The Southlake Chamber of Commerce held its annual awards banquet on June 23 and honored several recipients who are affiliated with GRACE programs and services. We are proud of all of our volunteers and congratulate all who are nominated and receiving awards in our communities. The Chamber Awards for 2016 went to the following individuals and businesses: Chamber Chairman’s Award- Mike Tesoriero Chamber Chairman’s Award- Cheryl Fairbanks Ambassador of the Year- Scott Baker Chamber President’s Award- Bill Buffington Volunteers of the Year- Chris and Stacey Archer Civic Group of the Year- Miracle League Small Business of the Year- Iron Tribe Corporate Business of the Year- Sabre Citizen of the Year- Judge Mike Farhat Mike Tesoriero received the Chamber Chairman’s Award, one of the Chamber’s highest honors. Mike and his wife Nicole have chronicled the community’s best moments since founding Southlake Style in 2006, making it the longest-running magazine in Southlake’s

We are tremendously honored to have NBC 5 DFW’s First at Four Anchor and Reporter Bianca Castro as the GRACE Gala emcee on October 22.  Bianca comes home to Dallas-Fort Worth from Orlando, where she served as news anchor and reporter at ABC’s WFTV. The role of the emcee is an important one to inform, inspire and introduce guests to all things GRACE the night of the Gala. After anchoring in the mornings, Bianca found her niche in investigative reporting on the ground. She quickly became one of the station’s enterprise reporters who delivered exclusive stories and holding public officials accountable. One series of her reports helped lead to the resignation of the administration in charge of public funds meant for job seekers. She also contributed to the Trayvon Martin shooting coverage. Outside of work it’s important to Bianca and her family to volunteer in the metroplex. She sat on the board of

It’s hard to imagine that school is just around the corner, but soon hundreds of children will be in need of basic school supplies to equip them for the new schoolyear. We’ve generated a list of needs that cover children from elementary school through high school, along with many ideas that you and your group and can collect the goods with plenty of summer days by the pool to spare. Click here for this year’s Back to School Supply Drive list Click here for Back to School Drive Ideas

When your family or group serves at one of our sites, be sure to share your pics on social media with the #GRACEGrapevine! Highlight your work with seasonal programs with the hashtag #FeedOurKids or #ChristmasCottage. This gives us an opportunity to thank you publicly and share your photo on our page, so that the community sees our wonderful volunteers at work! While you’re at it, be sure to connect with all our social media sites, including Facebook and Twitter. If Instagram and Pinterest are more your fancy, be sure to visit our pages. Enjoy the album below for groups and individuals we spotted this week at #GRACEGrapevine!

GRACE was honored to receive a generous $1,000 donation on behalf of the Market Street location in Colleyville. The year 2016 is a historic year that marks one century of business for Market Street. United Supermarkets celebrated their legacy with a “100 days of giving” campaign that gifted nonprofits with donations to strengthen the local community. United Supermarkets is a Texas-based grocery chain gracing 32 stores across north and west Texas, with their primary distribution center facility located right here in Roanoke. The Colleyville location regularly partners with the GRACE Food Pantry to provide bakery goods, sweets and frozen items to replenish the Food Pantry inventory. GRACE is grateful to have the partnership from local grocers whose business plan goes beyond dollars and cents. Their expertise and supplemental gifts are invaluable to our operations at the Food Pantry. If you would like to get more involved with the Food Pantry,

Kubota Tractor Corporation may be our new neighbors on the Grapevine block, but it’s GRACE who received the housewarming gift on behalf of one lucky raffle ticketholder. Kubota has graciously donated their trademark vehicle RTVX900, valued at $15,000, as a prize package option in the GRACE Gala raffle. As the best-selling diesel utility vehicles in the nation, it’s no wonder that Kubota sets the standards for ruggedness and reliability in every climate and condition. The RTVX900 boasts eased drivability, ample legroom and enhanced ergonomics throughout. Kubota is equipping families to build pathways and cultivate soil in more ways than one. Their mission to “help people achieve more” also means empowering families through several initiatives, including Geared to Give, a program designed to support veterans pursuing careers in farming. The corporation also sets high agricultural safety standards and progressive sustainable farming techniques for young land cultivators. “We look forward to joining

If you are looking for a simple summer project with your church group, club or family, a sock and underwear drive meets a feasible, timely need that ensures growing children have proper clothing for the new school year. There are a several ways a group can help us replenish our sock and underwear inventory. Some families decide to host parties and encourage their guests to bring a clothing donation. Children can also raise funds by hosting a bake sale, lemonade stand or tackle summer chores for neighbors and relatives. A family can always add an extra bag of undergarments to their shopping list or drop it off at Donation Station with their item donations. If your group is interested in a hosting a third-party collection drive that requires promotion of any kind, please contact Special Events Coordinator Chelsea Rose. Contact Clothing Room Coordinator Dina Pesina if you have specific questions

As temperatures rise along with an increased burden on families, GRACE is working with corporate partners to combat the sweltering utility costs for local families facing hardship. In Northeast Tarrant County and counties across Texas, families with an income of less than $50,000 a year devote as much as 17% of their income to residential and transportation energy. An increase during the summer months has shown to lead to decisions that create a negative ripple effect for a family with conflicting necessities. A recent poll of low-income families revealed that increased energy costs led to skipping meals, doctor’s visits and medication refills to make up the difference. The mounting cost of utility bills over the summer is especially detrimental to senior citizens, who often live in older, poorly-insulated homes and almost always rely on a tight fixed income. TXU Energy has dedicated their energy to helping GRACE families for over

“The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more you learn, the more places you’ll go!”   -Dr. Seuss Perhaps as equally exciting as a child enjoying a nutritious meal on a summer day is to witness a well-fed child lost in a storybook. Thanks to the collaboration between GRACE, Grapevine Outreach Center and First United Methodist Church’s V.A.S.T program, children may take a break from the summer heat to enjoy a story hour led by volunteers. The heart behind the venture is to engage minds and nurture hearts of at-risk youth who might not otherwise be able to attend a library storytime due to their parent’s stringent hourly work schedules. All volunteers receive ample training on how to interact with children and encourage them to find reading as a comfortable behavior. Children can choose between being read to or reading a book to their siblings and friends. Reading