Houston Area’s Beloved Brookwood Community Faces Million Dollar Deficit Due to Coronavirus Shutterings

Is April 2021 too far in advance to be planning a gala? Not for many of the nonprofits that had to cancel their 2020 spring fundraisers thanks to the pandemic. Already Carol and Mike Linn, who are chairing the Brookwood Community gala next April ,are planning to make their Evening in the Garden a bold success.

And with good reason.

Brookwood, a time-honored residential facility that offers vocational programs for adults with disabilities, lost considerable anticipated revenue with the closing of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo and its booth there. That dent in financial resources was followed by the cancellation of the annual Spring Extravaganza, which draws hundreds to the Brookshire, Texas, campus, located 40 miles west of downtown Houston.

With Brookwood’s retail outlets closed, the steady flow of income from the sale of items created by Brookwood residents has slowed to a crawl (the facility is down $1 million in revenue).

In an effort to mitigate some of the financial crunch, the shop is offering 20 percent off storewide and free shipping through April 30. Shoppers can now order the full array of products online, including gourmet foods, western hats, coffee mugs, Christmas cards, and more.

Like many restaurants in the area, The Café at Brookwood, with its dining room closed, is offering to-go meals, the purchase of which helps support adults with special needs who live and work there.

The beautiful plants for which Brookwood is known can be ordered for purchase online with pick-up Monday through Friday. The horticulture program began in 1985 with two greenhouses and a small tree farm. Today, the program grows some 300,000 plants a year in 47 greenhouse and employs 100 residents, who keep it running seven days a week.

Mark you calendars: The 2021 gala is set for Wednesday, April 14, 2021.