Honored to Serve: GRACE Assists Veteran and His Family
In March, GRACE was able to step into the story of a single father of two young girls who had never asked for help before but, after experiencing a sudden job loss, needed GRACE. As a Veteran, he had VA benefits, but they were not enough to sustain the cost of living for him and his girls. The life savings he had been using to fill the gaps while looking for work were swiftly depleting.
Enter GRACE.
After meeting with a GRACE Care Manager, this single dad shared that even though he immediately began searching for another job in November, the job market had been difficult for his particular field and he had yet to find a new position. Our care manager was able to help review his situation in full, prioritize greatest areas of need, and, ultimately, GRACE was able to assist with rent, utilities and provide him with six months of access to the Food Pantry to alleviate the current financial pressure so that he could be freed up to focus on his job search.
Through partnerships and connections in the community, the GRACE care manager was further able to assist in connecting him to supportive services available for him and his family through City Square and Volunteers Of America. These referrals will connect this family with services specific to Veterans and will be able to provide future assistance with rent/utility payments, and guidance on the benefits and services this client has earned after faithfully serving our country for so many years.
GRACE is thankful for his service to our country and honored that we were able to assist him and his family during this time of financial uncertainty.
Spreading Egg-stra Love this Easter
GRACE hallways were looking especially vibrant this month as 174 overflowing Easter baskets lined the halls from our friends at Good Shepherd Catholic Community.
Good Shepherd has donated baskets each year for families who come through our Client Services area, and we are happy to announce that each and every Easter basket is spoken for just in time for the big Sunday! Of these baskets, 15 of them were delivered to the families currently involved in the Transitional Housing Program at GRACE.
The annual donation has become a long-standing and highly anticipated tradition. Clients look forward to picking out the extravagant, colorful baskets and begin asking about them each year as Easter approaches.
In addition to this tradition, White’s Chapel Methodist Church partnered with GRACE to host the most extravagant Easter Egg Hunt last Saturday! The festivities were complete with bounce houses, a cake walk, a cotton candy station, a retelling of the Easter story, all you can eat hot dogs, and themed games. Around 80 client families were able to enjoy the fun before the rain made its debut in force.
GRACE would not be able to operate without the support of local church congregations with a kindred desire to share God’s love with those in need. We are tremendously blessed to have the family at Good Shepherd Catholic Community and White’s Chapel Methodist Church who are wholly invested in extending grace to others. We cannot express our thanks enough to all of our partners – volunteers and organizations alike!
If you are interested in volunteering with GRACE for the first time, we encourage you to attend one of our new “Discover GRACE” sessions to find ways to get involved. Dates for these sessions and other information can be found on the volunteer page of our website, or you can reach out to the Volunteer & PR Coordinator at volunteer@GRACEGrapevine.org.
Spring Ushers in Another Season of Feed Our Kids
One in six children in the state of Texas is currently facing food insecurity. That means that right now, in a classroom of 30 children, five of them are experiencing hunger. You may be familiar with our summer lunch program, Feed Our Kids, which provides free lunches to children who rely on their schools to provide a midday meal during the school year. But did you know that GRACE also hosts Feed Our Kids during spring break?
After spending the morning at City Sports camp, children arrived at the two lunch sites with big appetites, and our friends from First Baptist Grapevine and First Grapevine Methodist Church were ready to serve. Longtime supporters of GRACE, these congregations were delighted to serve for this year’s spring break edition of Feed Our Kids.
Children received lunches, but it doesn’t end there. Volunteers brought games, bubbles, chalk, and even art supplies so that attendees could make bunny crafts just in time for Easter! There was even a large donation of used books, so children could browse and choose their favorites to take home. To top it off, the weather was just perfect – warm temperatures, cool breezes, and lots of sunshine! We couldn’t have asked for a better spring break.
The Feed Our Kids program offers even more benefits than those on the surface. When it comes to our faithful volunteers, Beth Chernik, Seasonal Program Coordinator, had this to say: “The community at both churches is just amazing. The guardians love the social time just as much as the kids love running around and spending time with their friends.”
Throughout the summer program, strangers serving together get to know each other, children that attend the same schools but are in different classes or grade levels become friends, and lasting memories are made. “We offer a place for them to create their own community,” Beth adds. “We offer them the space, and the food that brings them together.”
558 lunches were served the week of Spring Break. As always, we are astounded and humbled by the generosity of our volunteer partners and their willingness to serve and make a difference in the lives of these children. We extend an enormous thank you to all who were involved!
Do you want in on the fun? Do you have a church group, staff team, or maybe a friend group that wants to serve lunches this summer? For more information and to get signed up, contact Beth Chernik at bchernik@GRACEGrapevine.org. We can’t wait to see you this summer!
Celebrating You at the “Rockin” 2024 Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon!
Are you ready to Rock and Roll? We are two weeks away from the 2024 Volunteer Appreciation Week and the annual GRACE Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon! GRACE volunteers are Rock Stars, and we’re ramping up to honor all that they do!
Every volunteer here at GRACE has a Heart of Gold— there’s no question about it— and they take center-stage in all that we do.
Last year, we celebrated the Heroes of GRACE. But our volunteers have reached a certain level of stardom in our hearts that’s hard to ignore, and we want to celebrate them with parties and a luncheon fit for rock stars. That’s why, this year’s theme is Rock and Roll!
GRACE staff is setting the stage for some amazing site parties! Here’s a sneak peek at the site set list leading up to the luncheon:
· Kicking things off is GRACEful Buys in Euless, with their party set for April 3rd
· Following Euless, Transitional Housing will be celebrating their volunteers on April 10th
Keep an eye on our social media for the full set list and to stay up-to-date on all site parties and plans!
Of course, for the big finale, we’ll have one final performance— The Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon! This year’s luncheon is on Friday, April 12th at Whites Chapel Methodist Church in Southlake. Doors will open at 11:00am. At this Rock and Roll themed luncheon we’ll be celebrating all of our volunteer’s hard work and achievements, with the program starting at 11:30am. We’ll listen to that Old Time Rock and Roll, have paparazzi ready to take your pictures, and rock and roll trivia on the screens.
We are so excited to celebrate our volunteers with this event, RSVP HERE TODAY and we’ll see you there! Please be sure to RSVP by Monday, April 8th.
For more information on Volunteer Appreciation Week and this year’s Volunteer Appreciation Luncheon, feel free to reach out to GRACE’s Volunteer Coordinator, Anni Hengesbach-Gomes at agomes@GRACEGrapevine.org! In the meantime, Take it Easy, and we’ll see you there!
Giving Machine Raises Thousands for GRACE Clients
What a blessing the North Texas Light the World Giving Machine has been to GRACE! Presented to us as a unique and new to the area concept, we could not have imaged what a welcome and unexpected (as you can see from our faces!) surprise the outcome would be! We are truly honored and thrilled to have been selected for this initiative and deeply appreciate the opportunity to bring the mission of GRACE and the story of our clients to hundreds who have never heard of what we do.
By using a Giving Machine, donors were able to support GRACE by selecting one of three cards we placed in the machine that demonstrated the impact you could make in the lives of our clients during the 2023 holiday season.
What is a Giving Machine? It’s simply a vending machine where individuals can select items to donate to charity. It’s as easy as buying a candy bar, but more meaningful as you get to feel the joy of giving to others. The Giving Machines provide a family-friendly, fun, and easy way to help our community’s most vulnerable. The large, red “vending machines” work in reverse, creating a memorable way to give to those in need during the Christmas season with a simple swipe of a credit card amid holiday festivities. The initiative is sponsored by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so 100% of all donations received go back to each of the charities featured! Watch this short video to see how it works!
GRACE joined nine other notable causes in last year’s Giving Machines as the three machines began their North Texas journey in Fort Worth’s Sundance Square December 5th-7th, then moved on to the Christmas Capital of Texas’ Main Street in Grapevine December 9th-17th, and finished the year in McKinney’s Town Square December 19th-Jan 1st.
A heartfelt thank you to those who encouraged and worked to have us be a part of the 2023 Giving Machine! GRACE looks forward to participating in future machines!
Thanks for a Successful “24 Hours of GRACE”
24 Hours in ’24
The 2024 edition of “24 Hours of GRACE” is in the books! “24 Hours in ‘24” was a resounding success, thanks to your wonderful generosity! THANK YOU!
Your gifts and pledges help energize the GRACE mission and strengthen our programs and services. GRACE is truly blessed to have such generous and forward-looking friends.
Many reached out to their friends and invited them to join in! And so many did!
Few agencies help as many people in as many different ways as GRACE. Still, the GRACE mission is only a channel through which your generosity reaches those in need. Your support provides stability, and strengthens GRACE’s ability to serve the needs of our clients and their families.
GRACE is honored, humbled, and fortunate to play a small role in ensuring your donations are used efficiently and effectively to serve the needs in our community. Because of your generosity, hundreds of families will return to stable financial footing and continue their journey to self-sufficiency.
Nearly two-hundred donors stepped forward during “24 Hours of GRACE”. While we are still finalizing our totals, it looks like the campaign will reach $150,000 in much needed funding.
Many set recurring gifts for the coming year. Their pledges are an important investment in the future of GRACE and in the families we serve. Many more made one-time gifts to support GRACE services and programs—their gifts are already at work making life better for those in need.
GRACE is where members of the community give to help those in need. Whether your gifts are financial contributions, donations of goods and materials, or volunteered time, GRACE is honored to be part of this caring and generous community.
Even though “24 Hours of GRACE” is over for this year, your gifts are needed and appreciated 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Click “Give GRACE” to make a contribution.