Northeast Tarrant County Volunteers Feed Local Kids
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by
Leslie Horn
Leslie HornGRACE Grapevine to be among local charities in 2023 featured on The Giving Machine in DFW
Over eighty volunteers of all ages from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Colleyville, Grapevine, and Southlake joined GRACE Grapevine to feed hundreds of local children during the last week of its nineteen-year Feed Our Kids summer program.
GRACE started Feed Our Kids in 2005 with the mission to provide lunches for area children during the summer weeks when they may otherwise not receive a midday meal. Church of Jesus Christ members have been volunteering for the last six years, making lunches for over 780 children, donating lunch supplies, filling and decorating lunch bags, and serving the children each day.
“We had a large turnout of both young and old [Church of Jesus Christ volunteers] from Colleyville to help with this fun service opportunity for the children in our community. With many hands, it took us less than half an hour to complete the task of making 300 lunches,” said Teri Ferney of Colleyville.
Many of the week’s volunteers were themselves children. Girls, ages 7 through 10, from the church responded enthusiastically when they learned of the needs of children in their community. “The girls supplied the majority of the bagged cookies that were used in the lunches,” said Ferney. “We were literally feeding our Father’s sheep.”
“I love being a part of Feed Our Kids each year,” said volunteer Linda Giberson of Grapevine. “It makes my heart happy to be able to help provide lunches to the children. One of the most rewarding things is seeing the same kids grow over the years.”
GRACE Seasonal Programs Coordinator Beth Chernik said, “Thank you all for helping to finish Feed Our Kids strong this week! We are nearing 32,000 lunches served this summer! WOW! We are grateful for your service, care and keeping of our neighborhood kids.”
A young volunteer helping to pack lunches at her church in Colleyville.
GRACE Grapevine has been selected as one of the local charities that will be supported by Giving Machines this holiday season. A Giving Machine is a vending machine for charity. Instead of buying a candy bar or soda, you can donate essential items such as clothing, medicine, food, even livestock and more to global and local charities. Please be sure to follow the Giving Machines on Facebook and Instagram to find out when you can contribute to this wonderful holiday effort.
“On behalf of the organizers of our volunteer group [for Feed Our Kids,] Linda Robertson, Christy Grow, Linda Giberson, I wish to thank everyone who helped with this vital community service. School children in Grapevine-Colleyville ISD were blessed by your time and generosity,” said Nancy Coplen, who lives in Colleyville.
