Gallery Furniture opened its third location on the Grand Parkway in June of 2015. With 165,000 square feet of floor space, this is their biggest location to date. Jim McIngvale, owner and operator of the stores, has turned this location into way more than just a furniture store, it is a destination. Jim, better known simply as Mack, is well-

known around Houston for so much more than just furniture – he is known as a giver. Mack is a giver of time, knowledge and money.

Yvonne Streit, founder of the Brookwood Community, knows Mack’s generosity first hand. He donated a large part of his new store to Brookwood, providing another location for its residents to sell their handmade goods and further support

their community. This relationship stemmed from an appreciation and admiration of one another’s dedication to giving back. By teaming up, they are capable of making an even greater difference in the world.

JIM M c INGVALE

Known for his fast talking commercials, fun giveaways and for his emphasis on great quality, “Made in America” furniture, Mack is not afraid of hard work.

From his humble beginnings in 1981 to building his wellestablished brand and world-class locations today, Mack has truly created something from nothing. Now, at a time in his life where he could easily take a step back to enjoy his accomplishments, Mack is just as present and dedicated to his business and to his customers as he was at the beginning. His committed work ethic is

unmatched as he regularly works fourteen hour days, seven days a week. This local icon’s energy and enthusiasm is infectious and no one knows the furniture business better.

Not only has Mack done an amazing job growing his business, but he has also done wonderful things to improve lives within his community. Mack shares his time, talents and resources as a mentor and motivator

for business students. He regularly steps up as a lifesaver for local needy families who are in need of something – sometimes something as simple as a bed. He is widely known for his work with Texas Children’s Hospital, Texas Medical Center and his work with the very first Mobile Stroke Unit. As many will remember, Mack even reached into Fulshear recently when Gallery Furniture donated all of the furnishings for the new Fulshear Police Department! These causes and generous donations do not even scratch the surface of the kinds of things Mr. McIngvale does on a routine basis.

“My dad taught me that it is easier to give than receive,” says Mack. “I want to be known as a giver. I am a firm believer in “capitalism with a cause.” One cause that is very near and dear to Mack is the Brookwood Community.

YVONNE STREIT

Yvonne experienced every parent’s fear, and through it all created a loving community that not only saved her daughter’s life, but thousands of others like her through the Brookwood Community. “It all started with God, He founded Brookwood and I worked for Him,” says Yvonne Streit, founder and Executive Director Emeritus of the Brookwood Community. Today, the community’s purpose is to provide opportunity through education for adults with special needs.

The Brookwood Community was born out of Yvonne’s personal tragedy. At the age of one, Yvonne’s daughter Vicki came down with the mumps. Due to unavoidable complications caused by the illness, her daughter was left with brain damage. Yvonne’s life instantly turned upside down. Her focus turned to finding a loving and safe environment where Vicki could learn necessary life skills. When she could not find it, Yvonne began working tirelessly to create it.

Yvonne’s solution started small as she began homeschooling Vicki. This soon grew into a learning group that included other local children with special needs. Over time the learning group outgrew Yvonne’s backyard and the group was graciously welcomed by a nearby Baptist church. It was not long before the church also had become too small, as word spread about Mrs. Streit and her efforts to help young people with special needs. It was a joyous day indeed when the Brookwood Community opened its doors in 1985. Today, the Brookwood Community is an internationally known example of how one dedicated person with a vision can make a difference and change lives throughout the world.

Not only does Brookwood provide a loving and welcoming community for its residents, but also the opportunity to work. Whether they work in crafts making handmade unique gifts, or in the greenhouses, nursery, café or gift shop, each resident walks away with a sense of pride, knowing that they are useful and they are contributing to the world.

“Individuals with special needs learn differently,” notes Yvonne. “They are a square peg, and society is trying to fit them in a round hole. So we built them a square hole.” Like all people, they want to have a purpose, and Brookwood gives them that purpose.

SHARING SIMILAR GOALS

Years ago, Jim McIngvale was invited out to Brookwood to do a walk through and voice any retail ideas that could help them grow their cause. After just a few visits,

The Gallery Furniture groundbreaking with Mrs. Streit and Mr. McInvale.

Mrs. Streit and Mr. McInvale at the Gallery Furniture groundbreaking.

Mack became a huge Brookwood fan. “I am amazed by the energy Yvonne has, and the passion she has for each and every resident,” says Mack.

While they may seem like an unlikely pair, Mrs. Streit and Mr. McIngvale have one big thing in common –their dedication to providing jobs for those who need them. “When you go to Brookwood and see how giving someone a job can improve their self-esteem and view of self-worth, you know that that is what it is all about,” shares Mack. “I believe that work is life’s greatest therapy. It saved my beautiful daughter Elizabeth’s life.” Elizabeth was told due to her severe obsessive compulsive disorder she would never graduate high school. She worked hard to prove every doubter wrong and went on to earn a PHD in social work. “When she became a social worker it gave meaning to her life.” Mack goes on to say, “People need meaning in their lives and meaning comes through work.”

money earned goes right back to the community. In fact, Gallery Furniture even covers all of their utilities. “Mack does these wonderful things behind the scenes and does not get enough credit for them,” says Yvonne. “He is a true community leader with integrity and forth rightness.”

Yvonne Streit has helped the world see that individuals with special needs have special gifts. They, like anyone else, have the right to feel like a citizen, one who has purpose and gives back. Jim McIngvale is proud to know her. “She is fighting for these people,” he says. “When society tells them they can’t, Yvonne is there telling them they can!”

The Brookwood Community has changed the world and has become the premier facility for adults with special needs. Through his platform, Mack has helped spread the word and share the community’s vision. He still remains one of Brookwood’s biggest fans. d

COMING TOGETHER

“I believe in Brookwood because they value work like I do,” Mack shares. “Of course I want to make money, but I also want to make a difference.” When it came time to design the new Grand Parkway Gallery Furniture, Mack was quick to sit down with Yvonne and share with her a unique plan to help introduce people to the great products and people that make the Brookwood community so special. Subsequently, Mack generously donated 12,000 square feet of space to the Brookwood Community where residents can create and sell the goods they produce. One hundred percent of the

The Brookwood store inside Gallery Furniture.