You may have noticed (or panicked upon realizing) that it is now October, which means retailers are already slipping Christmas decor on the shelves between Halloween costumes. Whether or not the Texas climate has followed suit, the holidays are fast-approaching! Each year, GRACE is able to provide thousands of children and parents with Christmas gifts for the holidays through our Christmas Cottage program. This dignified experience allows for moms and dads to select new, unwrapped gifts for their children that they can take home and prepare to put under the Christmas tree. Of course, this program would not possible without the help and support of the community. This year, our trusty elves have already put together a list of toys and gifts that we have the greatest need for! If you find yourself having stumbled upon a great sale or a familiar item from the 2023 Toy Wishlist, we would

The GRACE Food Pantry received 1,000 visits last month. With last year’s total visits at 11,129 for the full fiscal year, this amount of need as we head into the holiday season is unprecedented. For perspective, the combined total of pantry visits from the two years previous – is 12,548. As we prepare to fill the shelves with the traditional tastes of the season, we’d like to take a moment to reflect on why access to the GRACE Food Pantry is the number one service requested by our clients. GRACE offers pantry staples including oil, flour, sugar, salt, and pepper. Personal hygiene products are also provided including feminine needs, cleaning supplies, baby formula and diapers, and even pet needs based on availability. The Pantry is proud to offer a self-select shopping experience so that our clients can freely select items that best suit the needs of their households. Volunteers help our Pantry Staff

Any local golfer will know that next week is the 12th Annual Classic Chevrolet Charity Golf Tournament at the Bear Creek Golf Course! On October 5th, members of GRACE staff will not only be participating in this fun event, but volunteering throughout the day as well! From start to finish, it’s going to be a great day.  For the last decade, Tom and Susan Durant, owners of Classic Chevrolet in Grapevine, have supported many local charities through the Tom and Susan Durant Foundation. This golf tournament is one of the many ways they accomplish their mission – and GRACE is honored to be one of the local organizations receiving funds! Every dollar raised is matched 100% by the foundation.  GRACE is so thankful for the support not only from the Tom and Susan Durant Foundation, but also for the support of Classic Chevrolet at large. They have been longtime supporters

Do you know an Eagle Scout? This prestigious merit is only awarded to 6% of all Scouts in the nation! That’s why GRACE was honored to work Ayman Rashid with Boy Scout Troop 758, as he works diligently toward becoming an Eagle Scout. Because of his hard work and leadership, GRACE food pantry now has three large crates on wheels to use in day to day operations, and this upcoming holiday season! GRACE is very proud to work with Boy Scouts on their Eagle Projects. Staff members at GRACE are so thrilled when a project comes to fruition. Now, these crates can be filled with nutritious food, ready to be distributed to those in need. GRACE appreciates working with the community on service projects and welcomes all ideas to help our neighbors. These projects assist GRACE programs year round, but especially during critical periods such as the holiday season. If

What’s one of the best parts of being on the GRACE team? The opportunity to go out and serve the community! We are so thankful to all of our supporters, and make sure to take time to support others in the same way. Just in the last week, members of the GRACE staff participated in and volunteered with a number of community events!  First, Grapevine’s annual Grapefest took place last week from Thursday to Sunday. GRACE staff served at various booths serving beer and wine to festival attendees and had a blast. Great weather, fun friends, and celebrating the city GRACE calls home!  On Monday, Director of Community Engagement, Meredith Martin, participated in the annual Colleyville Chamber Golf Classic! She even took first place in the Women’s Long Drive!  Finally, GRACE sponsored the Southlake Chamber Luncheon yesterday for their North Texas Giving Day luncheon. Staff members attended not only to

A heartfelt thank you to each of you who made North Texas Giving Day an impactful success for GRACE! Offering compassionate guidance and assistance to families and individuals facing hardship and hopelessness is the mission of GRACE and it is truly a humbling experience on North Texas Giving Day to watch our community choose GRACE over hundreds of other charities asking for their support. By choosing GRACE during North Texas Giving Day, your generosity provides stability, encourages self-sufficiency, and brings a continuum of care to those who so desperately need it. On behalf of the GRACE Staff and each GRACE client – we thank you for your support!

Are you looking for another meaningful way to give back to your community? Consider becoming a volunteer at GRACEful Buys in Euless! This is the second GRACE resale storefront, located at 700 W Euless Blvd. The store is open Monday through Saturday from 9 am – 6 pm! Volunteers play a vital role in the success of the GRACE resale shops. Their dedication and hard work ensure the smooth operation of the shop, benefiting both the community GRACE programs. As a resale store volunteer, you will have a range of important duties and responsibilities. These may include organizing merchandise, assisting customers, processing donations, and maintaining the cleanliness of the shop. Your role may also involve pricing items, arranging displays, and promoting upcoming sales or events. With each task, you are actively supporting the GRACE mission and ensuring its overall success! Volunteering at the GRACEful Buys Euless resale shop provides you

Each year, our community participates in North Texas Giving Day an online event created to support the many non-profits and the work they do to meet needs across North Texas. In less than a week from now, on September 21st, GRACE will stand alongside our community of incredible non-profits and ask for your support. By choosing GRACE, your generosity will provide stability, encourage self-sufficiency, and bring compassion and assistance to those who so desperately need it. For many years now, GRACE has offered a safety net of support and a continuum of care to families facing financial hardship. So often our clients are undercut by an illness, loss of a job, decreased work hours, car repair, accident, or some other incident that amounts to a devastating financial crisis. As we launch our 37th year of service, we look back on our accomplishments, but we are also keenly aware of the

This past Monday, the GRACE Community Clinic hosted a Mental Health Awareness class to help clients learn how to recognize stress, how to cope with it, and how to distinguish healthy fears and anxieties. Over 40 GRACE clients attended, and they loved it!  Led in both English and Spanish, this class served to give explanation and meaning to various mental health conditions that affect so many people, such as anxiety and depression, and how these conditions manifest in day to day life, such as insomnia and physical changes. Coping techniques and management tools, such as breathing exercises and forms and self-care, were also taught to the attendees.  GRACE is thankful to our many partners that help make these classes possible and successful for our clients! Thank you especially to Nikita Kennedy, LMFT, and Dr. Antonio Miranda, RD, LC CDCES, for leading this class together.  For more information on the GRACE

Did you know that the fall and winter months are one of the busiest times for the GRACE resale shops? GRACEful Buys Grapevine is a vital resource for the community, as it helps fund a hearty portion of our annual budget. GRACEful Buys Grapevine is a located just down the road from historic downtown Grapevine, and is an upscale resale shop loaded with items for the entire family. We feature everything from clothing and shoes to toys to jewelry and home décor. We also get new merchandise daily so you’ll never find the same thing! The store is organized in a shopper friendly way and the staff and volunteers who work there truly are amazing. Donations from our Donation Station are placed in this store for the community to purchase. At GRACEful Buys Grapevine, the back lot has furniture donations as well! GRACE is always looking for people in the