It’s hard to believe but GRACEful Buys Euless has been open for 5 years and we can’t thank you enough for all your support. GRACE wants to thank all the employees and volunteers who work so hard at the store. And, we especially want to thank you, our loyal customers. To celebrate we have some great deals happening! We pride ourselves on being a part of the community because this store wouldn’t work without you. GRACEful Buys is a process, a machine that works toward the goal of delivering high quality products to you the customer so that we can help benefit the community. From the beginning when you drop off your used items at Donation Station, to when it reaches our store floor, to finally its new home with you, our loyal customers make this place and it’s wonderful results possible and for that we are ever grateful. We
Read more →The frontlines of your health protection have now shifted to your local Walgreens drug store. Free flu shots are offered at all Walgreens during pharmacy hours and no appointment is needed. A licensed pharmacist and technician visited the GRACE Community Clinic yesterday for the second of three flu shot clinics. Many GRACE patients took advantage of the convenience and one-on-one care provided by the Walgreens associates. “Transportation is an issue for many of our patients,” said Shirley Roberts, RN, BAS, CCM, nurse manager of the Community Clinic. “Having [Walgreens] bring their flu shot clinic here is a great addition to the care our patients receive.” A third flu shot clinic for GRACE patients is scheduled in a few weeks, but anyone can receive a vaccine at any Walgreens. Flu shots are at no cost to the patient with most insurances. Flu shots are recommended as soon as they become available.
Read more →Rabbi Charlie Cytron-Walker and members of Congregation Beth Israel visited the GRACE Food Pantry this week with a wonderful gift: more than $3,200, including a single gift of $1,000 from a Coppell family. The Congregation had invited GRACE CEO Shonda Schaefer to a virtual meeting in early October. The congregants heard about the massive volume of clients coming to GRACE in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis. Unaudited statistics from the 2020 fiscal year (ending August 31) indicate more than 11,000 unduplicated clients turned to GRACE for support. In previous years, that number of individuals ranged around 5,000. Nearly to a person, these clients needed support from the GRACE Food Pantry. Throughout the pandemic GRACE has been focused on providing food, shelter or sheltering assistance, client services, senior care, children’s care, and, of course, healthcare and treatment through the GRACE Community Clinic. Many Beth Israel congregants expressed the needs they
Read more →The GRACE Family welcomes Kyle Buchanan, our new Food Pantry Assistant Manager. As Pantry Assistant Manager, Kyle picks up donations, prices and sorts products, checks to make sure all items are up to date and orderly, and doesn’t hesitate to work the check-out line if need be. “If something around needs attention, I’ll do it,” Kyle said modestly. “I’ll do anything that the Pantry needs.” Our Pantry Jack-of-All-Trades actually started out with GRACE two years ago with GRACEful Buys Grapevine (GBG). “I was looking for a simple warehouse job and I got hired. I immediately liked it,” said Kyle. After working at GBG for a few years a job opened up at the Pantry. Kyle was reluctant at first but received encouragement from his boss Terri Haun, manager of GBG. “Terri, pushed me to do it and I’m so glad that she did, I love this job,” Kyle said. “It’s
Read more →
GRACE works as hard as it can to help better individuals as well as the community but sometimes it takes an entire community to help one individual and today we are proud to share Miss Peggy’s story. The GRACE Family has known Grapevine’s Miss Peggy for many years but we didn’t know that she needed extensive work done on her home…and neither did Miss Peggy until a young man from Atmos knocked on her door with a slip of paper and the bad news. There was a dangerous leak in her gas pipes and they had to turn them off until the necessary work was done and approved by the city. Until then no hot water and no heat. Miss Peggy lives on a very limited income and knew this would be a very costly repair. She reached out to her church, Abundant Life, and asked for guidance. They, in turn, reached
Read more →
The GRACE Community Clinic works as hard at preventative medicine as it does on reactive treatment. Helping our clients avoid illness and long term health issues is maybe the easiest way to help keep them feeling their best. A great example of providing this information is with our diabetes program Progresando En Salud (“Progressing in Health”) which focuses on improving glycemic control for patients with uncontrolled type 2 diabetes. Hosted on Zoom to 14 participants, the program began August 11th with an introduction to diabetes self-management training. Every subsequent class of the 6 week program targeted improving a wide range of health behaviors through culturally tailored education. Week one focused on understanding diabetes, blood sugar values, and setting behavior goals. Week 2 discussed a range of culturally relevant food and their potential effect on blood sugar. Week 3 stressed the importance of exercise and provided patients with meal ideas for their
Read more →
The GRACE Gala is going virtual and that means that bidding on our world famous Auction items has never been easier. There are different categories for our items and it’s important that you know what’s available and what to expect in the coming weeks. This year’s donated items couldn’t be more spectacular or more diverse and we are currently working diligently to have them all prepared and ready for November 7th. The silent auction will feature goodies that apply to any taste…5 star restaurant gift certificates, personal training sessions, luxury hotel stays, couture clothes, BBQ smokers, we even have a chicken coop; the GRACE Gala auction has something for everyone – Dad, daughter, or dog! Mobile bidding for these items starts early (2 weeks before the event) so make sure that you’re registered so that you can get a head start bidding on your favorite items. The night of the
Read more →
Saturday, October 10th from 9:00 a.m. until noon we will be in the GRACE Community Garden working on fall tending and planting. Enjoy the lovely fall morning (weather.com says 66 to 78 degrees!) as we plant cabbage transplants, turn compost bins and add leaves, and weed and mulch until the job is done! Click here to sign-up for this day The GRACE Community Gardens are a way for GRACE to provide those in need with healthy, organic produce. Each month, volunteers are needed to help with a major planting, prepping, or harvesting event. Don’t worry, experience is not necessary! Garden Leaders will be there to give direction and educate volunteers on gardening. What to bring: Water bottle, closed toe shoes, and sunscreen. If you own gardening gloves and knee pads, please bring them! There are some at the gardens for those who do not have any. “Gardens are not made by
Read more →
Donation Station (DS) needs your help and we are extending our offer of double hours.DS is a wonderful and fun way of giving back to the community and a great way of helping to understand our mission. A little bit of time at DS always translates into a broader understanding of what GRACE is, who it helps, and how the community is vital to our success. We’ve been extraordinarily busy at DS… There is a lot of work to be done so we are making one of our favorite incentives available to potential DS helpers. Double Hours! During certain times of the year, and depending on the type of volunteer work needed, GRACE offers double hours to those completing volunteer service. That means that volunteers will receive credit for two hours of service for every one hour completed. Right now we are adjusting the shifts as well, with volunteer shifts lasting
Read more →
Texas is known for its scorching heat but let’s not forget that it can also get dangerously cold during the winter months. GRACE is asking you to help us with a Blanket Drive! Blankets and bedding are needed throughout the year for different reasons but as the cold months approach it’s crucial that we help our clients and their families stay as warm and as comfortable as possible. “For our clients we sometimes need these items because bedding can be expensive. Some clients just need bedding for everyday reasons like it’s just time to replace it. But for others they need it to get through the winter months; some clients live in homes that are not weatherized and it can be cold,” Marcela Melendez, GRACE Client Services Manager. Blankets are something that we sometimes get at our retail stores but the issue is that we don’t always get a lot.
Read more →