As the Official Décor Sponsor for the GRACE Gala, BNSF could not be more aptly recognized for their hard work to make GRACE sites both beautiful and functional over the years. GRACE’s relationship with BNSF was forged with United Way’s historical “Day of Caring”, an initiative that motivates corporate partners to pursue service projects with local charities. Their investment has since evolved into various projects throughout the year. The dedicated team at BNSF have cleaned, sorted, hauled and beautified virtually every GRACE site—from decorating the Christmas Cottage, to landscaping, painting and even taking on construction projects like entrance ramps and roof and concrete repairs. In 2014 the BNSF Railway Foundation’s Officer Retirement Charitable Award made a $25,000 contribution to GRACE to honor the retirement of Tom Hund for his formative role in BNSF’s vision as the Executive Vice President and CEO. Since retiring, Judy and Tom Hund have made it

When we relayed our need for underwear and shoes for school age children, we knew the community would respond with abundance. Not only did St. Laurence Church host a collection drive that amassed 600 new packages of underwear for children, the congregation also raised enough funds to purchase 86 new pairs of shoes for Back to School! That’s 86 children who will walk into their respective school with confidence and pride, and dozens of grateful families who are able to see their children sport new, unused shoes they can utilize the whole school year. All parents know that children are hard on their shoes, and a pair of sneakers is a hearty investment for any family, especially those who have multiple children. You’ve helped alleviate the burden for families, and created a sense of pride for children whose parents are facing a difficult season. For all gifts in all packages,

When Gateway Church member Doug Webb wanted to connect with a senior through Friends & Family, he knew just the senior who could warm another senior’s heart. Meet Monty, a twelve-year old black lab who still has a lifetime of love to give. Doug was connected with Friends & Family client Thomas Hayden, who calls Kindred Grapevine Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center his home. Pet companionship among isolated seniors has been shown to reduce stress, lower blood pressure and increase social engagement. Pets have a way of inviting others to find joy in the moment and exchange selfless affection. Doug also brought a book that sparks the two gentlemen’s common interest: the first Americans patriots. With Monty lying comfortably at their sides, Doug began to read aloud the American Revolution memoir to Tom. “When volunteers have these remarkable ideas, it reminds us that we all have talents and resource to

GRACE Executive Director Shonda Schaefer has been named one of SafeHaven’s Legacy of Women Beneficiaries in their upcoming Legacy of Women Awards Luncheon. Ten women will be honored on October 12 for their remarkable contributions to their community. The annual event raises funds and awareness for victims of domestic abuse. SafeHaven of Tarrant County and GRACE have been longtime partners, and rely on each other’s expertise when meeting the holistic needs of every family. As the need arises, GRACE and SafeHaven collaborate to meet the specific needs domestic abuse victims through GRACE Transitional Housing and SafeHaven services. In addition, GRACE utilizes a grant through SafeHaven to prevent homelessness in our community. Below is a complete listing of the recipients for this year’s award: Sissy Day | Texas Petition Strategies Fonda Martin | Arts Council Northeast Mayor Betsy Price | City of Fort Worth Alice Puente | Alice and Buddy Puente Foundation

If you live in the Metroplex you have probably spotted a Berkeys Air Conditioning, Plumbing, Electrical truck in your neighborhood, if they haven’t already paid a visit to your home for AC, plumbing or electrical work. What many may not know is there behind-the-scenes achievements at GRACE to support a community they love. Not only has Berkeys been an steadfast GRACE Gala sponsor, the team at Berkeys have made a personal investment in the Christmas Cottage program, which provides new toys to over 2,700 family members each holiday season. After volunteering with the program, the team was so moved by the experience that they were compelled to utilize their mobility to give even more. Berkeys President Jamie Wooldridge explains, “With our fleet of 40 trucks on the road each and every day throughout the Dallas -Fort Worth Metroplex, we thought that reaching our vast customer base through a toy drive was

GRACE welcomed Feed Our Kids newcomers Community Impact, although tight-knit team was so prepared we just did our best just to get out of the way and watch them go. Community Impact finds its ways to more doorsteps than any other Texas publication, and the Grapevine Colleyville Southlake team is dedicated to bringing the most informative, relevant news to local residents by personally investing in the community they cover. “Our experience through Feed Our Kids was truly touching,” said Community Impact Grapevine Colleyville Southlake General Manager Ana Ewin, “Seeing each kid perk up as they went through the food line and got their balloons was priceless! We are so grateful to be able to partner with GRACE and for all that GRACE does for our local community. Thank you for allowing us to participate in this program and serve with you. We look forward to next year!” The company was launched

Community is a powerful force. This week when our busiest Feed Our Kids site ran out of food to meet the high demand, local businesses and volunteers stepped up to ensure that every child received a meal that day. When GRACE called upon Wise Guys to make ten pizzas in fifteen minutes, there was no hesitation. Little did we realize they were in the midst of hosting a beneficiary event for the Grapevine Fire Department, which created a standing room only crowd of patrons at the pizzeria. Despite it being their first time this year on-site, Community Impact and Gaylord Texan were also more than happy to alleviate the shortage by donating a portion of their supplies to the sister site. Volunteers made calls, ran errands and gathered paper goods and boxes of pizza, bags of chips and napkins with a few cookies to spare. Everyone put their heads together

With your prayers and generous support, GRACE has been able to forge a strong bond with our medical clients, especially two who have recently faced dire diagnoses. This week the GRACE Community Clinic received an update that one of our Acute Myeloid Leukemia patients is in remission! This patient was referred to the specialized care to receive chemotherapy treatments from Baylor Scott and White Grapevine Hospital and Texas Oncology last December. If that wasn’t praise-worthy enough, we also received a positive update on a client who is in the late stages of renal failure. This patient’s diabetic complications have greatly  improved and will be receiving immediate dialysis thanks to the Parkland Program. Your support of the Community Clinic and other GRACE programs enable us to be there for families during their most vulnerable seasons. Please continue to pray for all our patients, as families endure the physical and emotional hardships

Thanks to the generous donors from Little Sunshine’s Playhouse and Penguin Patch for donating backpacks for our Back to School drive! Hundreds of children and family members are expected at tomorrow’s GCISD Back to School fair, where GRACE will be providing backpacks, supplies and clothing packets to families in need. Back to School supplies will be available throughout the summer at GRACE for families that may face unexpected hardships between now and the school year, and those who were unable to attend the fair to due transportation issues or work conflicts. The back backs and other school essentials alleviate the burden for these families, who often have more than one child. A special thanks to Penguin Patch CEO Jennifer Randklev and GRACE Board Members Karen Parrish and Bree Vopelak for coordinating these efforts!

“Faces of GRACE” is an editorial series that highlights instrumental volunteers who offer their talents and resources to support families in need. Parag Sanghvi has nearly completed his 11-week internship as a Client Services intern at GRACE. Parag comes to GRACE with an broad background in the business and nonprofit sector. Parag received his Bachelors of Arts in Economics from Stanford University, holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration, and is completing his second Master’s Degree in Social Work. His nonprofit experience and marketing expertise is too extensive to list, with his greatest tenure as the Director of Marketing and Brand Communications with Sabre. When asked about his greatest takeaway, Parag relayed that the two most rewarding aspects of the internship were witnessing the character and quality of the staff and clients.He was humbled by the sincerity of the Client Services staff and how those in the midst of crisis were able to overcome obstacles.