We would like to introduce GRACE’s newest Production Associate, LaKissia Walker! LaKissia, also known as Kissy, is responsible for ensuring correct quality control of donations that come through the Donation Station. She also is involved in the manufacturing process, helping to make sure that everything is in good working order. Originally, from Kansas City, Kansas, Kissy’s love of her family is first. When not working at D.S., one can find Kissy having the time of her life with her kids, Michael, Montrell, and Mckinzee, along with her grandchildren. Her hobbies include skating, playing volleyball, and having movie nights with her family. Before joining GRACE, Kissy worked as a telemarketer for Blue Apron. There she was responsible for speaking to, tracking, and obtaining payment information for potential clients and investors in the area. Kissy is known around Donation Station for her friendly smile, her upbeat personality, and her dedication to being

A hybrid of ping-pong and tennis is quickly becoming one of the nation’s most popular pass time, and the name of this new trend? Pickleball. At the beginning of the year, Chicken N Pickle opened a brand new location in Grapevine and has been met only with overwhelming enthusiasm. The venue offers a combination of dining, pickleball, and outdoor games perfect for date night, a family outing, or even a party for the whole office! With a huge heart for supporting its local community, the booming entertainment complex wasted no time in partnering with GRACE in their Community Cup Campaign. For every beverage purchased at the Grapevine Chicken N Pickle location from March 1-15th, all proceeds will go directly into funding GRACE programs. Be sure to request your own personal souvenir cup to support and take home with you! If you were looking for a reason to go back or

For over 25 years, the National Charity League- Southlake Chapter have organized and produced an Annual Fashion Show, which serves as a fundraiser to local philanthropy partners, and for another year in a row, GRACE-Feed our Kids is proud to be one of the selected organizations for this year’s event. The NCL Southlake Chapter is a mother-daughter group that focuses on community service, leadership development, and cultural experiences. Like all NCL Inc. Chapters, Southlake aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together. For the 2023 Fashion show, NCL is seeking to raise $100,000 of which 100% will go directly to 13 local charities in need including Battered Women’s Foundation, Mid-Cities Christmas Providers, Community Table, GRACE Feed Our Kids, Metroport Meals on Wheels, House of Shine, Christmas is for Children, Me Squared Cancer Foundation, National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Special Olympics, Stepping Stones Foundation, The Gifting Project and Summer

GRACE’s Designer Bags & Bingo (DBB) benefitting Transitional Housing is coming up on May 7th and we need YOU there! This event will be an exciting afternoon full of laughter, Bingo, and most importantly, designer bags. This fun twist on bingo allows players to compete for high-quality designer purses from Burberry to Saint Laurent and everything in between, which is sure to bring on friendly competition. Designer Bags and Bingo is one of GRACE’s annual events that raise funds for GRACE’s impactful program, Transitional Housing. The Transitional Housing program works with homeless individuals and families to help move them toward self-sufficiency. Clients participate in intensive case management to help them achieve educational, career, and financial goals while living in clean, stable housing. This year, DBB will be held at the Fidelity Campus in Westlake. After touring Fidelity and participating in thorough meetings the GRACE DBB committee is confident that this

It’s that time of year again to celebrate GRACE’s real-life superheroes – OUR VOLUNTEERS! Whether it’s sorting through donations at Donation Station, helping out at the clinic or building relationships with our clients at the food pantry, GRACE volunteers donate hours upon hours of service to all GRACE programs. Our volunteers become not only heroes for GRACE, but to our entire community as well. For that and more, we want to say thanks! GRACE is excited to have this year’s Volunteer Appreciation theme as “There is a Super Hero in all of us.” Starting Monday, April 10th, GRACE invites you to come out and enjoy superhero-themed celebrations with us all week long as each GRACE site hosts their Volunteer Appreciation party to honor their volunteer superheroes. Wonderful gifts, delicious foods, and friendly faces are just some of the spectacular treats that our volunteers will receive as a thank you from

Sunday night, in the beautiful dining hall at Mac’s on Main in Grapevine, members of the Congregation Beth Israel celebrated another tremendous fundraising success. The “Wide World of Sports Casino Night” held January 21 soared past all expectations and obliterated all previous records! In accepting a gift of $6,300 from the group, GRACE Chief Development Director Mark Woolverton reminisced that it all started with a sub sandwich. Rather, a bagful of sub sandwiches from Grapevine Subs & More. Sam Felberbaum, the proprietor of Grapevine Subs at the time, had a brilliant fundraising idea: a casino night event to benefit several local charitable agencies, including GRACE. Sam’s purpose of the meeting was to learn some of the “tricks of the trade” of doing special events, and relay the information on to his volunteer team, the CBI Brotherhood, a group of community-spirited people associated with Congregation Beth Israel, a Reform Jewish community

February 14th is a special day for many people. It’s a day for loved ones to express how they feel about one another. Some buy flowers, some go out to lunch and others prepare a four-course meal for GRACE clients. Whatever is it that the people do, we all understand that it’s all from the kindness of their hearts. Mac’s on Main’s Rena Frost understands the meaning of giving back to the community. After all, she was selected as GRACE’s 2021 Volunteer of the Year. For the second year in a row, Rena and her Mac’s on Main staff expressed their love by inviting the GRACE Transitional Housing women to enjoy a nice four-course meal at Mac’s on Main. This wonderful gesture of love and friendship gave our clients the opportunity to interact with one another while also learning more about Rena and her staff. The meal came with an

Another Colleyville Chamber Awards Banquet is now in the books with the most recent being the Colleyville Chamber awards. Along with the fun of mingling with attendees and congratulating recipients and nominees, the Colleyville Chamber Awards’ purpose is to highlight individuals, organizations, and companies’ accomplishments and works throughout the past year. Their works not only raise awareness for community cohesiveness, but it reminds everyone there is always a way to be a good neighbor in your community. Here are the awards, winners, and nominees for the Colleyville Chamber awards for 2023. Chairman’s Award Mark Alfonso & Kylan Hoss Ambassador of the Year Kylan Hoss New Member of the Year Within Chiropractic Youth of the Year Natalie Poveda & Jenna Hurley Large Business of the Year Community Waste Disposal Small Business of the Year Buttermilk Sky Pie Outstanding Service Organization Serving Our Senior Member of the Year Megan Volmer- Smart Realty

Last Friday, GRACE had the pleasure of partnering with the Grapevine Police Department and First Baptist Church to present an event coined “Neighbors at the Table”. Police Department employees made a variety of crockpot recipes and allowed families to taste each and vote on their favorite. In addition, holiday-themed snacks and desserts were served. As the evening came to a close, each family who registered for the event took home a crock pot recipe book and a crock pot. Eighteen families registered for the event and enjoyed visiting with their neighbors as well as staff and volunteers from each of the three agencies. Fran Almazan brought home the trophy for favorite meal with her famed Cauliflower Chowder. The Neighbors at the Table event will likely become an annual event, so keep your eyes peeled for how you can get involved next time!    

Another GRACE Poker Tournament is in the books, and what an spectacular night at Park Place Jaguar-Land Rover DFW it was. Amazing door prizes, delicious appetizers, and healthy competition helped to warm everyone up from a week full of crazy Texas weather! For the second year in a row, the Poker Tournament happened to fall on a weekend when DFW is recovering from a winter storm. Fortunately, that has never stopped our wonderful community members from coming out and supporting GRACE! As guests checked in, they could smell the scent of Ted Bilsky’s Scratch Kitchen and Fine Foods filling the showroom. GRACE’s CEO, Shonda Schaefer, invited everyone to the bar to have a drink (with the help of Classic Wine and Hop & Sting Brewery) and to try some of Ted’s delicious foods. Also, compliments of Debra Perryman with Silver Oak Commercial Realty, we had an expert from DFW Cigar