Congratulations to the 2024 Woman of Substance Honorees!!!!  This special recognition honors women who have impacted Houston with their tireless efforts to strengthen our community.   This year, we are once again fortunate to have exceptional event Chairs!  April McGee and Paula Sutton are both former Women of Substance and with their combined efforts, we are certain this will be a banner year for our fabulous honorees as well as our beneficiary, Houston reVision! April and Paula have been mainstays in the success of multiple charities and continue to make a huge impact in the lives of so many!

Named after the global publishing phenomenon of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s novel, A Woman of Substance, this event was created by Paul-David Van Atta in 2017 and has honored more than 90 dynamic women who have positively impacted the city of Houston through their giving nature of volunteerism and philanthropy.  Each year, 12 women are recognized as Women of Substance.  Additionally, we recognize a Lifetime of Substance and Spirit of Substance Honoree.  In 2023, we added the Youth of Substance Category to celebrate the spirit of giving and caring that exists among the youth of Houston. Shaan Khurana was celebrated for his tremendous heart and also performed at the luncheon moving guests to tears.  The commitment of this event is to celebrate the diversity and exquisite culture of volunteerism that sets Houston apart from anywhere else in the country!  Houston is the most philanthropic city in the United States!

Women of Substance was designed to benefit multiple charitable organizations around the city and we are so pleased to continue our support of Houston reVision for the second year.  The introduction of this amazing organization yielded great results, garnering more than $500,000 in praise and support for the work they do for Houston’s most vulnerable youth. 

reVision works to break the cycle of isolation among the most profoundly disconnected youth, most of whom are caught up in the juvenile justice system.

By connecting one kid at a time to caring adults, positive peers and a program that works,

reVision offers disconnected youth the opportunity to “revision” hopeful pathways.

Everyone is transformed in this work: kids, mentors, and communities.

The mission of Houston reVision is to leverage the power of community by connecting kids on the edge with mentors, positive peers, and life-changing resources. An independent 501(c)3, Houston: reVision was created in 2012 through a groundbreaking public/private partnership which has grown to include 39 church partners, including founding members St. Luke’s UMC and St. Martin’s Episcopal Church, the Harris County Juvenile Probation Department, and the Houston Independent School District. reVision works with youth enmeshed at every point of the school to prison pipeline - teens in trouble at school, in juvenile detention, on probation - as well as ‘certified’ youth in adult prison. Intervening in the lives of male and female youth of all ethnicities, reVision has come into contact with hundreds of youth whose pathway into the criminal justice system began in their home schools, where they found themselves suspended, removed to alternative schools, and arrested and expelled. Many of our system-involved youth are also in the foster care system, experiencing homelessness, are refugees or gang-affected.

There is no other organization in Harris County with the capacity, expertise, and existing relationships to address the unique needs of this population. Since 2011, reVision has grown to provide high-quality mentoring, case management and community support, and educational programming to more than 2,500 youth per year with the help of over 450 volunteers.

You may reach reVision’s Event Planner, Terri Thorne, by cell phone (707) 799-1303.

If you prefer to pay by check, please make it payable to Houston reVision and send it to our office at 6856 Bellaire Blvd, Houston, TX 77074

Also, provide your full name, mailing address, phone number, email address, and who you are coming in support of.

Giving Levels are named for Barbara Taylor Bradford’s best-selling novels