As the GRACE Grocery Giveaway (GGG) and Feed Our Kids programs come to an end, we would like to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to everyone who contributed to the success of this summer. Many kids were fed and families were satisfied thanks to you.
This summer brought a lot of heat to Texas. Three days in a row saw highs of 108 degrees, in addition to numerous days that were over 100 degrees with little to no rain. This made certain days quite difficult for everyone working at the six sites. However, both staff members and volunteers stepped up to help the children and families in the community.
The Feed Our Kids and GGG programs came to life in the eyes of our community thanks in large part to the contributions of volunteers. Making sure that everyone received what they needed, preparing meals for kids and families, and gathering data were just some of the tasks involved. With the help of our fantastic volunteers, we were able to hold birthday parties, play games, and sports with the children, and do a plethora of other activities to enhance the summer. Thank you to every volunteer who helped make this summer unforgettable.
We fed 30,331 lunches to children in the community this summer (over 3,000 more lunches than in 2021). The day of June 23rd saw us distribute the most lunches this year, with 736 being served.
In total, 1,524 households and 6,790 individuals were served throughout GRACE Grocery Giveaway. The highest grocery day, on June 23, saw 748 people served and 159 households receive groceries.
Beth Chernik, who oversees GRACE’s Seasonal Programs, is pleased with how this summer turned out. She expresses gratitude to each volunteer and site host for making this summer impactful.
“Despite the intense heat, you continued to provide your best volunteers, activities, lunches, and warm, friendly, generous hearts and smiles,” said Beth. “The expressions on your faces speak for themselves. The depth of our thankfulness transcends words in every way. We are truly grateful.”
For helping to make this summer successful, a special thanks goes out to all of the area churches businesses, restaurants, athletic teams, schools, individuals, families, and wonderful civic organizations. Our seasonal programs are great because of you.
Although the summer may be over, we are still gearing up for the biggest event of the year, the GRACE Gala, and the Christmas Cottage. If you want to serve alongside this wonderful community during the holiday season, please reach out to Beth at Bchernik@GRACEGrapevine.org or our Volunteer Manager, Ryan Jackson, at Volunteer@GRACEGrapevine.org. We would be thrilled to have you!
