The Brookwood Community: Spectacular Place for Special People in Brookshire, TX
Brookwood Community
A special place called the Brookwood Community exists just west of Houston, Texas. With the spark of an idea plus much research in the area of finding and maintaining a suitable, life-enhancing home for adults with special needs, this stellar residential community came to be.
Ever since its humble beginnings in 1985, it has continued to grow and envelop the resident citizens with beautiful surroundings in every sense of the word. The residents who are fortunate enough to call Brookwood their home do what others do. They work, pray, and play together like other loving families.
How this all came to fruition is due to one lady in particular. But successfully operating this community is due to the efforts of many individuals, corporations, volunteers, and everyday people who merely wish to shop for terrific gifts, purchase healthy and beautiful garden plants or want to dine in their cafe on some mouth-watering cuisine.
Special Needs and Civil Rights
People are born every day with special needs. Others in our society become disabled due to disease or accidents which cause irreparable harm. Some of these needs are visually apparent, and others are not so easily discerned from casual appearance as the scars may be emotional or mental.
In the United States, ever since the Civil Rights Act of 1964, continuing efforts have been made to assist individuals in various categories via federal laws. The Civil Rights Act initially addressed discrimination against people because of religion, race, or gender.
Many of the laws have to do with educating disabled children, such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and its predecessor, the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975. Special needs children now have access to education and training from birth up to the ages of 18 or 21. Special accommodations can happen for each student, and many of these students go on to lead successful lives.
The most current Americans with Disabilities Act signed into law by President George Bush in 1990 addresses adults and prohibits discrimination from employment based upon their handicaps. This act affected many businesses and entities around the country. The new law mandated things like creating ramps, and larger bathroom stalls, to enable easy access for wheelchair-bound individuals. People with special needs could now compete on a more level playing field.
All of these laws have helped to some extent, but there are still many folks with special needs who lack an environment in which they can thrive, particularly after they reach adulthood.
Brookwood Community Landscaping
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeBrookwood
The Brookwood Community came into being because of the tireless efforts of the founder and executive director emeritus Yvonne Tuttle Streit. The link to Brookwood Community and some of these YouTube videos tell that story. Suffice it to say that when her daughter became impaired after an illness, this lady tried her best to move heaven and earth so that her daughter could lead the best life possible.
Most people survive having mumps with no long term side effects, but her daughter Vicki was not so lucky. Ensuing encephalitis and meningitis left her with residual brain damage. In trying to help her daughter get the best care, Yvonne Tuttle Streit began to meet others who had similar needs for their children.
Due to Mrs. Streit's successful fundraising efforts and raising awareness of the need for the development of a residential community where people with special needs could happily live out their lives, Brookwood Community became a reality.
It is situated just 40 miles west of Houston in Brookshire, south of Interstate 10, and encompasses over 475 acres in rolling countryside. On-site for the residents are living quarters, a non-denominational chapel, a nursery, gift shop, cafe, and even such things as a gymnasium and swimming pool.
The setting couldn't be prettier for this part of Texas! Over one hundred residents are fortunate to be able to call this place their home. People can arrange tours of the campus by calling this number: 281-375-2158. The address is the following: 1752 FM 1489, Brookshire, Texas 77423.
Plant Nursery
One way for people to beautify their homes and gardens is to think of purchasing the beautiful plants grown by the residents and volunteers at the Brookwood Community and also at several outlying storefronts.
10222C Westheimer, Houston, TX 77042 is one of the locations, and the other is in Old Town Spring, which is north of Houston. That address is 318 Gentry Street, Spring, TX 77373. At all three locations, not only are the plants of premium quality, but the pricing is very competitive with other retail establishments that sell similar items.
The residents at Brookwood Community learn to master the gardening skills and are also able to earn wages by doing this type of work. Tending plants and watching things grow and flourish make for a good feeling, as any gardener knows.
Years ago, when I chaired a fundraising dinner and auction event for an assistance ministry in the Bear Creek area of West Houston, I enlisted the help of the Brookwood Community to furnish the table decorations with live plants. All of the profits from the sale of the plants went to Brookwood, and it was a great way to combine efforts for the two non-profit entities.
Almost every year since I have become familiar with this charity, I add some of their lovingly tended plants into our outdoor garden area. It is an easy way to help support this fantastic charity and the residents who live there. Each season of the year features different plants like the poinsettias at Christmas as an example.
Plants and other items available for sale at Brookwood Community
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeGift Shop
There is a fantastic gift shop, which has grown much larger over the years to the massive place it has become today. Similar items are also sold at the Westheimer store and in Old Town Spring.
While the residents do not make everything sold there, hand-painted pottery and other items blend with the other products acquired. Visiting the gift shop presents a visual feast for the eyes. They decorate the shops seasonally, and I have some photographs that I took around Easter and others approaching the Halloween time of year.
Volunteers cheerfully assist one with purchases. You can find everything from blends of different teas to cowboy hats, statuary to furniture, artwork, dishes to table décor, jewelry to belts and scarves, and much too much to individually mention is in these gift shop locations. It is a perfect place to find that special something for oneself or others.
Prices vary from little in the way of pocket change to some that are higher priced. There is something to suit nearly everyone's budget. Knowing that a part of one's expenditure also helps a good cause makes shopping there even more delightful.
Sampling of Brookwood Gift Shop Items
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeBrookwood Cafe
This cafe at Brookwood is a delightful place to dine! The food is delicious and well prepared by a chef who trained at the New York Culinary Institute of America.
Items include savory homemade soups and unusually good sandwiches to entrée portions of delightful sounding pasta, mouthwatering fresh seafood, enticing vegetarian dishes as well as tempting meat dishes. Naturally, there are also tasty desserts to satisfy one's sweet tooth.
They use the freshest of ingredients, and Chef Laura McGuire's deft hand in creating these masterpieces will have you wishing to return and sample more of the delectable items on the menu. So far, every time I have dined there, I find myself ordering another tasty seafood entrée. Others around me have always said their food selections are delicious as well. The plating is very eye appealing.
The beautifully decorated room can be separated by a folding wall arrangement, which can make one part of it more intimate for groups who wish to meet as well as dine there.
Many wedding receptions occur here, and the room can display a dance floor as well as a stage. With the ambiance of a fireplace at one end of the room, and the glass windows and doors overlooking the well-manicured and landscaped lawn and garden area in the back, this site is booked continuously throughout the year.
For reservations to have lunch or to arrange other meetings and events, this is the number to call: 281-375-2400. Lunch hours are daily from 11 AM to 2 PM.
Brookwood Cafe Photos
Click thumbnail to view full-sizeSpecial Place
If you are not already familiar with what a special place the Brookwood Community truly is, hopefully, you are now enlightened. Not only do people with special needs live, work, and play in this fantastic residential community, but the community at large outside of Brookwood is welcome to come and enjoy this most resplendent of places.
Source:
This content is accurate and true to the best of the author’s knowledge and is not meant to substitute for formal and individualized advice from a qualified professional.
© 2012 Peggy Woods
Comments are welcomed!
This is a very impressive place and you have done it justice Peggy.
We all need more places like this.
What a great place and community. It is admirable what they're doing.
Brookwood looks like the ideal community to live for just about anyone. I would never be able to afford such a lifestyle but I am pleased that many do and can enjoy it. I love the pond and all the rock landscaping...that is where I would spend time in my own thoughts. Gorgeous place!
After having the photo rejected at Pinterest before, I've finally been able to pin this to my Leadership/... board to help highlight the work being done at this beautiful community. Thanks again for writing about it!
I think many businesses didn't know - perhaps especially in the southern states. In California, we were very proactive in getting the information out to local businesses and being a strong presence in the community. :)
Great HUB on a lovely community!
Regarding the statement about the ADA:
"This affected many businesses and entities around the country which suddenly mandated spending more money for such things as ramps for easy access for wheelchair bound individuals; bathroom stalls which could accommodate wheelchairs and many other things which prior to that law made it impossible for disabled people to compete on a level playing field with non-disabled individuals."
In the 1980s, I was transportation coordinator for an independent living skills organization in California. We were asked to form a panel to contribute information and ideas for the formation of the ADA. It is very important to note that the finalized ADA required businesses and public buildings to provide "reasonable accommodations" and that there are many grants and other forms of assistance in place to make these reasonable accommodations.
After the passage of the ADA, our organization was called upon often to help business owners determine what accommodations needed to be made. I went out with a team of people with disabilities from our staff and board to look at various businesses and make recommendations regarding changes to parking lots, entrances, work stations, restrooms, break rooms and more. We then assisted the businesses in applying for funding to make the recommended changes.
Providing these reasonable accommodations should never have been a burden to any business. Processes and funding were always in place to assist.
Voted up and interesting! :)
Wow this is so beautiful place and it makes it very special for the purpose it was made. I wish we had some places like these but unfortunately in our country we dont have much for these kind of guys. Very beautiful pictures. Voted up and sharing with followers.
We need more places like this for people with special needs. Sadly, some are not all they're cracked up to be and so it is important for people family of special needs people to stay informed about what is going on in places that serve those with special needs. One such place I was in a few weeks ago was showing pornographic images to mentally challenged people with a mentality of perhaps 4 or 5 year olds, and nothing was done about it when I reported it. I wonder how many people know for sure that where they have placed their special needs loved one is what they believe it to be?
Your photographs are beautiful as always. Voted up and beautiful and will share!
It would be wonderful if every community had a special place like Brookwood for people who have special needs. Such a great place for those people to live and contribute. When I looked at your photo of their plants, I was astonished by the Bromeliads. There is one that is gigantic! I'd love to have one of those.
Thanks for your wonderful tour of Brookwood. You were so good to enclose phone numbers and persons to contact if there was a need.
I voted this Hub UP, etc. and will certainly share. Mary
Wow! What a great place this must be and a life enriching experience for those who are associated with such a noble undertaking. I have worked with the developmentally disabled and it has been an experience that I wouldn't trade for any other. God bless.
Thank you for posting this hub to highlight the Brookwood Community. It is a beautiful piece on a beautiful place! I hope it will be highlighted many times over with comments.
Awesome information about a wonderful community and the love and care shows in the awesome pictures.
Glad to have read this and thanks for sharing.
Voted up, useful and awesome. Sharing this on G+1.
what an amazing sight Peggy. i love all your photos!
What a Truly Wonderful and Uplifting Hub Peggy. And Self Supporting, Wow! The Community should be so Proud of "Brookwood". I walk away Smiling. God Bless the Volunteers, and all the Residents.
Wow...you have great information here, Peggy. Brookwood Community is a great community as well. I really enjoy how the landscape support them. I heard that the nature also give us something positive. Very well written between beautiful pictures. Voted up (useful, beautiful, interesting, awesome).
Best wishes, Prasetio
Wow, I started out to read your hubs about cemeteries (which were wonderful) but it is this one that I will be taking with me. I am in the process of filing for a 501C3 for an organization working with families with medically fragile children. This is an inspiration to me! Thank you!
What a great idea to have little shops as well as home for the disabled. Your pics, especially of the bromeliads, are beautiful as usual. Voting this Up and Interesting.
Brookwood appears to be a very special place indeed, I love the images of the plants and flowers, it look like a lot of love went into them. Voting up and awesome
Once again in your unique style you have shared with us an informative and educational hub., and once again you have given me an insight into your world over there Thank you.
Such a beautiful tribute to such a special place. I loved how you gave the smallest details and supported it with pix.
I pray that such places come up in every town. It's such a help to the community and people who need it.
Voted up as awesome and sharing it across
Wow! Peggy what an amazing and beautiful place! why oh why can't they do this everywhere for special needs people? absolutely stunning, and your hub was amazing and so detailed, voted up and tweeted!
This is such a great and well written hub and enjoyed the beautiful photo tour through this wonderful community. Well done !
Vote up and more !!! SHARING !
Peggy W, thanks for being such a generous person. It takes a lot of patience to interact with those with special needs....and you've definitely done this to a T. May others learn from your example.
Wow, this is incredible! The next time I go to Houston, I'll make to make a trip to this community just to see everything. The plant life alone looks breathtaking and so well kept! The people who are cared for and live here must really be happy. If I'm ever in the area and get an opportunity to volunteer my time, I'll happily do that. This is going to be shared! You wrote some great details about this place and the pictures posted look wonderful. Thank you very much for telling us about this.
I wish I lived closer to Brookwood Community because I would buy some of the beautiful plants and items sold in the gift shop. What a beautiful place for people with disabilities to live and work and become part of the community. I have a nephew with Down's Syndrome so I understand the need for nice places like this.
What an awesome awesome place. I substitute teach in special needs classrooms and volunteer with seniors with special needs so I know how great a place like this must be. It is too bad that there are not more places like this. Voted up and shared!
What a wonderful place the Brookwood Community is . So glad to know the 100+ folks are there in this special place. Ms Streit is to be so very highly commended for her efforts on behalf of Brookwood. People with disabilities through no fault of their own are very close to my heart. Beautiful pictures and story, Peggy; shared with pleasure.
This place is amazing! I would love to visit and if I ever find myself in Texas again, we'll have to make a special trip to check it out. Thank you for sharing this exceptional place, Peggy!
You have really captured the essence of Brookwood and it's mission. It is such an inspiring story and always a pleasure to visit. I enjoyed the day we visited and had lunch there last spring! Learning even more about the history of Brookwood in this hub was very interesting. Each time I go, I enjoy the experience, the atmosphere and knowing my purchases are helping promote Brookwood. Looking forward to my next visit!
Brookwood is indeed a beautiful, amazing community. Have visited it myself and enjoyed a fantastic lunch, brousing in the gift shop and buying beautiful plants. Visiting this community deeply touches one's heart, and it is worthy of all the support it receives, Thanks for sharing Brookwood.
A very awesome and inspiring hub. I admire the Streit's for realizing the needs of people with disabilities. Your information on Brookwood Community is very enlightening. Brookwood has a lot to offer all people. Your photos and videos are always great. Awesome hub.
What an excellent arrangement they have made! Really they deserve out thanks and blessings of God!
Hi Peggy, This looks like a very interesting and beautiful place to tour. All in all I think things done for the handicapped is a good thing. I do remeber an amusing situation at work though. I worked at the Rock Island Arsenal which is also the home to some Army administrative functions and a variety of both civilian and Army personnel go there for various meeting and functions. I was at a meeting and went to visit the restroom. There was a "handicap" sign on the restroom and a confused soldier asked me if the restroom was restricted to only handicapped. voted up, interesting and beautiful. will share.
What a great story on this community. It is such a lovely place and has so many interesting services for special need individuals and their families. Lovely hub topic and so descriptive. Voted up!
This is a beautiful hub about a wonderful place, Peggy! The photos are lovely. Your hub is a visual treat and is also a great description of a very important community. I will share this hub.
Hi Peggy. Brookwood seems a lovely place to be. You certainly do it justice with this hub.
Your photographs are so good and illustrate the place so well. Well done.
Voted up and all.
Just a really pretty place. How nice to have a place like this for disabled. Great pictures. Voted uP and more.
What a lovely tribute to a lovely place. How wonderful the community supports this residential community. Every city should have one. And a place to take those you love who need help. Voted UP and also shared.
Lovely place; thank you for the tour.
What a beautiful setting for a residential community for special needs people! It's wonderful that the local community supports Brookwood by using its facilities and purchasing plants and gifts there. I have a great niece who will one day need to live in a residential community, and I can only hope that her parents will find a place as beautiful and caring as this one.
As always, your photographs are stunning! Voted up and shared!
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