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

A hybrid of ping-pong and tennis is quickly becoming one of the nation’s most popular pass time, and the name of this new trend? Pickleball. At the beginning of the year, Chicken N Pickle opened a brand new location in Grapevine and has been met only with overwhelming enthusiasm. The venue offers a combination of dining, pickleball, and outdoor games perfect for date night, a family outing, or even a party for the whole office! With a huge heart for supporting its local community, the booming entertainment complex wasted no time in partnering with GRACE in their Community Cup Campaign. For every beverage purchased at the Grapevine Chicken N Pickle location from March 1-15th, all proceeds will go directly into funding GRACE programs. Be sure to request your own personal souvenir cup to support and take home with you! If you were looking for a reason to go back or

For over 25 years, the National Charity League- Southlake Chapter have organized and produced an Annual Fashion Show, which serves as a fundraiser to local philanthropy partners, and for another year in a row, GRACE-Feed our Kids is proud to be one of the selected organizations for this year’s event. The NCL Southlake Chapter is a mother-daughter group that focuses on community service, leadership development, and cultural experiences. Like all NCL Inc. Chapters, Southlake aims to foster the mother-daughter relationship by serving its communities together. For the 2023 Fashion show, NCL is seeking to raise $100,000 of which 100% will go directly to 13 local charities in need including Battered Women’s Foundation, Mid-Cities Christmas Providers, Community Table, GRACE Feed Our Kids, Metroport Meals on Wheels, House of Shine, Christmas is for Children, Me Squared Cancer Foundation, National Ovarian Cancer Coalition, Special Olympics, Stepping Stones Foundation, The Gifting Project and Summer

GRACE’s Designer Bags & Bingo (DBB) benefitting Transitional Housing is coming up on May 7th and we need YOU there! This event will be an exciting afternoon full of laughter, Bingo, and most importantly, designer bags. This fun twist on bingo allows players to compete for high-quality designer purses from Burberry to Saint Laurent and everything in between, which is sure to bring on friendly competition. Designer Bags and Bingo is one of GRACE’s annual events that raise funds for GRACE’s impactful program, Transitional Housing. The Transitional Housing program works with homeless individuals and families to help move them toward self-sufficiency. Clients participate in intensive case management to help them achieve educational, career, and financial goals while living in clean, stable housing. This year, DBB will be held at the Fidelity Campus in Westlake. After touring Fidelity and participating in thorough meetings the GRACE DBB committee is confident that this

It’s that time of year again to celebrate GRACE’s real-life superheroes – OUR VOLUNTEERS! Whether it’s sorting through donations at Donation Station, helping out at the clinic or building relationships with our clients at the food pantry, GRACE volunteers donate hours upon hours of service to all GRACE programs. Our volunteers become not only heroes for GRACE, but to our entire community as well. For that and more, we want to say thanks! GRACE is excited to have this year’s Volunteer Appreciation theme as “There is a Super Hero in all of us.” Starting Monday, April 10th, GRACE invites you to come out and enjoy superhero-themed celebrations with us all week long as each GRACE site hosts their Volunteer Appreciation party to honor their volunteer superheroes. Wonderful gifts, delicious foods, and friendly faces are just some of the spectacular treats that our volunteers will receive as a thank you from