Marilyn K. Gambrell attended Sam Houston State University, Huntsville, TX and received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminology and Corrections. She is the Founder and Executive Director of No More Victims, Inc. (NMVI) which is the organization of origin for Legends and Legacies, Houston, Inc. She is also a Certified Anger Resolution Therapist.

 

Ms. Gambrell is a former Texas Parole Officer and Director of Programs of the former Concept Inc., Pre-Parole Facility and Intermediate Sanction facilities near Dallas, TX. She returned to Houston after accepting the position as facility director for a female correctional facility.She witnessed many painful life circumstances that children were enduring who were experiencing parental incarceration. She felt compelled and it became a long-term goal to create a program for this population of children. Her dream became a reality and resulted in her founding the non-profit organization, No More Victims, Inc.

 

In January, 2000 she initiated the program for children of incarcerated parents at M. B. Smiley High School in Houston, Texas. Her uniquely designed program specifically created for this child provided school, corrections and community-based components. The program offers a voluntary class daily for children who had previously or are currently experiencing the trauma of parental incarceration.

 

No More Victims has successfully assisted in creating a safer school environment, reducing crime and substance abuse, improving grades and attendance, reducing gang involvement and preventing crime and violence among children. The No More Victims program was designed for elementary, middle and high school ages and upward.

 

She has volunteered for approximately 20 years with the Texas Department of Criminal Justice bringing the students after they became age eighteen to speak to incarcerated fathers and mothers and share the experiences and feelings of the child when parents are in prison. The original students who began the program of origin (NMV) with Ms. Gambrell at age fourteen at M. B. Smiley High school are now in their early forties. Many of the original students are now in the military, have received vocational trades and are entrepreneurs.

 

Many have also graduated from college with several receiving their Master Degrees and one receiving his doctorate. The original children of the program have transitioned from childhood to adulthood and are now giving back to the child that they once were, a child experiencing parental incarceration. To honor their healing and commitment to themselves, their families, their communities and the current child who is now experiencing the trauma of parental incarceration, the program has evolved to become Legends and Legacies Houston, in honor of those initial NMV family members. Some of these legendary individuals will soon be facilitators in our classrooms, mentors, members of our speakers bureau and will be creating a social justice reform platform.

​

There have been many special feature stories documenting the work of Ms.Gambrell. She has been featured in U.S. News and World Report, People Magazine and Prism Magazine. Ms. Gambrell has been named an American Street Saint and her story is featured in the nationally acclaimed book titled “Street Saints: Renewing American Cities”, written by Barbara Elliott.

 

She has received local, national and international media coverage. CNN “NewsNight with Aaron Brown” presented four special feature stories (2003, 2004, 2005) with one story being nominated for an Emmy Award as an Outstanding Special Feature News Story (2004).

 

On August 22, 2005, the Lifetime Movie Network premiered a Lifetime Movie Original: Fighting The Odds-The Marilyn Gambrell Story. Houston PBS (2006) and Nickelodeon’s Nick News with Linda Ellerbee (2007) released special feature story about No More Victims, Inc. During 2008, she was named the Alumnus of the Year, College of Criminal Justice, Sam Houston State University and was named one of the Top Twenty Women of Houston by Co-America Bank and Rolling Out Magazine. She also received the Ambassador of Peace Award from the Universal Peace Federation. Ms. Gambrell and No More Victims were featured on MTV-True Life Reality Show (2010) and the Secret Millionaire Show and Latin Voices both in 2011. She was also the recipient of the McGovern Award from the University of Texas, School of Public Health in 2014 and she received a Houston Humanitarian Award from Houston’s Random Acts of Kindness Day and Goodspire in 2015. She also received the T B. Ministries Humanitarian Award in 2018, the Sheepdog, Inc. 2022 Humanitarian Award and the HESP the 2023 Pillar of the Community.

Ms. Gambrell teaches the children that

... because YOU exist makes YOU priceless...