GRACE Christmas Cottage has become one of the most popular opportunities for community members to witness the tangible difference their gifts and support mean to hundreds of children and parents each Christmas season.
Over 2,400 children and parents have been blessed with a Merry Christmas this year thanks to your prayers and acts of generosity! From the number of individuals, children, and families, each and every number of Christmases made brighter increased in total compared to the way we were able to provide in 2017. Lori Stevens, Christmas Cottage Manager and GRACE Seasonal Programs Coordinator, was thrilled that all of the hard work from herself and our community made the Cottage a smashing success this year.
If the numbers escape you, consider one family that your support touched—the joy of getting a new doll, monster truck or even a toaster oven, an unexpected gift for parents who after giving everything to their children, have little to spare for themselves.
Not only did you give when the need arose, you invested hours and sometimes days worth of volunteer service, cleaning, sorting, assisting clients and baking cookies to give to local families. Donors and volunteers from everyone from Walker Engineering to Sound Physicians of Westlake to WFAA Santa’s Helpers, students of Tarrant County College, Brian and Toni Hennigan of JDog, Colleyville Girls Softball Association, Amy and Michelle of Freedom Title, Heritage Middle School Student PTA, Grapevine Faith Christian School, the Pirzchalski Family of Colleyville, and Southlake Style Magazine (to mention only a small fraction) gave and served tirelessly.
You hosted collection drives, stuffed stockings, and shopped for toddlers to teens this Christmas. You took time to pray for families facing chronic illness, job loss, and low incomes.
Our GRACE Food Pantry was also hustling and bustling with donations and volunteers from every sector of our community, and was able to serve over 400 people. We had folks from the Grapevine Police Department, Good Shepherd Catholic Community, Liberty Christian School basketball team, Coram Deo Academy, Tonyia Casper, Baylor Scott & White Medical Center, Saint Laurence Church in Southlake, Carlos Merla, First Financial Bank, Gayla Collins and kids, Steve Janicek, Sarah Rhodes, John Slocum and friends, Grapevine Chamber, our very own ESL teacher Russ Lugo and gang, Sabre CIO Leadership Team and Technology Engineering & Operations (TE&O) employees, London Brase, Yolanda Lang, and DV8 Salon to name only a few.
With all the big things you’ve given to support our neighbors in need, here are two things you can do to wrap up the new year:
BUY CLEARANCE CHRISTMAS SUPPLIES FOR 2019
With all the post-Christmas sales on wrapping paper, ribbons, bows, and tape, please consider grabbing some clearance materials with your shopping to donate for next year’s Christmas Cottage!
Gifts given to clients come unwrapped so parents can make their selection of toys for their children, but families are also equipped with gift wrapping supplies and batteries before the toys go under the tree.
Since the program has an ongoing need for these items, wrapping supplies are accepted throughout the year! Simply drop off gift wrapping supplies at Donation Station and tell them it’s for Christmas Cottage.
- Rolls of gift wrap
- Transparent tape
- Bows and ribbons
- Batteries of all kinds
DESIGNATE A FINANCIAL YEAR-END GIFT TO SUPPORT PROGRAMS IN 2019
If you were able to join us and add to our collection of donated gifts, we are truly grateful for your abundant generosity. As we put away our tinsel and lights, there’s one gift you can give that doesn’t require a bow. GRACE relies on year-end charitable gifts to ensure vital programs can continue the following year. Please consider making a tax-deductible donation here before 2018 ends. A gift of $20, $50, $150, or $500 or more will provide direct relief to families struggling in our midst.
We look eagerly to the amazing things God and folks like you will continue do through GRACE in 2019. God bless!
