NEWSLETTER
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Expanding the Treasure Hunt: GRACEful-Buys Outlet Grand Opening at Donation Station
We’re thrilled to announce the doors are officially open to GRACEful-Buys Outlet, our newest retail space conveniently located inside Donation Station. This fresh addition brings even more opportunities to shop unique finds while supporting the mission of GRACE—turning generous donations into meaningful programs that uplift local families.
What began as a small, twice-a-year garage sale has grown into a vital part of the Grapevine community for over 25 years. GRACEful-Buys and Donation Station have continued to thrive thanks to the incredible generosity and support of local donors and shoppers.
“We are so blessed to have continuous donations from the community all of these years, that we are now able to expand selling at our Donation Station location,” said Rebecca Cox, GRACE’s CEO.
New Hours: Tuesday – Saturday, 10 AM – 5 PM
This exciting expansion will feature a unique selection of items including:
· Artwork
· Electronics
· Sporting goods
· Outdoor equipment
· And much more!
“We are using this as an opportunity to get some of the outside back inside by bringing some of the backlot from the Grapevine store indoors,” said Jennifer Rawls, Director of Resale & Operations.
Backlot Treasure Hunters, don’t worry! We’ll still have outdoor finds available at the Grapevine store, now you’ll just have two treasure troves to explore close by.
Donation Station has seen major growth in recent years. After expanding to online sales in 2020, it moved to its current location in 2021 and continues to serve as the primary hub for most home goods donations. Please note: Furniture donations should still be taken to our Grapevine or Euless stores.
Donation Station Details:
· 1st Entrance – Parking for the new GRACEful-Buys-Outlet
· 2nd Entrance – Donation Station donation drive-through
We can’t wait to welcome you into this new chapter and thank you for continuing to make GRACE a part of your community.
GRACE Gala Gifting Party 2025
The GRACE Gala season officially took flight last Wednesday as supporters gathered for the exciting tradition of the Gifting Party at Crush It! Virtual Sports Lounge in Grapevine. Friends, neighbors, and businesses came together for an evening filled with generosity and community spirit.
The Gifting Party is a tradition that allows staff and volunteers to collect exciting items for the upcoming Gala auction while honoring donors with food, fellowship, and entertainment. This year, guests brought in a wide variety of gifts—from restaurant certificates to luxury experiences—that will make the Gala auction one to remember. Every item collected directly contributes to the mission of GRACE, with proceeds from both the silent and live auctions helping provide essential programs and services to families in need.
The evening also featured heartfelt words from GRACE leadership and event chairs. Laurie and Larry Wall of The Wall Team, serving as this year’s Gala Chairs, shared their passion for the GRACE mission and the impact of community generosity. Auction Chair Lynda Warner, a well-known volunteer across the Grapevine area, expressed her excitement for the incredible auction items already secured and the ones still to come. Together, their leadership is helping ensure this year’s Gala will be one of the most memorable yet.
Raffle tickets were a popular highlight of the evening. Guests and supporters alike still have the chance to win an extraordinary getaway to Tulum, Mexico—and you do not have to be present at the Gala to win! Tickets are available for $50 each or five for $200.
GRACE extends a heartfelt thanks to Crush It! owner Mike Speets and his crew for once again opening their doors and making sure every detail was handled with care. We are also deeply grateful to our Gala Chairs, Auction Chair, businesses, groups, and every supporter who gave so generously of their resources, time, and heart. The Gifting Party continues to be a shining example of what a lasting difference we can make in the community.
For more information on how to support the 2025 GRACE Gala, please contact Erica Baker at events@GRACEGrapevine.org or visit www.gracegala.com.
GRACE Clinic Nationally Recognized for Commitment to Cardiovascular Health
Congratulations are in order for the staff of the GRACE Community Clinic for being recognized with three awards from the American Heart Association (AHA).
The first is Gold Plus Recognition for the ninth consecutive year for the Target: BP Program. In summary, this means that over 70% of our clients with a hypertension diagnosis have been able to maintain their blood pressure within the AHA standards for blood pressure control.
The second is Gold Level Recognition from the AHA’s 2025 Target: Type 2 Diabetes Program. This award highlights our commitment to enhancing the quality of care for patients with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular risk factors. The data we submitted showed impressive HbA1c control in patients with diabetes and ≥70% adherence to one of the cardiovascular-focused clinical measures.
And finally, the Clinic received Silver Level Recognition from the AHA as part of their 2025 Check. Change. Control. Cholesterol Achievement Award commending our ongoing dedication to patients as they lower their cholesterol and our overall commitment to reducing the number of patients at risk for cardiovascular disease.
The GRACE Community Clinic provides patients who don’t have access to traditional healthcare with treatment overseen by volunteer medical providers for their chronic diseases, medication management, and patient education. GRACE teaches them how to self-monitor their blood pressure daily and provides the tools to do it. These patient blood pressure logs are brought to each physician and nurse visit to help providers in their patient assessment and medical management. We educate our clients regarding the importance of blood pressure control to prevent other conditions such as heart attack and stroke.
In the last fiscal year, the Clinic provided 687 individual clinics. These clinics are only made possible by our incredible volunteers, including numerous medical providers, who volunteer each month to help us meet the healthcare needs of our community – last year, they gave GRACE over 2,000 volunteer hours.
Honoring Generosity: 2025 GRACE Gala’s Leading Sponsors
Many familiar names will grace the top levels of sponsor listings for this year’s GRACE Gala at the Vineyard Towers in the Gaylord Texan Resort on November 15.
Our 22nd annual Gala will again feature BoomerJack’s Grill, The Church Lawyers, Irwin Steel, LifeBranch Wealth Partners, and Wright Construction Company. All will welcome Albert Puig and the Puig Family rising from a Bronze sponsorship in 2024 to the Titanium tier this year.
Topping our In Kind sponsor list again are American Airlines, Opal Esthetics, and NBC 5.
BoomerJack’s owners Kimberly and Brent Tipps have been a part of the Gala since serving as co-chairs of the event in 2019. To recognize the level of their commitment this year, we created a special naming opportunity: BoomerJack’s Grill is the very first Vineyard Tower Sponso. If you have a chance, please drop into one of their locations and let them know how much they are appreciated. To find a location near you go to https://boomerjacks.com.
In just two years, Christina and David Middlebrook—The Church Lawyers—have taken the GRACE Gala to new levels, literally. Last year we added the “Diamond” level sponsorship just to recognize the couple’s generosity. Their advocacy is exemplary—the Middlebrooks always purchase additional tables for their friends and associates, many who have proven to be very good Live Auction bidders! You can learn more about their Grapevine-based law firm at https://thechurchlawyers.com.
The generosity of James Irwin and Irwin Steel is nearly unprecedented. Since his very first gift in September 2018, Mr. Irwin has provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in relief to all those we serve. He has urged his suppliers and vendors—even members of his own family—to do the same. Not only does Mr. Irwin sponsor the Gala at one of the highest levels, his bidding during the Gala Live Auction is legendary. Mr. Irwin’s phenomenal story continues here: https://irwinsteel.net.
Morgan Nichols embodies the generous offering of time, talent, and treasure. She is a dedicated supporter of both the GRACE Gala and Designer Bags & Bingo. Last month she helped fund the GRACE Back-to-School program giving many local children a great start to the school year. Now, Ms. Nichols has joined the GRACE Board of Directors and is helping to direct the GRACE mission into the future. Find out more about this amazing woman at https://www.ameripriseadvisors.com/team/lifebranch-wealth-partners/.
Albert Puig made his first donation to GRACE in August 2023, and his dedication to GRACE has grown with each subsequent gift. Albert, his wife Patricia, and the entire Puig Family are the newest arrivals at the top of the Gala sponsors’ list. Founder and CEO of ARPCO Transport Services, Albert has made it his mission to use his transportation and logistics expertise to help those in need. “There is no shortage of food in America,” says Albert. “Yet there is hunger. The problem is lack of transportation.” Find out more: https://www.arpco.com/about.php.
Balla Wright, Lemoine Wright, Kindal Wright Kreamer, and the entire Wright Family have been supporters, advocates, and leaders of GRACE for many years. The legacy of family patriarch Joe Wright lives strongly on in his family and in the construction company that bears his name. In nearly every aspect of GRACE, from
financial support, to guidance, advice and direction, to the very roof over our heads, the Wrights have been an essential part of the GRACE mission. Their remarkable history and achievements are here: http://wrightconst.com/about.
Our In Kind sponsors provide materials and resources to generate proceeds to help sustain GRACE programming throughout the year. Local businesses and others give packages that are sold through the Gala Silent, Big Board, and Live auctions. Media partners help GRACE get the word out about our mission and the impact it has on those in need.
American Airlines returns as one of our top In Kind sponsors. The airline gives GRACE thousands of miles we use to boost interest in our amazing destination resort auction packages. American’s involvement adds a touch of prestige, appeal, and value to each item. In addition, American Airlines miles add a layer of excitement and opportunity that help ensure a successful auction. Go here for more: https://www.aa.com.
Speaking of amazing destinations, Leslie Rae Cloin and Opal Esthetics return to the GRACE Gala with some fantastic auction offerings, including spectacular stays in Maui and the Bahamas. With more than 17 years experience in the health and beauty industry, Ms. Cloin, Opal Esthetics’ founder, is frequently recognized for her full range of innovative services to unwind the body, reboot the mind and transform stress into balance. The rest of Ms. Cloin’s amazing story is here: https://opalesthetic.com/about.
GRACE is honored, once again, to welcome the Dallas-Fort Worth NBC affiliate, NBC5, as the Media Sponsor of the GRACE Gala. News reporter Maria Guerrero will take the Gala stage this year to serve as emcee. This is NBC5’s seventh year in a row as the Gala Media Sponsor, and the first year for Ms. Guerrero as emcee. She was raised in Lufkin, Texas and earned her bachelor’s degree in journalism at Louisiana State University. For more on Ms. Guerrero, go here: https://www.nbcdfw.com/author/maria-guerrero/.
Many give of their energy, expertise, and earnings to make the GRACE Gala a success. Without the efforts of these, and all our sponsors, the GRACE Gala would just be another fantastic party. Support from our sponsors takes the event to a higher purpose: a joining of corporate partners, places of worship, civic organizations, individuals, and many others who share the same desire to help those in need.
Hope Rekindled
So often we consider having electricity in our homes as being used for comfort or convenience purposes – climate control, household appliances, entertainment, and so on. But, what of those who depend on electricity at home for medical purposes?
This past month, a widow came to GRACE concerned about her utility bill. She is on a fixed income and has experienced extreme hardship due to recent death of her husband. She also has had many medical issues which she used her monthly income to pay toward including medication needs.
These unexpected but necessary costs had caused her to fall behind on bills including her electricity bill. That’s what brought her to GRACE. She is on constant oxygen requiring a machine to run throughout the day and she was afraid that her electricity was about to be cut off.
But, because of our corporate partners and generous community, this widow was able to depart from GRACE leaving that fear behind. She and her care manager were able to find a solution to the current crisis and the client was given a path forward that included access to other GRACE resources including the Food Pantry.
As you saw earlier this week, we are asking our community to Give GRACE on September 17th. As you consider partnering with GRACE, remember this story and know that it’s because of you that that this ailing widow’s fear was dissipated and a hope kindled for a bright future even after loss.
Kick Off the Gala Auction at the 2025 Gifting Party!
GRACE is excited to invite the community to the 2025 GRACE Gala Gifting Party, a special prelude to this year’s GRACE “Angels Among Us” Gala. The event will be held on Wednesday, September 17, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. at Crush It! Sports Lounge in Grapevine, promising an evening full of community, celebration, and meaningful giving.
Attendees will be treated to flavorful food as the evening kicks off. A variety of games and interactive experiences will add fun to the night, provi welcoming environment of Crush It! Sports Lounge, DFW’s first interactive sports and social lounge. It’s fun and energetic atmosphere makes it the perfect backdrop for a night where generosity meets community spirit.
Guests are asked to bring an item valued at $100 or more as their entry to the Gifting Party, helping to build an exciting lineup for the GRACE Gala auction. Over the years, the auctions have become known for featuring a wide variety of unique and exciting items, including vacation packages, hotel stays, gift baskets, event tickets, golf packages, curated experiences, and specialty items. Every donation contributes to the success of the Gala, helping GRACE raise vital funds to support families and individuals throughout Grapevine and the surrounding areas.
Local businesses are encouraged to participate by donating products, services, or curated experiences for the auction. This is an excellent opportunity for businesses to showcase what they have to offer, connect with the community, and support a meaningful cause. Contributions from local businesses not only help fill the auction catalog with unique items but also highlight the creativity and generosity of Grapevine-area entrepreneurs while supporting GRACE’s mission.
This year’s GRACE Gala will take place on Saturday, November 15, 2025, at the spectacular Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center. The Gala promises to be an extraordinary evening of elegance, inspiration, and generosity, celebrating the many ways GRACE touches lives in the community. Contributions brought to the Gifting Party will play a significant role in building the impressive auction catalog, creating opportunities for attendees at the Gala to bid on memorable experiences while supporting GRACE’s mission. Gala tickets, tables, and raffle tickets are now available at GRACEGala.org.
Everyone is invited to attend the Gifting Party on Wednesday, September 17, at 401 W State Hwy 114, Grapevine, TX 76051. RSVPs are encouraged to ensure your spot at this special evening of community, fun, and giving. For more information or questions, contact Erica Baker at ebaker@GRACEGrapevine.org.