On March 25, Her Well Center at 511 Velasco in Brookshire celebrated two important milestones.

The nonprofit, which assists victims of sexual assault within the three-county area, observed its third anniversary – and held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Samaria House shelter, located at an undisclosed location in the greater Katy area.

“Over the past three years, we have served 223 clients, walking alongside survivors from ages seven to 74,” Executive Director Candice Reyes told the capacity crowd. “Through that journey, one truth became clear, people weren’t just asking for support… they were asking for a safe place to go.”

That need is what led to Samaria House, she said. The shelter opened on March 30.

“We named this home after the Samaritan woman at the well, the moment where Jesus met her in her pain, saw her fully, and still chose her,” Reyes said. “That encounter was about more than meeting a need, it was about restoring dignity, identity, and hope. “That is what this home represents – a place where women and children can come as they are, be safe, be seen, and begin again.”

Reyes also thanked the Houston Texans Foundation, whose support helped provide the seed funding to secure the home for the first year, and founding partners Newland Church, Patsy’s Pet Supplies, and Kingsland Baptist Church.

Following the presentation of a certificate from Harris County Precinct 4 Commissioner Lesley Briones, read by Community Engagement Coordinator Angela King, local representatives from the Jordan Ranch location of H-E-B pulled Reyes aside and quietly told her that the grocery chain was making a $12,000 donation to fund the shelter’s kitchen for its first year.

Her Well Center will sponsor a 5K “Butterfly Run” on April 11 at 7 a.m. at Small Fire Thorne Community Center, 28760 S Firethorne Rd., Katy. To learn more, go to www.herwell.org/events/.