SPECIAL NOTICE: Our good friends at the Colleyville Rotary Club have put up $5,000 as matching funds for the 24 Hours of GRACE campaign. Your gifts through this weekend will be matched by the club. The 2023 24 Hours of GRACE is almost at its end. Our books will be open for just little longer in case you had computer/connectively issues, or, like many people, you really need 32 hours in a day to do everything you need to do! Thus far, as is always the case, our community has responded in a very generous way! Support for the GRACE Hunger Services has been astounding. BUT, please know as fast as our warehouse fills, it empties just as fast! That’s the nature of Hunger Relief—it only lasts for a short while. We have to be constantly on the search for food and funding. But for today, and the near future,

We have officially kicked off our 2023 seasonal lunch program! Feed Our Kids Spring Break Edition was a huge success. Our dedicated volunteers and families showed up through every spring weather condition, from cold to rain to warm, bright sunshine! It was wonderful to see all the giant smiles and friendly, familiar faces. Most of our kids arrived excited and hungry directly from the City Spring Break Sports Camp! During Spring Break, only two of our summer locations serve lunch – and we were busy! We are grateful for our friends and volunteers from both First Baptist Grapevine and First United Methodist Church, Grapevine who hosted and served. We saw an increase in attendance from 2022 and served 494 lunches to our kids. If you include the surprised parents who also received a yummy hot off the grill burger at GRACE main on Friday, we served 525 lunches last week!

A group of north Texas fitness enthusiasts decided to turn their workouts into an amazing donation to GRACE this past month.  With the help of John Brown, Nicole Jameson wanted to set some amazing goals with working out this year for a milestone birthday.  Both workout at F45 Studios (with locations in Flower Mound, Keller and Southlake) and at F45 the concept is 45-minutes of “Functional” movements both cardio and strength based to get you in the best shape of your life. Nicole and John have been known for doing 2 or 3 sessions in a day, so they thought why not just complete every class scheduled in one day and find a good local community building organization to raise money for?  Well they took on the challenge with fierce determination! “As the day approached, I began my usual prep as if I was doing a long distance mud race (Spartan, Tough Mudder)’, John

Southlake Women’s Club recently chose GRACE for a grant from the proceeds of the Art in the Square festival in April. GRACE is so appreciative for the ongoing relationship and support from this group! Tens of thousands of visitors flock to Southlake Town Square to view the curated artwork and fabulous entertainers that take the stage each of the three nights of Art in the Square. This fine art jubilee, which takes place from April 28-30, is not without your favorite festival food and beverages, and if quality family fun does not get your attention—free admission might! Emerging artists also have a chance to shine during this event, by competing in contests and performing live on the event’s two main stages. It has become a fixture in Southlake’s already stellar reputation for artistry and handsome urban culture. Art in the Square will display 150 of some of the nation’s top

Our annual “24 Hours of GRACE” is next Thursday, March 23. We are asking for recurring gifts to support our Hunger Services. Over the years gifts to “24 Hours” have funded GRACE Emergency Services, the Community Clinic, Transitional Housing, Senior Services, and Children’s Services. In the last few years, “24 Hours” was dedicated to the GRACE response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even now with the pandemic “over”, next Thursday our “24 Hours of GRACE” will ask you to help us provide food to those now facing the impact of escalating inflation and a failing economy. Food is the single largest constant in requests coming to GRACE. Our Hunger Services have expanded in recent years to provide additional opportunities for those in need. GRACE hunger relief includes a Self-Select Food Pantry; Senior Commodities that brings groceries and home goods to the mobility-challenged; a summer feeding program for children named “Feed Our

More than a mere handout, families and individuals who come for food assistance at GRACE are able to self-select items they want. The GRACE Food Pantry uses a voucher system for clients to shop and choose the groceries that meet the cultural and dietary needs of their households. Currently, GRACE sees about 600 clients per month, and we pride ourselves on giving families and individuals a hand up, not a hand out in getting them on their feet and on their way into a sustainable life. Whether it be as a donor or volunteer, you can always serve at the Food Pantry. There are many ways to help! One easy way to help is by bringing donations to the GRACE Food Pantry between 9:00 and 5:00 Monday through Friday. The Food Pantry current needs list can be found here. In addition, here is our Amazon Wish List, which can be

March Madness is back and you know what that means. It’s time to create your bracket; your Weinberger’s Sandwich Bracket that is! Yes, the 2023 National Sandwich Championship Contest hosted by Weinberger’s Deli is here! From now until April 3rd , you have a chance to support your favorite local sandwiches at Weinberger’s Deli in Grapevine. This contest will start with 64 delicious sandwiches. As each week goes by, the most sandwiches sold within that week will advance to the next round. April 1st will be the final four sandwiches, and on April 3rd there will be a National Sandwich Champion day, where the winner will receive a $500 prize from Weinberger’s Deli. There are so many sandwiches to choose from, but GRACE’s CEO, Shonda has a tip for you as you choose your Weinberger sandwiches for the next couple of weeks. “Always choose the Super Duper Shonda.” That’s right!

In celebration of Black History Month, GRACE Staff took time last Saturday to visit the South Dallas Cultural Center. Planned by the staff-led Diversity and Inclusion Committee, a group of 14 staff members planned a visit to the African American Museum last Saturday. However, due to an unforeseen power outage, the museum staff quickly pivoted and lead GRACE down the road to the South Dallas Cultural Center where they received a private tour. Since opening its doors near Fair Park in Dallas, TX in 1986, the South Dallas Cultural Center provides programs in the performing, literary, and visual arts with an emphasis on the African contribution to world culture. They facilitate enriching and dynamic opportunities for the Dallas community and seek to promote a more equitable, cooperative, and empathetic community by engaging the public with art and cultural experiences influenced by the African Diaspora. (Note: As our team learned last

Over the past few weeks, GRACE staff have been very active and present at many events, honoring, serving, or benefiting from this beloved community. From cheering on our local dancers in the Colleyville Rotary Dancing for the Stars to showing support and raising funds for Me Squared Cancer Foundation, you can always find a part of GRACE wherever you go around the community. On March 3, staff and volunteers joined GRACE in supporting the Colleyville Woman’s Club Fashion show & Benefit. Hosted at the Hurst Convention Center, this year’s Fashion Show was one of the best ones yet. This year GRACE was proud to have three Men of Distinction as a part of the luncheon. Chief Financial Officer, Mark Woolverton, Volunteer Manager, Ryan Jackson, and Pantry Manager, Kyle Bucannon showed what it takes to be a Men of Distinction. From strutting the runway to serving the ladies at their tables,

We would like to introduce GRACE’s newest Production Associate, LaKissia Walker! LaKissia, also known as Kissy, is responsible for ensuring correct quality control of donations that come through the Donation Station. She also is involved in the manufacturing process, helping to make sure that everything is in good working order. Originally, from Kansas City, Kansas, Kissy’s love of her family is first. When not working at D.S., one can find Kissy having the time of her life with her kids, Michael, Montrell, and Mckinzee, along with her grandchildren. Her hobbies include skating, playing volleyball, and having movie nights with her family. Before joining GRACE, Kissy worked as a telemarketer for Blue Apron. There she was responsible for speaking to, tracking, and obtaining payment information for potential clients and investors in the area. Kissy is known around Donation Station for her friendly smile, her upbeat personality, and her dedication to being