May 29, 2024 (Houston, TX)

A two-day fundraising event featuring items from the estate of the late Houston real estate icon Martha Turner, namesake of Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty, has generated over $60,000 for its two charity beneficiaries.

Martha’s only child, Deasa Turner, donated the items to the StellaNova Foundation, a local nonprofit whose mission is to provide funding for organizations which support responsible mental healthcare to those in need. Having selected Healthcare for the Homeless - Houston and the Montrose Center as its beneficiaries for the Sale, StellaNova Foundation Executive Director Doug Harris reports that each of these charities will receive checks in excess of $30,000.

An Estate of Grace Sale was produced by the Foundation on May 10-11, 2024, at the Montrose Center. The event drew hundreds of excited shoppers, including many friends and colleagues of the late Turner. Patrons began gathering the first day as early as 7:00 AM in anticipation of a VIP Preview, offered to fifty people in exchange for a $20 donation to the Montrose Center. Phyllis Hand Catering presented coffee and pastries for those in the queue.

To create this two-day, pop-up luxury retail experience, event organizers utilized two connected rooms on the Montrose Center’s first floor, with a floorplan that included dressing rooms, a packing/wrapping station and an “art gallery.” To showcase the upscale wearables and adornments offered for sale, fur, jewelry, outerwear, handbag, and shoe departments were positioned for optimum traffic flow. Rolling racks adorned with thematic signage directed shoppers to various “departments” using thematic messages like “The Wild, Wild West,” “Cozy and Cashmere,” “Having a Ball Houston,” “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” and “All That Glitters. Circular tables encouraged a visit to “Rue Chanel” and an invitation to “Walk in Martha’s Shoes.”

Reflecting on the event’s success on the eve of Mother’s Day, Deasa Turner declared the fundraising event a fitting salute to the life and generosity of her late mother. “I don’t think we could have come up with a finer tribute to my mother,” she observed. “Her grand sense of style will live on, and I’d like to think that a little piece of Martha went home with every shopper.”

Individual checks to the event’s beneficiaries will be presented by the first week of June, fulfilling the StellaNova Foundation’s 2024 pledges to the Montrose Center and Healthcare for the Homeless – Houston, while opening the door for continued funding.

Avery Belyeu, CEO of the Montrose Center, expressed her gratitude to the event’s producers, noting the impact of this funding on Houston’s LGBTQ community.

“Huge thanks to the StellaNova Foundation for including us as a beneficiary of their Estate of Grace Sale. The Montrose Center was honored to be a part of this special event, which celebrated Martha Turner's remarkable life and legacy in Houston real estate. Donations like these provide vital support for Houston's LGBTQ Center and promote equality, dignity and respect for all Houstonians."

Carlie A. Brown, CEO of Healthcare for the Homeless – Houston, spoke to the fundraising’s impact on their organization’s mission.

"We are enormously grateful for the ongoing partnership and generous support from the StellaNova Foundation. This gift will amplify our ability to provide essential healthcare services to those facing housing instability and homelessness in our community. Thousands of individuals rely on our services each year and the unwavering commitment of partners like the StellaNova Foundation helps us provide comprehensive services aimed at addressing non-medical drivers of health and interrupting the cycle of homelessness and housing instability. Together, we are providing dignified care that propels people forward into stable housing and overall wellbeing."

In the coming weeks, the StellaNova Foundation will unveil fundraising efforts for Guitars4Vets and The Purple Heart Project, two veterans’ relief organizations which are included in the Foundation’s annual giving.

About Martha Turner

A respected business and community leader in Houston during some of the city’s most adventurous times, Martha Turner, for many years, helmed the largest independent real estate brokerage in Houston. Following a headline-making merger with Sotheby's in 2014, the firm which she founded remains one of the most successful of its kind in the nation today, under the banner of Martha Turner Sotheby’s International Realty. A native Texan, this barrier-breaking former educator turned real estate agent paved the way for other women to pursue independence and prosperity. Once recognized by the State of Texas as “Houston’s Most Inspiring Businesswoman”, her business acumen and commanding presence served her in boardrooms and ballrooms with equal aplomb.

About Deasa Turner

A native Houstonian, Deasa Turner’s life, educational and professional pursuits have taken her from Hollywood to New York City, as well as London and Paris. An accomplished actress and model, Turner’s primary focus is now on her work as an assemblage artist and creator of short form films. “Glitter Glitter Bang Bang”, her successful 2023 solo exhibition at Taylor Fine Art in Los Angeles, was highlighted in LA Weekly and her work was most recently included in Kaleidoscope, a presentation of Hooks-Epstein Galleries’ exhibit of artistic creations by women. Turner is currently preparing for another solo show, scheduled for September 2024 at Hooks-Epstein Galleries in Houston. Learn more at StudioDeasa.com.

About the StellaNova Foundation

StellaNova Foundation is a Houston-based 501(c)3 organization whose mission is to support organizations providing service to Houstonians experiencing mental health issues who may not have access to, or resources for, care and treatment. Founded in 2020 by veteran broadcaster and marketing consultant Doug Harris, the Foundation is currently making distributions to Guitars 4 Vets, The Purple Heart Project, AHEPA Service Dogs for Warriors, the Montrose Center, and Healthcare for the Homeless - Houston, among others. The Foundation and its mission are funded by donations from the public and private sector, as well as the proceeds of special events staged for that purpose. Learn more at StellaNovaFoundation.org.

About The Montrose Center

The Montrose Center helps LGBTQ+ youth and adults live healthy, actualized lives with the tools and resources they need to feel affirmed. As the cultural hub of Houston’s LGBTQ community, the Center is “home” to dozens of LGBTQ-affirming social and civic organizations. For more than 45 years, their team of state-licensed clinicians, masters-level therapists, skilled educators, support staff and dedicated volunteers have worked together to create healthier futures for individuals in Houston's LGBTQ communities. Learn more at MontroseCenter.org.

About Healthcare for the Homeless - Houston

For more than 23 years, Healthcare for the Homeless - Houston (HHH) has promoted health, hope and dignity for those affected by homelessness through accessible and comprehensive quality care. Through three standalone clinic locations and on-site care within six permanent supportive housing communities, HHH offers co-located primary and specialty medical care, mental health services, addiction counseling, intensive case management and comprehensive dental care. With the support of HHH’s innovative, multidisciplinary healthcare model, individuals and families affected by homelessness have access to the necessary resources to address immediate health needs, stabilize their condition and are empowered to transition out of homelessness. Access to compassionate, whole-person healthcare improves overall well-being, increases chances of securing stable housing and employment and breaks the cycle of homelessness. More at Homeless-Healthcare.org.