GRACE Christmas Cottage “officially” launched the holiday season this week with an Open House sponsored by Park Place Lexus. But weeks before, GRACE volunteers were feeling the joy. Wednesday’s “Kids’ Time” and Open House at GRACE Christmas Cottage marked the official beginning of the Christmas Season at GRACE. More than 250 people attended to help GRACE welcome the merry time of year–and fill Santa’s Sleigh with toys. Earlier in the week, WFAA reporter Chris Sadeghi toured the cottage and was thrilled to learn of the 2,000 children who will have a brighter Christmas because of GRACE and Christmas Cottage. He filed this story that aired Tuesday morning. He spoke at length with volunteer Judy Sutherland who has served more than 700 hours of volunteer time at Christmas Cottage. For weeks dating back to late-October GRACE volunteers like Judy have been working to make Christmas Cottage a wonderful experience for our

A sincere thanks to the thousands of volunteers who give of themselves to further the mission of GRACE. Every year volunteers serve more than 60,000 hours across the area, in conditions as diverse as the blazing hot Feed Our Kids sites to the piercing cold New Year’s Eve at Donation Station. Medical professionals serve another 3,500 hours at the GRACE Community Clinic. Individuals, families, church and corporate groups, and civic and social clubs all join in to make sure GRACE clients receive the best, most effective services. The Southlake Chapter of National Charity League is one group that is represented at nearly all GRACE activities. Founded in 1996, the social and community service group for mothers and daughters has been a “go to” volunteer group since its inception. Every year the group takes six weeks throughout the summer, mid-June to late-July, to provide lunches to at-risk children through the Feed

Thanks to all who made a charitable gift to GRACE in 2016. It is only because of you GRACE can continue to serve the thousands who enter its doors seeking help every year. With the holidays now in full swing, it is very easy to let the year-end tax deadline sneak up. For tax-conscious donors some planning now, before the whirlwind of Christmas and New Year’s sweeps by, can reap great rewards by April 15—and help thousands of those in need now. As always, your gifts to GRACE in 2016 are tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. Everyone’s tax liability is a bit different based on your specific situation—consult a tax specialist if you have any questions. To make a gift, choose one of these convenient options: 1.   Go to GIVE to GRACE to make a gift or to pay an existing pledge online. 2.   To complete your transaction

Thanks to all who helped GRACE clients this year with food drives, clothing drives, toy drives and all other special events to support the GRACE mission. They were part of an inspiring community outpouring of good will, hard work and cherished support. GRACE—and all those GRACE serves—are so fortunate to have friends like that. One such friend is WFAA Meteorologist Pete Delkus, also known as Santa Claus’ No. 1 Helper. Santa and Mrs. Claus and a host of “Santa’s Helpers” will join Pete at the Grapevine Train Depot on Tuesday, December 6, to gather toys for children in need. WFAA’s “Santa’s Helpers” is celebrating its 47th year of collecting holiday toys for more than 50,000 children throughout Dallas, Tarrant, Collin and Denton counties. If you’ve been watching the local ABC affiliate, you’ll know the Santa’s Helpers 2016 Toy Drive begins today, November 25, and will run through December 21. The

Thanks to all the wonderful sponsors of events like the GRACE Gala and Drive Into the Night, and all other GRACE events and activities throughout the year. The generosity of these community-minded businesses and individuals is an inspiration to GRACE staff who strive to make all those who support GRACE proud of the way GRACE uses their funds to help others. Classic Chevrolet owners Tom Durant and his wife Susan are the perfect example of a community-minded business owners. They ask their employees to support the community through charitable work, and the employees have responded by making the Classic Employee Charity Fund a personal and professional goal. At their annual holiday luncheon this week Classic presented $40,000 to GRACE, and similar gifts to 6 Stones Mission Network, the Angel Fund of Trinity High School, Christ Haven, the Clubhouse for Special Needs and Neuro Assistance, Community Storehouse, Food for the Soul,

A great thanks all the shoppers who visit the GRACE resale shops. Fully one-quarter of the annual budget for GRACE programs and services is generated through the sales of clothing, furniture, housewares and other merchandise at the three GRACE stores. The stores are now decked in festive reds, golds, silvers and greens!  Just like at Santa’s Workshop, Christmas goodies line the shelves at the Euless and Grapevine GRACEful Buys and at Style & GRACE, according to GRACE Resale Director David Mowers.  Even better, holiday offerings are made brighter by great GRACE prices! At GRACEful Buys Grapevine, 418 East Northwest Highway, “holiday décor, ornaments, stockings and wreaths are in stock. And we have lots of Christmas trees—all sizes,” said David.  Christmas-themed clothing hit the racks in mid-November, and ski wear and winter coats are in stock currently. The Euless location of GRACEful Buys, 700 West Euless Boulevard, is filled with holiday

Many people responded to last week’s “Red Letter” and the GRACE Pantry now has enough turkeys for the Thanksgiving food distribution. That’s the good news. Thanks so much to all who donated to our urgent plea. Thing is, while we have the turkeys for next week’s food distribution, in about three more weeks, we will need turkeys for Christmas meals. A little background is need: A short while ago we heard that one of our longtime donors, who gave us $10,000 each year to purchase turkeys, chickens and hams for the Thanksgiving and Christmas food distributions to our families, would be unable to find money in their budget this year. Each year GRACE provides holiday meals to 950 families, we were in dire straits. The “Red Letter” did its job! We have enough money to buy all the turkeys we need for the Thanksgiving distribution which is next week. In

You know the rest of the neighborhood will be out defying all the rules of polite society, so on the day after Thanksgiving you can plan to help those less fortunate, AND grab some awesome bargains, too! Special Black Friday sales are going on at each of the three GRACE stores next Friday, November 25. GRACEful Buys in Grapevine and Euless will open their doors at the reasonable hour of 8 a.m. for “Early Bird” savings of 50% off anything in the store. Style & GRACE is going one better with 50% off storewide both Friday and Saturday. The 50% at Style & GRACE also includes jewelry. Doors open there at regular time, 10 a.m. and remain open until 7 p.m. Plug the address into your GPS: 2030 Glade Road, Suite 238 in Grapevine. The original GRACEful Buys (418 East Northwest Highway, Grapevine) and GRACEful Buys in Euless (700 West

Next week our executive director Shonda Schaefer will send many of you a message of thanks, hope and rescue to your homes. You’ll learn about Sherry who had been struggling through a violent and treacherous family situation for four years, and is only now beginning to see the light at the end of her dark, dark tunnel, thank to GRACE and the counseling and support she has received. It is gratifying to know GRACE could serve the needs that Sherry has, but Shonda’s central message is that you—those in the community who support the GRACE mission—are the reason GRACE could serve her and the thousands who have stories of hopelessness and need just like Sherry. When a family is struggling with a crisis, a loss of a job, an illness or some other catastrophe, support of any kind is a Godsend. While GRACE provides the assistance in the form of

You are cordially invited to attend the Christmas Cottage Open House Wednesday, November 30. Come visit and see how special the Christmas Cottage experience is. The “Charlie Brown Christmas” theme is sure to delight young and old alike. Park Place Lexus is sponsoring the Open House, so there will be plenty of goodies to go around. GRACE clients are so fortunate to have the good will, volunteers and toys—all the amazing toys—from our community to open a Christmas Cottage each holiday season.  Client parents are thrilled and grateful for the chance to “shop” for their children’s gifts and then watch the excitement on their little faces Christmas morning. When someone comes to GRACE for help, our caseworkers conduct a thorough assessment of their needs. For some in dire need, food, shelter, clothing and medical care are provided to the full extent. For others, assistance is provided to the extent needed. All clients