Women In Need

House of Mo is everything but an ordinary boutique. Its mission is to help women feel comfortable in their own skin with its variety of stylish clothing options for women of any age, size, or style and embodies both comfort and confidence. So when owner Monica Housewright was made aware that a local mother and her family recently lost everything in a house fire, she knew their connection was not by mere coincidence.

From hereon, we will refer to the mother as “Jane” to respect the privacy of the family affected by the fire.

Monica was reading submissions for a wardrobe raffle when she came across a nomination made by a woman’s daughter, explaining why her mom, Jane, was a deserving candidate. The girl wrote about how her family’s home was completely destroyed in a fire, leaving them with quite literally nothing. At the time, the family didn’t even have mattresses to sleep on and were all sleeping on the floor at a friend’s home. Moved by the girl’s submission, Monica knew she had to do more than provide just a new wardrobe for the mother. And considering the holidays were approaching, she wanted to help the entire family have the best Christmas possible.

With a candidate chosen and her unstoppable charisma, Monica started executing a game plan. First things first: get as many people involved as possible. She posted on social media, sent out email blasts, and called her friends and even her former boss at Medieval Times to fill them in and provide a list of items they could donate.

Within hours, donations began pouring in. “People were telling their friends and family, who went on to tell their friends and family and so on,” said Monica. “It was such a snowball effect in the greatest way possible. But I knew it was becoming something bigger than House of Mo could handle on its own.” This was when she connected with Flower Mound Women in Business (FMWIB) founder and CEO Christi Beca, who promised the support of FMWIB’s nearly three thousand members. “We were built for this,” Christi assured Monica.

During this time, the state required Jane’s kids to move into a temporary adoptive home because they were technically considered homeless, which meant they would have to spend Christmas in a foreign environment. Unfortunately, the adoptive family didn’t pull through with any gifts. But House of Mo and FMWIB were determined to make it a special Christmas for the family!

By the time December 22nd rolled around, House of Mo and FMWIB had collected over close to $5,000, a Christmas tree with presents piled underneath, as well as tickets to Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, basics we take for granted like toiletries, clothing, and of course, new mattresses. “We are so proud to live in a town like Flower Mound– one that nurtures generosity and spirit at the heart of the community,” said Christi.

Monica agreed, saying, “The people of Flower Mound take care of one another. I knew they would do what they could to help, but I never expected this level of generosity and involvement.”

People don’t meet by mere coincidence – Monica and this family were brought together for a reason. Her bubbly personality, inclusive philosophy, and empathetic mindset made all the difference in their lives and hers, too.