With all the pomp and circumstance of a commencement event, last night nine women walked the stage at the Vine Arts & Event Center in Grapevine to receive their certificates of completion for the GRACE Transitional Housing program. Though Gina A., Reem B., Alexus D., Kamerin E., Dominique J., Reshonda M., Neve V., Sherrie Y, and Tiffany Y. have reached life-changing goals already, the commencement event marked the conclusion of their two-year program with GRACE. GRACE Chief Executive Officer Shonda Schaefer expressed the pride all GRACE staff and volunteers have in the new lives the graduates are forging for themselves. Transitional Housing manager and case worker Martisha Smith echoed those sentiments and shared stories of the special times with each graduate. The Rev. Sterling Smith, pastor for Missions & Evangelism at White’s Chapel United Methodist Church offered a stirring invocation. GRACE Board Member Ana Erwin highlighted the graduates’ achievements

The 2021 GRACE Gala Raffle features a dream vacation at the Hilton Los Cabos Beach & Golf Resort in Cabo San Lucas. The four-night stay for two includes an ocean-view deluxe room, round-trip coach class airfare for two to San Jose del Cabo, daily breakfast for two, and Winspire’s renowned booking and concierge services. Awash in Hilton’s celebrated luxury and safety, the Los Cabos Resort features a 4-diamond hotel located on an inlet bay in the Sea of Cortés. Guest rooms offer rich vistas from a private ocean-view balcony, sumptuous linens, and richly-appointed furnishings created from handcrafted wood. Each of the vibrant, luxuriously-styled suites is the creation of famed designer Paul Duesing. His firm, Paul Duesing Partners, is rated #1 by Conde Nast Magazine and has been profiled in Architectural Design for “going far beyond the ordinary”. The winner of this once-in-a-lifetime Raffle Prize will be drawn at the GRACE

The Mardi Gras theme set a perfect mood for the festivities that followed. GRACE was both humble and proud to be among the revelers at Legends Hall in the Marq for the annual Southlake Chamber Annual Awards Gala last week. The GRACE contingent—two tables of volunteers, nominees, and staff—erupted when GRACE nominee Community Impact Newspaper was awarded Corporate Business of the Year. Congratulations to Ana Erwin and her exceptional staff—well-earned and much-deserved! GRACE was certainly among friends the entire evening! The Honorable John Huffman, mayor of Southlake, served as master of ceremonies. John and his wife, Elizabeth, are longtime GRACE supporters. Most recently, their design firm, Black Door Renovations, was the title sponsor for the GRACE Designer Bags & Bingo event in July. Throughout the evening we applauded friend after friend as they mounted the steps to receive their awards. Frost Bank’s Mimi Tran, a dedicated GRACE Gala volunteer, took

GRACE’s ability to offer a high degree of accountability and integrity is largely due to the tenure of the GRACE Board of Directors. The collective expertise of the GRACE Board is second to none, and GRACE is pleased to welcome two new community leaders to the board: Jerry Ducay and Rob Schmidt. Jerry Ducay As the Colleyville city manager, Dr. Ducay oversees the operations of all municipal departments including police, fire, and public works. He holds management credentials from the International City/County Managers Association, and is certified by the National Development Council. He sits on the Texas City Manager Association Allies Committee, an organization that focuses on recruiting and development mentorships for city leadership in communities traditionally under-represented. Rob Schmidt Mr. Schmidt serves as vice president, treasury management and retail services, for First National Bank. He offices in Southlake, but the bank’s coverage extends across much of North Texas. He

September 1 marks the official start of the North Texas Giving Day season. More than 3,000 charities across north Texas will be hitting inboxes and mailboxes with requests to give. Last year, more than 106,000 donors gave $58.8 million. “The needs of the community are vast as we all emerge from the pandemic and into a new normal,” said Chris McSwain, director of community engagement for North Texas Giving Day and Communities Foundation of Texas. “At the same time, we know if we can rally and galvanize the community and inspire more people to give, even in small amounts, we can and will help meet these needs and support the nonprofits doing vital work across North Texas.” GRACE will be joining the fray with videos, notices, social media posts, and reminders to mark your calendars for Thursday, September 23, the official “North Texas Giving Day”. Early giving commences next Wednesday,

Fernando Trevino claimed the GRACE President’s Award at the August meeting of the Board of Directors. His title is Assistant Manager of GRACEful Buys, but that is only the beginning of his story and his work for GRACE. As assistant manager of the Grapevine store, Trevino oversees much of the staff and volunteer activities—duties that include serving nearly 7,500 customer and donor visits every year. Yet, he will quickly roll up his sleeves and help load a new couch, dresser, or dining table into a customer’s vehicle. In her presentation remarks, Board President Traci Bernard lauded Trevino’s ability to handle the many details, schedules, and challenges of the resale store at GRACE “Fernando has the rare ability to both motivate and encourage,” said President Bernard. “His dedication to GRACE is an inspiration to others in the GRACE family—staff, volunteers, donors and customers.” After 15 years at GRACE, Trevino has inspired