It’s about that time! Summer’s almost here which means it’s almost time for Feed Our Kids and the GRACE Grocery Giveaway! Each summer these two programs help to address food insecurity in our area. Food insecurity refers to the lack of access, at times, to enough food for an active, healthy life for all household members and limited or uncertain availability of nutritionally adequate foods. The rate of food insecurity for children in Tarrant County surpasses the national rate by over 2.7%. This means many children in Tarrant County live in families that do not have adequate and healthy food for all household members. In the summer of 2022, GRACE Feed Our Kids provided over 30,300 lunches for children. Many of these children are part of the school districted free and reduced-price meal program and rely on that program during the school year for meals. During the summer holiday, GRACE

Planning for the 20th annual GRACE Gala has officially begun! That’s right, this year marks the 20th year since GRACE’s first Gala, and we are ready to plan to best one yet. This year’s magnificent event will be on Saturday, November 4th at the Irving Convention Center, and it’ll be here before we know it! It takes approximately 365 days to plan the Gala, so GRACE is so thankful for the incredible planning committee, volunteers, and staff members that make it happen. There are a lot of pieces and moving parts that go into planning a successful gala, from the venue to the décor, the auction items to the music…you can imagine it takes a lot of amazing people to make it happen. This year’s Gala committee chairs are Madeline and David Ricci, who are dedicated to making this event the best EVER! After years of being faithfully dedicated to

Nearly 450 attendees showed up this past Sunday, May 7th, in support for the GRACE Transitional Housing program for the 3rd annual Designer Bags & Bingo! Gorgeous purses, delicious appetizers, sweet treats, and friendly competition filled the air for a packed afternoon. Upon arrival at this year’s location, Fidelity Investments in Westlake, guests were greeted by our sharply dressed Bingo Gents and were able to check out some awesome cars from our presenting sponsor, Park Place Lexus, Jaguar & Land Rover Grapevine. Once led into the building, they had the opportunity to take photos at our selfie station and purchase beautiful jewelry at the Kendra Scott pull. Excitement filled the air as things got started with an introduction by event chair, Lynda Warner, opening remarks from GRACE CEO, Shonda Schaefer, and a video presentation highlighting the Transitional Housing program. Next, the Bingo Gents marched through the Parade of Purses, showing

Grab your friends for an exciting morning of shopping, complimentary MIMOSAS, and delicious food, because it’s time for another Mimosa Stroll & Shop at Southlake Town Square! Presented by Park Place dealerships and sponsored by T- Mobile and Kite Realty Group, the Mimosa Stroll is one of the hottest events in the community. Attendees can experience a private BEFORE HOURS stroll along Southlake Town Square while shopping at selected stores that feature some of the best deals that the community has to offer. This is a sure way to start your Sunday off with a smile. Participating stores include Anthropologie, Apricot Lane, Athleta, Chico’s, COACH, Evereve, Lululemon, Nike, Soft Surroundings, Sugarboo & Co., Tommy John, Vera Bradley, and more! Another great perk about this amazing Mimosa stroll is that all proceeds benefit GRACE and the GRACE mission! This is a great way to serve the community, while also having a

It’s that time of year again! Time to toss our caps in the air and celebrate those who have completed another year’s worth of learning and endless opportunities through leadership programs in local Chambers. GRACE has some of its own that have completed some courses right here in our community! Bethany Hardikar has been a GRACE Staff for a little over a year, serving as the Executive Assistant to the CEO. While she enjoys her job so much, she also loves being a part of Leadership Colleyville. Leadership Colleyville is a program designed to inspire individual leadership growth by providing a curriculum that will lead to a firm understanding of the Colleyville community and surrounding areas. This program supports continued development and provides a forum for the exchange of community information, resources, and viewpoints. During her time in Leadership Colleyville, Bethany sites that the class gave her a “deeper respect

We are so excited for the 3rd annual GRACE Designer Bags & Bingo! From the moment guests enter our beautiful new venue at the Fidelity Investments corporate office in Westlake to the moment they leave, this is sure to be an incredible afternoon! Designer Bags & Bingo benefits the GRACE Transitional Housing program, designed to work with homeless individuals and families to help move them toward self-sufficiency. Transitional Housing clients participate in intensive case management to assist them in achieving educational, career, and financial goals while living in clean, stable housing. It takes a village to make an event this special come together! GRACE would like to take some time to thank some of our generous sponsors. Thank you to our Host Sponsor, Fidelity Investments! Their beautiful campus sits in the heart of Westlake and sets the stage for a gorgeous event. One of Texas’s largest employers, Fidelity thrives on

Arts Council Northeast (ArtsNET) hosted their 25th Shining Stars Awards Luncheon last week. This luncheon is an opportunity for non-profits to celebrate volunteers who make a difference to their agency as well as to the community. GRACE was thrilled to honor two volunteers who have made a huge impact on the GRACE Community Clinic, one from 2022 and one for 2023 at this award ceremony. The GRACE 2022 Shining Star was Mita Mehta. Mita owns Glenview Professional Pharmacy with co-owner Keith Van Heise. Over seven years ago, Mita started helping GRACE Community Clinic access flu vaccines for its patients. She loved the GRACE mission and serving patients that do not have access to traditional health care. During the pandemic, Mita contacted GRACE again to offer to help supply and administer COVID vaccines. To date, she has provided over 2,000 vaccines through her partnership with GRACE! The GRACE 2023 Shining Star

Are you Car Care Aware? April is National Car Care Month and that means taking a few extra steps to make sure your vehicle is in good operation. This may not only prolong the life of your car but save you time and keep you and your passengers safe. Keeping your check engine light off also ensures your car is not polluting more than necessary, which means better air quality for all of us in the region. With warming weather conditions, make sure your coolant levels are topped off with antifreeze to prevent your car from overheating and leaving you stranded. Worn treads on a tire can seriously impact a car’s ability to stop in the rain. If your tread depth is less than 4/32”, you should consider replacing the tires. Also, if you hear squeaking brakes, that is your vehicle’s way of telling you there may be an issue

Every summer for the last six years GRACE has organized two mobile pantries each week to increase food availability (especially produce) for our neighbors. We have discussed in great detail what it would take to extend this service throughout the year. So when White’s Chapel purchased a mobile pantry trailer and began offering a mobile pantry to a school with high rates of families who qualify for free and reduced lunches in Ft. Worth, GRACE was eager to join in and offer a mobile pantry in Grapevine! White’s Chapel has been a huge partner in helping GRACE reach the needs of families and individuals in and around Tarrant County. GRACE is blessed to finalize plans for what we both think will only be the first step in year-round Mobile Pantry food delivery. The first White’s Chapel/GRACE Mobile Food Pantry is scheduled for Thursday, May 11th at the Grapevine Community Outreach

This past month GRACE has been recognizing our most valuable resources – our Volunteers! GRACE would be remiss to not include our wonderful of Board of Directors. This amazing team of ladies and gentlemen oversees the mission, vision, and internal operations of the GRACE organization, and we just want to say thank you! Over the past year, the Board of directors has been in an intense strategic planning mode, looking for new ways to reach our communities, and offer more services to families and children alike. Their passion for serving the community is leading their charge and making it their mission to go above and beyond. Along with their frequent planning meetings, the GRACE Board also works as a liaison to local businesses, organizations, and civic groups to build better relationships for the community. For over three decades GRACE has partnered with many organizations and has continued to have successful