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Friday, September 22, 2023
The City of Southlake partners with select organizations to enhance our service offerings to our community. GRACE is one of the incredible service organizations we work with to create world-class experiences for our residents.
The GRACE “Angles Among Us” Gala will be held at the Irving Convention Center at Las Colinas again on November 4, 2023. This is amongst the most highly anticipated black tie events that have been around for nearly two decades and continues to grow in popularity. All net proceeds fund programs and services for those in need who come to GRACE for assistance.
GRACE is excited to introduce this year’s GRACE Gala Co-Chairs, Madeline and David Ricci. This fabulous husband and wife duo are known around the community for their business-savvy mindsets, continuous philanthropic support, and their mentorship and coaching for first-time entrepreneurs.
Both Madeline and David believe in having a servant’s heart and are always willing to give back to the community any chance they get. As strong GRACE advocates, the Ricci’s love supporting and volunteering in GRACE programs such as the GRACE Community Clinic, Transitional Housing Program, and the Christmas Cottage.
“I am thrilled to have the opportunity to work so closely with Madeline and David Ricci on the 2023 GRACE Gala,” said GRACE’s Chief Executive Officer, Shonda Schaefer. “They are hugely successful entrepreneurs and coaches and have such a passion for the work of GRACE! Watching them work with such dedication is truly a blessing!”
The GRACE Gala will feature some of the best gourmet food, live entertainment, a silent auction, and other activities that one can only find right here in our community. A bonus of attending the fabulous GRACE Gala is the limitless sponsorship opportunities that we provide, including entry into the GRACE Gala VIP Party. Proceeds from these auctions, combined with sponsorships table and ticket sales, raffles, and other gifts are used to fund the programs and services needed by families and individuals throughout Northeast Tarrant County.
Individual tickets are $475, and a table of ten is $4,000. Sponsorships with ample public relations and marketing exposure, preferred seating, and exclusive event access begin at $5,000. In-kind sponsorships are also available. For more information, please reach out to GRACE Special Events Manager at Events@GRACEGrapevine.org.
The holidays are the perfect time for giving back. If you are looking to give back to a dependable organization that spreads holiday cheer to those who need it the most, look no further than our community partner, GRACE.
Last week, GRACE hosted its Christmas Cottage Open House on Tuesday, December 6, to kick start the holiday season of serving children and families in the community. GRACE also took the opportunity to thank the hundreds of volunteers and supporters of this year’s Christmas Cottage. Attendees were encouraged to help by bringing new, unwrapped toys to donate to the cottage.
“The Christmas Cottage is a program that many families in our own backyard look forward to each year,” said GRACE’s Chief Executive Officer, Shonda Schaefer. “The community’s role in donating, volunteering, or supporting the Cottage is very important to the entire mission of GRACE.”
The GRACE Christmas Cottage serves families facing financial hardship due to limited income or a recent emergency. Each qualified family is given a hypothetical budget that allows parents to “purchase” donated toys, home goods, and appliances in a private, store-like setting. This approach lets families budget their resources and select unique presents while preserving the family’s dignity.
GRACE is accepting toys anytime at their Donation Station, GRACE admin building, and at the Christmas Cottage from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM Monday- Friday. To learn more about the Christmas Cottage and how you can get involved, please reach out to GRACE’s Seasonal Programs Coordinator, Beth Chernik at bchernik@gracegrapevine.org.
We are grateful to partner with organizations that give back to our community!
North Texans gave it their all last week to help local nonprofits across the area.
Over $60 million in donations were received by Communities Foundation of Texas during the 14th Annual North Texas Giving Day.
Today, we take the time to reflect on the City of Southlake’s continued commitment to helping these organizations succeed by highlighting Southlake Cares.
The Southlake Cares initiative began in 2020 with the outbreak of the COVID-19 Pandemic. During that time, we challenged residents to support local organizations that tirelessly serve our community. Southlake residents rose to the challenge with their generosity. Southlake Cares is another way the City wishes to promote local non-profits.
Our residents benefit from the City’s partnership with select community organizations. Did you know the City has nine Community Service Agreements with Southlake and Tarrant County organizations? Each year, the City provides funding to these organizations to support their mission of providing cultural, emergency, educational, transportation, and crisis services to residents in need. Southlake City Council recently renewed our Community Services Agreements with these organizations, reaffirming our partnership with them.
Here is a list of the incredible organizations that enhance our community:
APEX Arts League: The City of Southlake partners with the APEX Arts League to host various art events in the community. APEX is dedicated to actively advancing the arts, artists, and arts education while promoting the concept and reality of a regional home for the arts in the Southlake area. Its mission is “to enhance appreciation, provide access, and promote participation in the arts in our community- the APEX of the DFW metroplex- through partnerships with leading arts and civic organizations.”
Arts Council NorthEast: With a vision of access to the arts for all and a mission to provide artistic, cultural, and educational opportunities to improve the quality of life in our communities, Arts Council North East partners with the City to present the annual Masterworks Series. The Masterworks Concert Series provides free concerts to the community and includes all genres of music.
Call A Ride Southlake: Call A Ride of Southlake, Inc. (CARS) is a not-for-profit corporation whose purpose is to provide free, non-emergency transportation for medical, dental, social, business, shopping, and personal needs to Southlake seniors and disabled adult citizens. They depend on volunteer drivers to transport our 55 and better community where they need to be.
Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange (GRACE): Grapevine Relief And Community Exchange (GRACE) is a Grapevine, Texas-based non-profit relief agency which provides food, clothing, financial assistance, and other vital necessities to people who are struggling with a limited income or recent emergency.
Metroport Meals on Wheels (MMOW): Metroport Meals On Wheels, Inc. is a non-profit organization that organizes volunteers to deliver hot lunches to homes of individuals who are elderly, frail, chronically ill, or homebound. They also host weekly luncheons at the Southlake Senior Activity Center.
SafeHaven of Tarrant County: SafeHaven of Tarrant County is a non-profit organization whose mission is to end domestic violence through safety, support, prevention, and social change.
Southlake Community Band: Southlake Community Band is a concert band of more than seventy talented adult amateur musicians who regularly perform in the North Texas cities of Southlake, Grapevine, Keller, Colleyville, and surrounding communities. Don’t miss them at annual City events like the Stars and Stripes Festival and Home for the Holidays!
Southlake Historical Society: The Southlake Historical Society collects and preserves the history of Southlake for those now living in the area and for future generations. In addition, they host yearly educational events such as the Cemetery Tour and the summer Historical Society exhibits in Town Hall!
Southlake Sister Cities: Southlake Sister Cities is a non-profit organization that aims to foster global understanding, friendship, and communication through education and exchanges. Southlake Sister Cities represents Southlake abroad to our two sister cities, Tome, Japan, and Suzhou Wuzhong District in China!
While the challenge may have ended, it’s not too late to help! We invite you to join us in partnering with these incredible organizations by volunteering or making a donation.
It’s always the right time to show the world that Southlake Cares! For more information, visit our Southlake Cares webpage.
The City of Southlake partners with select organizations through Community Services Agreements to provide outstanding services to our residents.
Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange (GRACE) works with the city to provide emergency assistance services to Southlake residents in need. There are many ways Southlake residents can get involved with organizations such as GRACE to make a difference in your community, but the GRACE Gala is hands-down, one of the most fun!
Mark your calendars for the 19th annual ‘angels among us’ GRACE Gala, presented by The Thompson Group at Classic Chevrolet on Saturday, November 5, 2022, at the Irving Convention Center in Las Colinas.
A meaningful celebration of the community’s generosity, the evening is filled with gourmet food, libations, high-caliber entertainment, and auction items. All proceeds fund the GRACE mission to provide food, clothing, shelter, and medical care to tens of thousands of individuals and local families each year.
Back by popular demand, The Walton Stout Band will perform with their fiery mix of R&B, Soul/Funk, and Dance.
Attendees will have an opportunity to bid on hundreds of valuable items including—local treasures, great travel, and unique experiences.
At the end of the program, there will be the annual Gala raffle drawing. This year’s prize will be a Trip to the Dominican Republic. Raffle tickets are $50 each, or five for $200, and can be purchased online—you need not be present to win!
Sponsorships begin at $4,000. Full-table sponsorships start at $3,500. Individual tickets are $375 each, or a table of ten for $3,500.
For more information, visit https://www.gracegala.com/ for details or contact Basha Ramsey, GRACE Special Events Manager, at 817-305-4653, or email events@gracegrapevine.org.
The GRACE Food Pantry and Clinic need support from the community to help meet increasing demand for their services. Show them Southlake Cares.
You may know of GRACE Grapevine for their Community Pantry, located at 837 E. Walnut Street in Grapevine. The Food Pantry provides perishable and non-perishable food to individuals and families in need. But that is not all GRACE does to support the community. GRACE offers wrap-around services, which include the Community Clinic (the only community clinic this side of Fort Worth), Transitional Housing and other Sheltering Assistance, Seniors’ Services, Children’s Services, Lifeskills and Financial Education, and Emergency Assistance for utilities, transportation, and more.
Triple the demand
GRACE’s Chief Development Officer, Mark Wollverton stated, “GRACE Client Services is experiencing triple the demand over last year at this time. Focus has been limited to the Food Pantry, Community Clinic, Senior Services, Transitional Housing, and Emergency Services. GRACE lost $50,000 each week the resale stores were closed, in addition to loss from cancelled events. There is a concern for future support as funder fatigue grows and donors face their own recovery needs.”
What can you do?
An easy way to support GRACE and make up for lost revenue is to help them is through their online donation portal. This gift allows GRACE to apply funds where they are most needed. Remember to select Southlake Cares as an honoree, if you choose to give this way.
Medical Community Support: Many of GRACE’s clients have diabetes, and they currently have a considerable need for insulin samples, oral diabetic medications (i.e., Januvia, Janumet, etc.). Individuals connected to the medical community can assist by providing samples of these key medications to be dispensed as ordered to GRACE clients.
Other health and safety supplies needed include medical masks and hand sanitizer.
Items can be dropped off or shipped to the following location. In order to protect your safety and GRACE staff, please remain in your car and someone will unload for you.
GRACE Food Pantry | 837 E Walnut Street, Grapevine, TX 76051 Monday – Friday | 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Southlake Cares
Visit the Southlake Cares webpage to learn more about our Six-Month Challenge. See where you might fill a need and then click on the button that says “Learn More.” On that page, there are links to take you to our partners’ websites. From there, you can choose how you want to make a difference. If you do decide to give, please be sure to indicate Southlake Cares as your honoree.
From now until December, we will feature each one of our partners and tell you how they are helping the City. We will also track the Challenge’s progress to let you know how things are going and if our organizations are encountering a specific need.
We need your help to show we’re Southlake Strong and that Southlake Cares. Thanks for caring!
We need you, Southlake! A challenge is at hand, and we need your help to conquer need in our community. The Southlake Cares Six-Month Challenge will raise awareness of these particular organizations’ needs and ask for specific aid to meet them.
Economic Stress Creates High Demand for Assistance
It’s a difficult time in our nation and our communities. Families desperately need the essentials of food, medicine, shelter, and more in our area, and local service organizations have a growing need of support from the community for money, in-kind donations, and volunteers. In some instances, the demands have tripled, while revenue sources have declined. The City of Southlake has a history of partnership with these six service organizations and relies on them to help provide services to the community in meaningful ways.
How to Help
Visit the Southlake Cares website and learn more about these organizations. See where you might fill a need and then click on the button that says Learn More. On that page, there are links to take you to our partners websites. From there, you can choose how you want to make a difference. If you do decide to give, please be sure to indicate Southlake Cares as your honoree.
Over the next six months, we will feature each one of our partners and tell you how they are helping the City. We will also track the challenge’s progress to let you know how things are going and if our organizations are encountering a specific need.
We need your help to show we’re Southlake Strong and that Southlake Cares. Won’t you join us?
GRACE (Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange) Grapevine will be hosting an Open House on Wednesday, November 30th from 4:00 PM-8:00 PM to promote their annual Christmas Cottage.
Through their annual Christmas Cottage program, GRACE Grapevine provides new, unwrapped gifts to families facing financial hardship due to a limited income or a recent emergency. 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. Over 2,700 individuals and families are served each holiday season.
Unwrapped and new items can be donated at the Donation Station, 112 N Scribner Street, or at the GRACE Main, 610 Shady Brook Drive, both in Grapevine. The Christmas Cottage Program will be open from December 8th-22nd. A list of items needed can be found at GRACEGrapevine.org under the tab “Christmas Cottage”, as well as other ways to get involved.
To promote the Christmas Cottage program, GRACE Grapevine will be hosting an Open House:
Date: November 30th, 2016
Time: 4:00 PM-8:00 PM
Where: 815 S. Main Street; Grapevine, TX 76051
The Open House will begin at 4:00 PM with Children’s Time and at 5:30 PM wine and hors d’oeuvres will be served. To R.S.V.P to the event, please contact Chelsea Rose, the Special Events Coordinator for GRACE Grapevine at events@GRACEGrapevine.org. For questions regarding the event, please contact Lori Stevens, the Seasonal Programs Manager for GRACE Grapevine at lstevens@GRACEGrapevine.org.
For more information regarding the Christmas Cottage program, please call GRACE Grapevine (817) 488-7009.
GRACE Grapevine is a Grapevine, Texas based nonprofit organization that provides food, clothing, financial assistance, and other vital necessities to people who are struggling with a limited income or recent emergency.
The City of Southlake has been a proud partner with GRACE Grapevine since 1994.
Employees of Forest Park Medical Center Southlake and members of its leadership team, including CEO Charles Nasem, gathered alongside Southlake Mayor John Terrell at a food drive supporting the Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange (GRACE), a non-profit relief agency that provides assistance and vital necessities to those in need.
For the second year in a row, GRACE (Grapevine Relief And Community Exchange) and Forest Park Medical Center have joined forces to help give back to the community. The Forest Park Southlake family participated in a hospital-wide food drive, provided more than 400 lbs of food to GRACE. On December 15th, Charles Nasem, CEO of Forest Park Southlake, was joined by the Forest Park Southlake employees who gathered around the hospital’s Christmas tree, and toasted GRACE with hot cider and cocoa.
Accepting the donation on behalf of the GRACE Board was Southlake Mayor, John Terrell. Mayor Terrell also accepted a token crystal bell for GRACE engraved, “GRACE, for Answering the Bell in Our Community.”
The City of Southlake supports GRACE’s efforts in Southlake, Keller, and Colleyville. For more information about the City’s community service organizations, please visit CityofSouthlake.com/
On Wednesday, April 30, 2014, GRACE, a community partner of the City of Southlake held its Annual Appreciation Lunch.
The Hilton DFW Lakes Ballroom was filled with excitement as GRACE volunteers gathered for a luncheon in appreciation of their hard work and dedication during 2013. However, no amount of cake, verbal thanks, or awards can ever fully express the gratitude that GRACE has for each of its volunteers.
In 2013, 1,849 volunteers lent helping hands to the various GRACE sites. Whether it was sorting items at Donation Station, assisting clinical staff at the Community Clinic, or helping out with admin work at GRACE Main, GRACE could not have helped as many people as it did last year without them. Volunteers at GRACE serve in all capacities – from the members of the Board of Directors taking on GRACE’s most critical challenges to corporate groups completing building projects from the GRACE Project Wish List. At every site, volunteers are integral to the day-to-day operations of GRACE.
A total of 49,962.32 hours were worked by the GRACE volunteer base in 2013. To put that number in perspective, that’s 1,957 days; 278 weeks; the equivalent of just over five years!
The 2013-2014 Outstanding Volunteers are as follows:
Volunteer of the Year, Sharon Cherry
Volunteer of the Year: Sharon Cherry
Outstanding Food Pantry Volunteer: Cathy Jackson
Outstanding Community Gardens Volunteer: Caryn Hutchinson, Becca Clarke, & Alison Shumaker
Outstanding Clothing Room Volunteer: Andrea Longo De Moraes
Outstanding Emergency Assistance Volunteer: Idell Bowker
Outstanding Donation Station Volunteer: Ann Lee
Outstanding Compass Center Volunteer: Chasen Watson
Outstanding GRACEful Buys Volunteer: Kim Le
Outstanding Style & GRACE Volunteer: Becky Fisher
Outstanding Community Clinic Volunteer: Eduardo Herrera
Outstanding Community Clinic Medical Provider: Dr. Robert Wai
Outstanding Friends & Family Volunteer: Cindy Wheeler
Outstanding Board Member Volunteer: Lynn Niewald
Outstanding Transitional Housing Volunteer: Tracy Crump
Outstanding Development Volunteer: Laura Grosskopf
Outstanding Special Events Volunteers: Mike & Sherri Mills
Outstanding Youth Volunteer: Abby Tisdale
Outstanding Seasonal Programs Volunteer: Ed Folliard
Outstanding Volunteer Group: ARI
Congratulations to all of the award recipients!
For more information, contact Jaqueline Hester at 817.305.4652 or email jhester@GRACEGrapevine.org.