You are cordially invited to join us at the Christmas Cottage Open House Monday, December 9th. Come see just how special the Christmas Cottage experience is. The “Sesame Street” theme is sure to delight young and old alike, and there will be plenty of goodies to go around!
Please bring a new, unwrapped toy to add to the Christmas Cottage wares. We could particularly use teen and family gifts (board games and small appliances, etc.) The Cottage is located at 1250 William D. Tate in Grapevine, between JoAnn Fabrics and PetCo (the same location as in 2018).
The Children’s Open House (for families and youth groups) begins at 4:00 p.m.– 5:30 p.m. Cookies and punch will be provided, as well as a visit from Santa himself! The Open House program then begins at 5:30 p.m. with special wines and hors d’oeuvres courtesy of Scratch Catering and Fine Foods.
GRACE clients are so fortunate to have the good will, volunteers and toys—ALL the amazing toys—from our community to open a Christmas Cottage each holiday season. Client parents are thrilled and grateful for the chance to “shop” for their children’s gifts and then watch the excitement on their little faces Christmas morning.
Volunteers begin the process of filling the Cottage space.
When someone comes to GRACE for help, our caseworkers conduct a thorough assessment of their needs. For some in dire need, food, shelter, clothing and medical care are provided to the full extent. For others, assistance is provided to the extent needed. All clients benefit and our mission philosophy of “self-sufficiency” is always kept in mind.
Chief Development Officer Mark Woolverton and Seasonal Programs Coordinator Lori Stevens are ecstatic with awesome donations from the WFAA Santas Helpers Toy Drive.
For the Christmas Cottage, client parents are given a voucher equivalent to the needs of their family. With voucher in hand, parents and Christmas Cottage volunteers shop table-after-table of toys, electronics, clothing, books and games.
Their selections are then packaged in a black plastic bag (to prevent snooping) along w ith wrapping paper, ribbons, bows and cards. The parents can then select a “family gift” for the home, usually a small kitchen appliance.
In this way the folks at Christmas Cottage feel like our client parents are getting the true “Christmas Cottage Experience” of selecting toys and gifts that their children want and need, wrapping the gifts and watching their excited young ones tear off the paper and discover “what Santa brought.”
Christmas Cottage holds an incredibly special place in our hearts. The impact of this GRACE Program is made possible only with your help, GRACE Family. Volunteering time, donating gifts, baking dozens and dozens of cookies, unpacking, sorting—a long checklist is required to pull this off each year. But most importantly, loving on our neighbors in such a way that it truly changes lives, this is what Christmas Cottage is all about!
Don’t forget to RSVP to events@gracegrapevine.org and bring you new, unwrapped gift!
