Life & Work with Marietta Hamilton of Baytown, TX

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marietta Hamilton.

Hi Marietta, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
Embracing New Beginnings, Inc. was born out of a very real place—watching women and families carry heavy burdens in silence, and realizing that survival shouldn’t be the final goal. Restoration should be.

For years, I’ve been the kind of person who notices what people don’t always say out loud. The woman who’s trying to hold herself together after a setback. The young girl who needs guidance but doesn’t trust adults anymore. The mother who is exhausted, stretched thin, and still showing up. The woman who wants a true fresh start, but the world keeps reminding her of what she’s been through. And the families facing crises that turn their whole lives upside down.

But my compassion isn’t only something I learned by observing others—it also comes from lived experience. There was a season in my own life when I was that woman: carrying more than I could explain, trying to stay strong, trying to make it work, and having to rebuild from the inside out. That season didn’t just teach me empathy—it gave me understanding. I know what it feels like to need support that comes without shame, and help that restores dignity.

That’s why Embracing New Beginnings, Inc. isn’t just an organization to me—it’s a mission with a heartbeat.

One of the first expressions of that mission is Marietta’s Closet, which is up and functioning today. Through Marietta’s Closet, I travel into underserved areas across the Houston metropolitan region and set up directly in apartment complexes—bringing clothing from gently used donations to brand-new items, along with shoes, jackets, and hygiene essentials. Then I open it up and allow families to rummage through everything and choose what they need most. I love that they’re not just “receiving” items—they’re able to pick what will truly help their household and give their loved ones some relief. My goal is to give families a moment of breathing room—a breather—so they can redirect their strength and resources toward stability. For many, it’s not only the items—it’s the dignity of being seen and helped without judgment.

I’ll never forget one Marietta’s Closet event we held in June, around Juneteenth. A mother stood in front of me with tears in her eyes and said, “Thank you for remembering us. They always forget about us.” That moment hit me deeply because it confirmed what I already knew—many families aren’t just lacking resources, they’re carrying the pain of being overlooked. That same day, a young lady smiled and told me, “Thank you. I just got a job, and these clothes are going to help.” Those two statements—one about dignity and one about opportunity—summed up why we do this. Sometimes what looks like “just clothes” is actually confidence, relief, and a step forward.

Another growing part of our work is education. Embracing New Beginnings, Inc. now offers a quarterly college scholarship on an application basis, awarding four college students $250 each per quarter. These scholarships are made possible through sponsor donations, and in this current season I also help seed the program personally as we build consistent support. Moving forward, we plan to introduce tiered scholarship levels so we can increase both the award amounts and the number of students we can bless over time.
My primary focus right now is preparing to launch Polished by Purpose Restoration Center in 2027—a restorative housing and reentry program designed to support formerly incarcerated women with stability, structure, and purpose-driven care. I believe strongly that a sentence should not become a life label, and that restoration is possible when women have safe support systems and the space to rebuild.

Beyond that, Embracing New Beginnings, Inc. is also developing three additional initiatives that will come next—one step at a time:
EmbracingHer Haven Home, a safe and supportive home for pregnant teens;
Hope Radiates Foundation, which will provide support for families navigating pediatric cancer;
and Grace Seasons Senior Living, an upscale, faith-centered living model for women to age with dignity and care.

At the end of the day, my heart is simple: to meet people where they are and help them breathe again—with dignity, compassion, and practical support. I’m building this vision brick by brick, and I truly believe that what God starts, He finishes. New beginnings are possible, and restoration is worth the work.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
When people ask whether the journey has been smooth, I’m honest: it hasn’t been perfectly smooth—but it has been purposeful. I’m literally building this vision into real life brick by brick, one day at a time. One of the biggest obstacles has been resources—because doing this work with integrity takes funding, structure, and the right systems in place. I’ve also learned that building a nonprofit isn’t just about having a big heart; it’s about governance, compliance, partnerships, and pacing the vision so it grows in a healthy way.

In this season, I’m seeding the initiative—sometimes with my own efforts, and often with the help of humble donations from people who believe in the mission. There have been moments where it felt slow, where the weight of the vision was heavy, and where I had to keep moving forward even when progress didn’t look “big” to others. Another obstacle has been doing the work while protecting dignity—making sure what we give and how we serve doesn’t feel transactional or demeaning, but empowering.

As the work expanded, the vision became clearer: this wasn’t just about helping people “get by.” It was about building pathways—structured, dignified, and sustainable pathways—to wholeness and long-term stability.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I don’t know if I’m “set apart” from others—I genuinely just try to follow Jesus’ example of meeting people where they are.

Professionally, outside of Embracing New Beginnings, Inc., I serve in finance as an AR/Billing Manager, and I’m known for bringing structure, accuracy, and accountability to the billing and collections process. I’m someone who values integrity and excellence, because I believe what we do behind the scenes matters just as much as what people see.

Outside of my professional work serving in finance as an AR/Billing Manager, I’ve spent decades serving in ministry—especially within the Seventh-day Adventist church family throughout Greater Houston, though not limited to—where many know me through my music ministry, which I’ve served in for over 40 years. In 2024, that lifelong ministry journey developed into MariettaLMinistries, where I serve through ministry, outreach, and wholistic wellness—body, mind, and spirit—with encouragement rooted in Christ. I am a Minister of the gospel and of music, and I take that calling seriously.

I’m currently completing my Master of Divinity (MDiv) through a private biblical school that, while not regionally recognized, has played a major role in mentoring me and shaping me as a minister: Deus College of Biblical Studies in Charlotte, North Carolina. The training and discipleship I’ve received there have strengthened my biblical foundation and refined how I serve—both through teaching and through worship.

My ministries’ presence is primarily online, but my music ministry, At The Altar Worship, travels to encourage hearts from church to church as invited. I believe worship is not just something we do—it’s a sacred space where God meets people, restores, and reminds them who they are in Him.

One of my personal visions is A Pastiche of Hymns, and we’re now preparing for our 2nd Annual gathering. A Pastiche of Hymns is a sacred worship event designed to bring church choirs, college choirs, and community voices together in unison, honoring the biblical call to worship through psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs (Colossians 3:16). This gathering is not centered on performance or denomination, but on shared worship, unity, and the preservation of sacred song as a lived tradition. Last year I partnered with the host church World Harvest SDA Church. This year I am partnering with the host church Fondren SDA Church in Missouri City, Texas, for an evening of togetherness in our community.

When it comes to what I’m most proud of, that’s easy: my beautiful children. They are my greatest work. Everything I build—professionally, spiritually, and through community work—has been shaped by my desire to leave them more than memories. I want to leave them an example: faith, resilience, integrity, and love in action.

If anything sets me apart, it’s the way I serve—presence over performance. I’m willing to start small, stay consistent, and build brick by brick with integrity. I don’t want people to feel like a project. I want them to feel like people—seen, honored, and supported. That’s the thread that runs through my life: excellence in what I do, faith in who I serve, and love that shows up—meeting needs where people are, just like Jesus did.

What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
What I like best about our city is the heart. Houston is incredibly diverse, and you can feel that—different cultures, different stories, different communities all living side by side. I love that there’s a spirit here that still knows how to show up for people, especially in hard seasons. The faith community is strong, and there’s also real opportunity—people here are resilient, hardworking, and willing to build. For someone like me doing ministry and nonprofit work, Houston gives you both the need and the network to make a real impact.

What I like least is that with all that growth and opportunity, there are still too many pockets of the city where people feel overlooked—especially families in underserved areas who are one unexpected bill away from crisis. The gap between “doing okay” and “barely surviving” can be wide here, and you see it in housing insecurity, limited access to resources, and entire communities that don’t always get the same attention. I also wish there were more connected pathways—more wraparound partnerships—so that when someone is trying to rebuild, they aren’t forced to navigate everything alone.

But even with that, I believe Houston is a city with the capacity to grow in compassion—and I’m committed to being a part of that growth.

Pricing:

• Marietta’s Closet (Community Outreach): Free of charge to families (clothing, shoes, jackets, and hygiene essentials provided at no cost).
• Donations (to support Marietta’s Closet): Monetary donations accepted in any amount; in-kind donations welcomed (new or gently used clothing, shoes, jackets, and hygiene items
• ENB Inc. Quarterly College Scholarship: $250 per recipient; 4 recipients per quarter ($1,000 total per quarter), funded by sponsors/donors. • Scholarship Sponsorship Opportunities: • Sponsor one student: $250 • Sponsor two students: $500 • Sponsor one full quarter (all four students): $1,000 • Future tiers planned as sponsor support grows. • Scholarship Application: No fee to apply (application-based selection each quarter).

Contact Info:

• Website: https://enbinc.org/
• Instagram: https://mariettalministries.org/services/ and https://www.instagram.com/mlministries_llc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/1Aj3AT9gWc/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@mariettalministries

Image Credits
Morton Video Pros/M&M Photography