Welcome to GRACE Volunteer Corner!
Good February 4th everyone. I hope you are staying warm, especially having another cold snowy, and Icy week!
Here at GRACE we truly appreciate our volunteers and the hard work they do for us. With that, we are going to start doing a weekly update to all GRACE supporters; spotlighting volunteer opportunities and our hard-working volunteers. Volunteering at GRACE is a great way to get involved in this beloved community. We have many opportunities for you to do so, and we want to make sure everyone knows what GRACE needs, what the opportunities are, what the qualifications are, and how to sign up for volunteering.
Upcoming Volunteer Orientations
The first step in being a GRACE volunteer is to get oriented with us! Through the volunteer orientation, individuals will have an opportunity to learn more about the GRACE organization, mission, and culture (something in that volunteers play a very important role in). Another perk about the orientation is that individuals will learn about the many volunteer opportunities that GRACE has to offer. We also offer a Community Service Restitution (CSR) Volunteer Orientation for anyone that needs court-appointed hours. The next CSR volunteer orientation will be held via zoom using this link, and the next Volunteer Orientation will be held at GRACE main at 4 pm on Tuesday, February 14th in GRACE Community Room B. For future reference (if you can’t make either of those) please contact Volunteer Manager, Ryan Jackson, for an orientation at your convenience. We can’t wait to see you there!
I have taken the orientation. Now What?
After your orientation, you will receive a follow-up email with details on your next steps to volunteer. A signup genius will be linked in the email with the Food Pantry, GRACEful Buys Resale Store, Donation Station, and the Community Gardens as volunteer opportunities. In the signup genius, volunteer shifts are organized by date. When you are ready, please find the date and time, and opportunity that you would like to volunteer for. When you sign up, please provide your first and last name, email, and phone. You will receive a confirmation email and a reminder notification 2 days before your volunteer shift. A volunteer application will also be attached to the email as well. Please fill it out and send it back to Ryan, at Volunteer@GRACEGrapevine.org at your earliest convenience. Please note that if you want to volunteer in any area that requires being around GRACE clients, you must submit a background check form that Ryan will send out upon request. Anyone under the age of 16 must be accompanied by a trusted guardian during any GRACE volunteer activity.
Where does GRACE need your help right now?
The GRACEful Buys Resale Store is an excellent way to get involved with GRACE! Located in both Grapevine and Euless, The Resale store funds a large portion of the GRACE annual budget with all proceeds going back to GRACE programs. At GRACEful Buys, volunteers have a chance to help accept, price, and distribute donations across the store, all while giving our customers the best customer service you can only find right here in Grapevine. GRACEful Buys Grapevine Manager, Sandy Laquey, loves each and every volunteer and has many different projects and tasks for all ages. If you haven’t volunteered at GRACEful Buys, this is the perfect time to sign up for a shift here now!
Do you have a group that wants to volunteer or a business?
For any groups who want to volunteer or do a group project, please reach out to Ryan to schedule a time to meet and discuss the event or project that is taking place. GRACE has multiple projects that need to be accomplished to fulfill our mission and volunteers and groups help out with this in so many ways.
Volunteer Highlight
Last week, as part of their volunteer day Paycom’s Production Department came to GRACE and volunteered in the Food Pantry. While volunteering, they were pleased to learn about the many families and individuals that GRACE’s Food Pantry serves and offered to do a Food Donation Drive for GRACE later this year. “We had tons of fun,” said Paycom’s Production Management Admin Assistant, Ka’Tavia West. We helped to sort, price, and shelve over 200 food items in 4 hours. We are definitely coming back!”
Thank you so much Paycom for coming out and serving alongside GRACE as we help to give back to our amazing community.
Where to go for any questions!
For more information on how you can be a part of the GRACE volunteer experience, please reach out to Ryan Jackson, at Volunteer@GRACEGrapevine.org, or 817.305.4655. We would love to have you here with us!
