The purpose of Memorial Assistance Ministries (MAM) is to help families and individuals who find themselves in temporary crisis and in need of assistance to maintain self-sufficiency and avoid homelessness. As a tax-deductible Section 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, MAM provides emergency and financial assistance and other services designed to put clients back on their feet, largely the working poor faced with immediate and critical personal and family situations.

MISSION
Our mission is to assure that families have the means to meet their basic needs.

VISION
To carry out our mission, we assist families facing financial crisis to avoid homelessness, offer programs enabling long-term financial self-sufficiency, assure children an improved school experience, facilitate client access to other support networks, and provide value to our member congregations and the community.

VALUES
As responsible stewards, we are grounded in faith, offering hope, preserving dignity, and open to all.

In the area served by MAM:

• In 33 of the elementary schools, over 90% of the children come from economically disadvantaged families
• 30% of renters met HUD criteria for moderate to severe rent cost burden. Renters with moderate rent cost burden pay 31-50% of their income to rent and utilities expenses. Those with severe rent cost burden pay more than 50% of their income to housing expenses.
• An independent study of MAM’s assistance program found that 79% of families who receive rent assistance from MAM remained housed three months later.

In the City of Houston:

• An uninsured family of three with a $43,000 household income does not earn enough to support themselves in Houston, but they also do not qualify for WIC, reduced-price school meals, Food Stamps, Medicaid, CHIP, or child care assistance.
• In 2008, half of the eligible poor in this city went without essential food assistance.

In Harris County:

• In 2005, 3,791,000 Texans lived below poverty level and one in every six of those Texans lived in Harris County.
• 31.4% of the population has no medical insurance.

Volunteers help MAM to serve the community through working in Emergency Assistance, the Resale Store, ESL classes, administrative offices and specific events. They've been the backbone of the organization for over 25 years. It takes a minimum of 35 volunteers each day to open our doors to clients and customers. Click on VOLUNTEER to learn more.

MAM's member congregations include 29 area churches which help support our organization in a variety of ways. Assistance is provided solely on the basis of need, without regard to race, creed, color or religious affiliation.

If you would like to make a donation, please click on Donation.