Tis is the season for lots of laughter fellowship, cheer, and of course, Santa Claus. Yes, the GRACE Transitional Housing (TH) program hosted a holiday celebration for the families and children that are in the program and Jolly Old St Nick made a stop to visit with the wonderful children in the TH program. Last week, GRACE TH kids were treated to a magical night, complete with a cookie decorating station, fun crafts and a hot cocoa bar. Each kid also received a present and delicious food thanks to the 2022 TH Volunteer of the Year, Kim Haggerty, and Abiding Grace Lutheran Church. The GRACE Transitional Housing program works with homeless individuals and families to help move them toward independence. TH Clients participate in intensive case management to assist them in achieving educational, career, and financial goals while living in clean, stable housing. All activities are aimed at self-determination and

The GRACE Donation Station is the entry point to all donations for GRACE Clients and retail shops. Due to the holiday influx of donations that GRACE receives on a daily basis, (which we are so grateful) we need volunteers to help us! GRACE is looking for extra assistance to sort donations while also making sure that the donations get to our clients and to our stores in a timely manner. At Donation Station (DS), all items are processed and sorted to provide shoppers with a clean, pleasant shopping experience at GRACE’s two resale shops. The roundabout at DS sees an average of 400 donations per day with an increase during the holiday season. Volunteers can find themselves, unloading donations from vehicles, sorting donations to meet the needs of clients and shoppers, pricing items, and or electronic testing. All of these activities and more provide volunteers time to connect with others,

A big shout out and thank you to Kylan Hoss! Kylan heard about a GRACE Client whom found a mold issue in her home and jumped to help. After assessing the issues, he immediately went to work. He cleaned and repaired the area to prevent further mold and caulked the windows to prevent further water coming in the home. The GRACE client was so grateful for Kylan. He truly went the extra mile for a fellow community person. “Kylan really went out of their way to assist someone in need in our community. They went above and beyond to help. The community is so thankful for people like Kylan” said Araceli Olivo, GRACE Community Health Clinic Administrator. It is universally understood that the holidays can be a stressful financial season even without unexpected health and home issues popping up. No matter how big or small the sacrifice our donors, volunteers

Hosted at this year’s wonderful Christmas Cottage, GRACE Board and Staff gathered and welcomed each other with open arms and wide smiles to celebrate the holidays and show appreciation for GRACE’s ability to serve the community. GRACE team members brought their favorite dishes for a potluck-style holiday meal. After Transitional Housing Manager, Martisha Smith opened up the evening with a beautiful prayer, GRACE CEO, Shonda Schaefer thanked both staff and board for coming out. Staff were thanked for being stewards of the GRACE mission and doing a continued great job in their positions. The GRACE team would like to thank each donor, volunteer, staff, board member, and supporter of our mission. We are so appreciative of every individual, every civic group, every church and every business that supports GRACE. From fundraising, to distributing food in 100-degree weather to assisting a parent shopping for their family, it is because of you

GRACE would like to welcome new Bilingual Caseworker, Judith Altieri. Judith was born in St Croix, US Virgin Islands, and was raised in Puerto Rico. As a child, Judith was very ambitious. She always wanted to learn more about different cultures and was fascinated with different languages. All of this carried over into her adulthood, as she went to Ladycliff College in New York and got her degree in Spanish with a minor in Sociology and French. Before joining GRACE, Judith worked as a Job Placement Specialist for Goodwill Industries. In her role there, she helped with the homeless population in the Ft Worth Area, while also visiting many shelters in the community. In her role at GRACE, Judith interacts with many clients each day, helping them start their path toward self-sufficiency. It’s this that Judith says makes her job empowering. “ I believe individuals deserve to be helped,” said

Christmas is fast-approaching, and GRACE Transitional Housing is looking to house three families in our Nash location before it arrives! With only two weeks left, we need assistance turning these houses into homes for our wonderful new families. Several of GRACE’s regular groups who prepare these units are unavailable due to the holidays. However, we do not want to wait until the new year to get them settled. To have these families in a safe, warm place of their own before Christmas would be the greatest blessing we could give them. For those who have not participated in this aspect of the Transitional Housing program, volunteers are needed to clean, furnish and decorate the space to transform it into a home fit for each family. GRACE Transitional Housing managers will provide volunteers with a list of needs for each unit. GRACE provides several resources to make the process more convenient

Over the years, our wonderful community has found many different ways to give back to GRACE and its programs. From 5k runs, to special projects, and honorary awards, these are some of the few ways our community gives back. We want to take this time to shout out a very special individual who goes all out each year for GRACE, and we can’t thank them enough. In 2020, Chick-Fil-A franchise owner, Louie Murillo bought a bulk of decorative Santa Claus garden gnomes to complete his family Christmas card pictures. He realized that he had more than he expected and soon turned his yard into a complete Santa Wonderland, with over 1,000 Santas in the front yard. While preparing for that year’s Christmas, he realized how many individuals and families were struggling throughout the entirety of that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so he decided to partner with GRACE to

This week, the GRACE Christmas Cottage was thrilled to receive a generous donation of over 800 books! These wonderful, brand-new books range from picture books to chapter books and literary classics that kids of all ages will enjoy this holiday and for years to come. In the past, the Christmas Cottage has had limited book availability for families, but because of generous donations this year, each child will have the opportunity to wake up Christmas morning with up to three of their very own books. In today’s marketplace, the cost of most books is the hourly wage of many jobs. GRACE Christmas Cottage is excited to be able to provide the opportunity for parents to shop in an amazing room full of books without cost to them. GRACE is thrilled to give parents the opportunities to create memories with their children. This could include having new books to read at

You are cordially invited to attend the Christmas Cottage Open House on Tuesday, December 6th at 2550 SW Grapevine Pkwy, Grapevine, TX! Kids’ time will begin at 4:30, and all ages are welcome to join at 5:30. Wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served, so grab a friend and enjoy a relaxed evening celebrating all the hard work that will make this season bright for our GRACE families! For those who haven’t experienced the magic of Christmas Cottage in the community, Christmas Cottage is a GRACE program that alleviates the financial burden of Christmas gifts during their season of hardship. Each qualified family is given a hypothetical “budget” that allows the parents to “purchase” donated toys, home goods, and appliances in a private, store-like setting. This unique approach allows families to budget their resources and select unique presents while preserving the family’s dignity. Just under 3,000 individuals and families are

The holiday season is finally upon us, and what better way to show Santa how good you’ve been this year than to volunteer at GRACE? A community favorite that is right around the corner is GRACE’s annual Christmas Cottage Open House! This year, all things ~Cottage~ will be led by our spirited seasonal coordinator, Beth Chernik. Volunteers are always needed for the Christmas Cottage. Our volunteers are always helping operations run smoothly and making our families feel comfortable. Whether it’s restocking the toy shelves or loading presents into vehicles, there is a place for you to volunteer during GRACE’s annual Christmas Cottage. For more information, visit our website or contact Beth Chernik at bchernik@gracegrapevine.org. Another popular way to get involved is through our Donation Station. This is the hub of operations for all donations from the community. All items are then processed and sorted to provide shoppers with a clean,