Today, GRACE is so excited to formally introduce you to Pantry Assistant Manager, Kristal Gonzales! Having been a part of the team since late March, it’s possible you’ve already met this amazing human and if you haven’t, you’re going to want to!  Born in a small town outside of El Paso, Kristal grew up wanting to be a Special Education teacher. While this hasn’t come to fruition, it’s evident that her compassion for others has guided her throughout her life, including the seven years she served in the United States Navy!   When she’s not serving others in the Food Pantry, she enjoys volunteering through her church and with Compassion International. She also loves to read, catch up on the latest TV shows, and cook!   Kristal first found out about GRACE through her church, which volunteers with the Feed Our Kids program. She was moved by the mission of GRACE to

We are excited to announce that GRACE was selected for and will be featured in this year’s Light the World Giving Machine when it arrives in North Texas next week. Donors will be able to support GRACE by selecting one (or more!) of the three cards you see in this article. What is a Giving Machine? It’s simply a vending machine where individuals can select items to donate to charity.  It’s as easy as buying a candy bar, but more meaningful as you get to feel the joy of giving to others. The Giving Machines provide a family-friendly, fun, and easy way to help our community’s most vulnerable. The large, red “vending machines” work in reverse, creating a memorable way to give to those in need during the Christmas season with a simple swipe of a credit card amid holiday festivities. Watch this short video to see how it works! GRACE joins

You are cordially invited to attend the Christmas Cottage Open House on Monday, December 4th at 2550 SW Grapevine Pkwy (Suite 150), 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

Last week GRACE held its annual Thanksgiving Food Distribution! Clients were given dinner packages containing all of the holiday staples and were met with the compassion of our wonderful volunteers.  This year, GRACE served around 400 families over the course of three days! In total, our Holiday Food Distribution serves around 800 families every year. But we can’t do it without the help of our volunteers— Thanksgiving may have passed, but we will always be grateful for our community!  We would like to give a special thanks to this year’s volunteer groups: John Slocum & Friends, Good Shepherd Men’s Club, BluSky Restoration, Baylor Scott & White, First Baptist Church Grapevine, Tonia Casper Friends & Family, Great Wolf Lodge, 121 Community Church, Grapevine Masonic Lodge, and St. Lawrence Church. Thank you for all of your hard work!  With Thanksgiving in the rear-view, GRACE is gearing up for its December Food Distribution—

The weather is getting colder, the sun isn’t staying out as long during the day, and frost has started to appear on our windshields in the mornings. One of the best ways to warm up is with a delicious, hot cup of coffee, tea, or cocoa! What if you knew that your morning cup of Joe was also going to support a good cause?  We are so thankful to Dutch Bros. Coffee in Grapevine, Flower Mound, and Lewisville, for choosing to support GRACE again this season! On Saturday, December 16th, for each beverage purchase, $1 will be donated to fund our vital programs and services. That’s right! For one day only, a dollar from every drink – hot or cold, coffee or otherwise! – will go to support GRACE! Please note that this fundraiser is only occurring at the Grapevine, Flower Mound, and Lewisville locations.  Are you interested in hosting

Due to an increased need for assistance over the last several weeks, we have had to adjust Client Services hours to 10:00 am- 3:00pm. We will service all parties that have been checked in by 3:00pm. Client Services will also be closed every last Friday of the month for staff training and development. We sincerely apologize for any inconvenience this has caused.

Consider Choosing GRACE on November 28th for Giving Tuesday! Giving Tuesday is a global generosity movement, unleashing the power of people and organizations to transform their communities and the world. It strives to build a world in which the catalytic power of generosity is at the heart of the society we build together, unlocking dignity, opportunity, and equity around the globe. GRACE has joined in with the Giving Tuesday movement since its inception in 2012. And now, 11 years later, donors have generously supported us during this special day dedicated to generosity. People show their generosity in a variety of ways during Giving Tuesday — whether it’s helping a neighbor, advocating for an issue, sharing a skill, or giving to causes, every act of generosity counts. Here at GRACE, we are so blessed and so thankful that the members of our surrounding community, are such incredible givers. Because of your support,

GRACE is proud and honored to “Share the Love” again with Sam Pack’s Five Star Subaru, 2651 William D. Tate Avenue in Grapevine. For the sixth year in a row, the “Share the Love” Campaign—November 16 through Tuesday, January 2—will raise funds for GRACE and several other local and national charitable agencies. Through the last five years, gifts from Five Star Subaru have provided nearly 9,700 local families with emergency assistance, food, clothing, medical care, sheltering and sheltering assistance, and referrals to agencies that partner with GRACE, such as the John Peter Smith (JPS) Health Network, One Safe Place domestic violence counseling, and nearly 80 other referral partners. Customers purchasing a new Subaru can show their support for GRACE by selecting our agency from among many causes. Just tell the Subaru sales associate to direct your gift to GRACE! For each new car sold, Subaru will donate $250, plus an

Despite rainy skies, Christmas Cottage move-in was a success! Our fearless volunteers worked tirelessly to move all the Cottage necessities into the amazing space. Now that all the pieces are in one place, we need YOUR help bringing it to life! Each year, GRACE is able to provide over 2,700 children and parents with Christmas gifts for the holidays. This dignified experience allows for moms and dads to select new, unwrapped gifts for their children that they can take home and prepare to put under the Christmas tree. Of course, this program would not possible without the help and support of the community. We need your help in the following ways: Volunteer We would love for you or your group to help out at the Christmas Cottage. Lots of shifts are available! Please sign up today by contacting the Volunteer SIGN UP GENIUS HERE or call 817-690-4136. ** NEW ROLE OPPORTUNITY at

This year will mark the 13th year that GRACE has partnered with United Way of Tarrant County to offer the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program to families and individuals in and around North Tarrant County. VITA offers free tax preparation services to households whose family income is less than $64,000 per year. Many of the families GRACE assists live paycheck to paycheck and often the only time they have extra cash to put away for an emergency or to catch up on bills is when they file their tax returns. For those families, a well-earned refund from the IRS has a significant budget impact. Beginning on January 23rd and running through April 13, 2024, a qualified family or individual can come to GRACE during the times listed below and have a trained volunteer complete their taxes free of charge. Many families who pay for these services are missing different