Everyone wants reassurance that their investment in a meaningful cause is maximized to its fullest potential. In the same way, GRACE continually strives to be the best stewards of every dollar given to make sure it is invested to meet the greatest need. That’s why we are so thrilled to partner with North Texas Giving Day on September 22, a 24-hour event that amplifies each dollar given to local charities from a collected pool of two million dollars. Here’s where the magic happens: all online donations made between $25-$50,000 here on September 22 are subject to additional funds from the pool dedicated to 2,000 charities in North Texas. Plus, each dollar given increases GRACE’s chances of winning bonus funds up to $10,000! How you and your family can participate: Save the Date on your Digital Calendar– With so much going on, a calendar appointment sure does help these days! If

GRACE is grateful to have the new support of Salesforce, the Official Valet Feature Sponsor of the GRACE Gala. Salesforce has been the digital pioneer in cloud based services by developing a platform that continues to set the standard for data analytics and relationship management tools worldwide. Their paramount success is reflected in their unique 1:1:1 model, which pledges to donate 1% of equity, 1% of employee time, and 1% of their product to improve communities around the world. As the most highly-valued cloud computing company with a market value of $55,000,000 and a staff of over 20,000, that certainly adds up! In addition, Salesforce offers multiple engagement programs that allow their employees to give their talents to the causes they care most about. Salesforce offers ample flexibility to its staff, including seven days of paid time off each year and access to generous grants Salesforce gives on behalf of

Last week GRACE Board President Don Johnston presented Donation Station Manager Kathy Mize with the 2016 President’s Award, GRACE’s most distinguished award honoring one individual who exhibits excellence in his or her field. Kathy has been a loyal, hardworking staff member for 11 years. Since 2009 Kathy has been the Donation Station Manager, and oversees ten staff members at GRACE’s largest resale site. Since the establishment of the third resale store, the community has increased their item donations by 25%, and the export volume to the stores has increased by 50%. Despite this overwhelming growth, Kathy has been able to save thousands of dollars on the brink of the new store venture by finding creative solutions. When Donation Station suffered severe damage from a fire last year, Kathy and her team worked tirelessly to ensure the store was operational only a week after the substantial damage. Those who work with

When we asked the community to help us provide backpacks to at-risk children, we were overwhelmed by backpacks filled with school supplies! TriNet and Fellowship Church donated over 250 filled backpacks for elementary to high school students. That’s an estimated 14 classrooms filled with children equipped for the new schoolyear! Studies reveal that the cost for school supplies and activities for students has risen up to 85% over the past ten years. A modest estimate for each elementary age child is $100 in supply expenses and up to $1,000 for a high school student when you weigh in supplies, gym clothes, field trip fees, musical instruments and other costs throughout the year. For a family living at or just above the poverty level sending multiple children to school, the $100 bill needed for each child may never come. To those who participated in collection drives, assembled bags and volunteered hours

Anyone who has ever wondered what the operations look like from the inside at our Community Clinic, Food Pantry, Clothing Room and resale stores should attend GRACE’s next community GRACE tour, happening Thursday, September 8 at 4:00 p.m. The group will meet at GRACEful Buys in Grapevine (418 E. Northwest Highway) for a behind-the-scenes look at GRACE programs. Following the tour, guests are invited to attend a reception at GRACEful Buys Grapevine with drinks and refreshments at 6:30 p.m. This is an excellent opportunity for your group to engage at a personal level with the efforts behind our operations. Guests will have the opportunity to meet GRACE staff and have their questions answered about specific ways they can use their individual talents to serve families in need. Space is limited, so please RSVP your family or group soon by emailing Executive Assistant Melissa Simpkins or by calling 817-305-4660.

The summer might be over but Grapevine Parks & Rec is still making sure you have a day at the pool while helping families in need. The REC is accepting Back to School supplies through August 31. All new donations to The REC will receive a free pool pass or a limited edition t-shirt. The additional supplies remedy situations for displaced or newly-located families in the midst of crisis, or those who were unable to attend the Back to School fair due to stringent work schedules. For this reason school supplies are needed throughout the year, and all the extra donations will be housed by GRACE to have on hand for the upcoming school year. The REC (1175 Municipal Way in Grapevine) is asking for new packages of socks, backpacks and lunch bags/boxes. Thanks in advance to helping GRACE meet the needs of every family throughout the year!

The harvest of the GRACE Community Garden is a beautiful illustration of the GRACE mission: sowing and tending to those in need so families can thrive in good soil. The GRACE Community Gardens provide an average of 2,000 pounds of fresh, organic produce to families each year thanks to community members who roll up their sleeves and put on their gardening gloves. Garden workdays are rewarding, feasible opportunities families and groups have to help local families in a tangible way. The community is invited to GRACE’s early Fall Planting Date, happening Saturday, September 10 at 8:00 a.m. Volunteers will be preparing the soil and weeding and mulching fruit trees, so that next month volunteers are able to plant cabbage and other fall favorites. In addition, the GRACE Community Gardens are in need of fresh, untreated grass clippings (void of pesticides) to supplement the compost bin. When you’re cutting the lawn

In 11 weeks’ time, your families, local businesses, civic groups and church congregations served 36,574 lunches to at-risk children every weekday this summer! That’s over $180,000 worth of donated food invested in the fight to end hunger in our community. To put it in perspective, if you were to line 36,574 peanut butter and jelly sandwiches end to end, they would extend nearly three miles! What’s more, GRACE has been able to provide supplemental food in conjunction with Feed Our Kids with our Mobile Food Pantry Program, GRACE Grocery Giveaway. Food donated toward the end of the week is taken to vulnerable neighborhoods so that the groceries can be enjoyed over the weekend at the peak of freshness. This allows us to be the best stewards of our donations by ensuring it reaches families when and where they need it most. GRACE Grocery Giveaway, which began in 2015, has met

For Immediate Release: Premier Black-Tie Event on October 22 Funds Community Programs                                     Press Contact: Heather Ortner, Marketing & Communications Manager                               817-305-4652 info@GRACEGrapevine.org       Join us for the 13th Annual GRACE Gala on Saturday, October 22 at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas. The black-tie event boasts gourmet food and spirits, Silent and Live Auctions and dancing to the music of renowned Mars Hill Band. Event proceeds allow GRACE to give food, clothing, shelter, education and medical care and other types of emergency assistance to families facing crisis. For nearly three decades, GRACE has been a haven for families facing crisis in Greater Northeast Tarrant County. In the midst of their hardship, GRACE guides families through long-term solutions designed to strengthen the community at large.

It’s hard to believe that we are finishing the final week of Feed Our Kids. We can’t wait to share the total count of meals you helped us share to children in need this summer. In the meantime we’d like to give a shout out to one of our incredible church partners, Compass Church, who works closely with GRACE to ensure every family in the community has the opportunity to receive food, clothing, medical care and spiritual support during difficult times. Compass Church has given more than $150,000 to program support and over 1,000 collective volunteer hours since partnering with GRACE. That’s over 40 days of nonstop sorting, cleaning, serving and sharing God’s love at the GRACE sites! Compass Church also played an integral role in providing temporary shelter to families after 20 homes were destroyed in Grapevine apartment fire last May. Congregants came together to pray for and care for