News
Nov 4, 2009
Posted by: Grace
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Grace Timeline
June 2009Veronica is still working at “It’s a Grind” coffee shop.
June 2008
Life is Funny - Thank you for joining us for the FUNdraising comedy show featuring Chuck Cason at the Lakewood Theater June 7. Almost 400 people attended and was very successful. The FUNdraiser and Grace Unlimited were featured on Channel 11 and Channel 21.
May 2008
Grace continues to grow as we welcome two new residents this month. Bridgette, Starkey and Melissa finish their first semester of Community College with A averages. Grace Unlimited continues to receive the Bingo Charity Distribution, thanks to Ridgewood Bingo.
April 2008
Starkey continues to correspond and conduct interviews with potential residents at Jesse Dawson Jail and Gatesville Prison. Bridgette starts work at the Rose Garden, a high-end resale shop in Oak Cliff.
March 2008
A succesful garage sale raises over $1200. Grace appreciates all donations and especially our volunteers. After three months Nancy is ready to begin living independently. While at GU Nancy began working full time, had much needed surgery and a great start in her new life.
February 2008
Grace Unlimited receives a donation of a 1994 pick up truck which will assist in moving furniture and donations.
January 2008
Starkey starts the new year by going to school at Eastfield Community College studying Drug and Alcohol Counseling. Melissa, our resident director, and Bridgette also start classes at El Centro Community College.
December 2007
A great holiday season starting with two new residents, Bridgette and Nancy. Bridgette celebrated her first Christmas at Grace Unlimited after 15 years in prison. Everyone was surprised by an anonymous donor who left Christmas presents at the back door for Grace Unlimited.
November 2007
This was an exciting month for GU as both Tammy and Sarah graduated from our program after having spent almost a full year with us. We are very proud of both of them.
October 2007
Touched by Grace concert annual fundraiser was October 7, 2007 at the Unity Church on Forest Lane. Over 300 attended. We want to thank everyone for their support especially Mark Carroll.
September 2007
Grace Unlimited welcomes a new resident. Grace Unlimited begins our capital funds campaign. It is our goal to own the house that we now rent.
August 2007
Sarah starts two classes at El Centro College.
July 2007
Women of Grace venture out to Samuel Farms to pick fruit and then share the extras with their neighbors on the block. The Grace residents take the elderly next-door neighbor to their doctor appointments. Both therapy and classes continue.
June 2007
Program Director, Starkey, continues reviewing applications and organizing teams to interview new candidates for the house. This process is comprehensive as it requires Starkey to write personal letters to each applicant, review each application, process a background check, then the trip to Gatesville, Lew Sterrett or Jesse Dawson is scheduled for a personal interview with the applicant.
May 2007
We proudly watch Pepper complete the Grace Program earlier than expected and march confidently into the world on her own. She left Grace clean and sober, gainfully employed and with money in a savings account.
April 2007
Grace holds a successful yard sale which brings in money for groceries and to support renovation work on the garage. The Women of Grace respond to the April storms that have left the neighborhood littered with debris by initiating a neighborhood clean up and GU helps to cut down a fallen tree, collect and bag scattered and damaged belongings. The ladies were featured on the KTVT CBS-11 5 o’clock News highlighting their efforts.
Greater Dallas Council on Alcohol & Drug Abuse sponsor National Youth Services Day and on one Saturday GU is filled with energetic young people who help repair the garage and front porch.
March 2007
Ladies have Health Care Plus from Parkland, driver’s licenses and they are working. Pepper has extensive dental work done by caring and generous dentists. Therapy Services are donated and all ladies begin a road of personal healing.
Grace Unlimited receives our largest grant award of $5,000 from the Harold Simmons Foundation.
Molina High School students donate over $1000 to Grace through the Common Cents project where the students collect change for one month to contribute to a cause they want to support. Sponsored by Communities Foundation of Texas, Grace Unlimited attends the event and we are touched by the kindness and generosity of these students.
February 2007
Through the loving donations of their time, love and money, The Young Family completes the full renovation of the Grace Unlimited Learning Center. Our center now has fully operational computers and Internet connections along with brand new office furniture and workstations donated by Dallas Desk. This allows Grace to begin Computer Proficiency classes taught by our volunteer Mary Ellen.
January 2007
Resolana Classes, www.resolana.info, begin in Grace’s Learning Center, teaching living and communication skills. Gracie's Girls opens as a cleaning service company and now employs not only our ladies, but also other women just released from jail, providing them with the opportunity to make an honest living through an honest days work.
Grace Unlimited receives the Bingo Charity Distribution. Thanks to Ridgewood Bingo, some of the profits from games played are donated to Grace Unlimited.
December 2006
The Grace family welcomes Sarah and Tammy, our second and third Women of Grace. Tammy walked out of the Gatesville Prison directly into the Grace family’s arms and we whisked her to Dallas and her beautiful new home.
The Cox Family has a Holiday Party and asks all their guests to bring paper good donations for Grace Unlimited. What a success and The Grace Van goes home filled with donations.
Grace Unlimited has our first Holiday party and friends bring a decoration for our tree.
October 2006
$30,000 is raised at the Life is Good benefit concert allowing us to establish a financial portfolio to provide stability for Grace, get a much needed alarm system for the house and insurance for our vehicle. Pepper, our first Woman of Grace, arrives. Upon arrival, Pepper and the hands of Grace get busy, establishing and maintaining her wardrobe and personal needs, health insurance, a Texas Driver’s License and introduce Pepper to the 12-step recovery community.
September 2006
Grace Unlimited reviews applications from prison. Three Directors go to prison to interview possible residents.
August 2006
Grace Unlimited has its first “huge” garage sale where we raise over $2000 and realize August in Dallas is not the time to have a huge garage sale!
June and July 2006
The Melba House undergoes serious rehab. Volunteers, mostly from the recovery community, do just about 100% of the work. Walls are scraped and painted, floors are scrubbed and a multitude of other jobs are performed with love and vigor to prepare the house for its first Woman of Grace.
May 2006
A house is purchased and we're prepared for hard work in getting Grace Unlimited ready for residents.