Virginia Mendez, one of our Mom and Tot Literacy students, was asked to share her story with the Greater Naples Leadership at an event this morning!  Virginia orated the below speech entirely in English, her second language!   Good morning!  I am honored to be here and to be able to share my story with [...]

Grace Place welcomed the parents of our Academy of Leaders students into the classroom for an open house last week.  We had total 41 families attend! The open house gave parents an opportunity to observe and work with their children during program hours. Substantial evidence exists showing there are many advantages for children when parents [...]

Our Grace Place AP Leader, Arletys, has been awarded the Comcast Leaders & Achievers Scholarship.  Arletys started volunteering at Grace Place three years ago and was selected as an AP Leader last year, her junior year at Golden Gate High School.  Only one student from each high school was allowed to apply for the Scholarship [...]

One of the mothers in our Mom and Tot program, Maria, was recently selected to speak at the “Reception to Present the Current Success, Programs and Innovations of The Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy in Southwest Florida.”  She was asked to write and present a brief speech about her story and how Grace Place [...]

The AP Leadership program recently took a team-building trip to Riverside Retreat Center in LaBelle, FL. The group of 22 high school students worked together to complete  C.O.P.E. (Challenging Outdoor Personal Experience) courses focusing on core lessons in teamwork, communication, trust, leadership, decision making, problem solving and self-esteem. Working as a team, the students were [...]

We want to send congratulations out to our AP Leader Rachelle.  Rachelle recently found out she placed second at the local level of the 2013-2014 Voice of Democracy Competition.  She received the application from our AP Leadership Program Coordinator, Mary LeVine.  Rachelle was asked to write and record a 3-5 minute audio essay on the [...]

Grace Place for Children and Families is pleased to announce a $20,000 matching gift challenge has been extended to all Grace Place volunteers by a very generous Grace Place donor and long-time volunteer.   During the Volunteer Matching Gift Challenge, taking place now through January 31, all gifts to Grace Place from a volunteer will be [...]

Thanks to our partnership with Harry Chapin Food Bank, and the tireless efforts of our volunteers, Grace Place was able to provide over 500 families with a turkey for the Thanksgiving holiday.  This was in addition to the 239 households that visited this past week's Friday Food Pantry for further family food needs. 

The Golden Gate High School Key Club, which many of our AP Leaders are members of, will be hosting a Thanksgiving Dinner for our Grace Place Academy of Leaders elementary students and their families this evening! They collected donations, purchased all the food, and have prepared it themselves.  Additional AP Leadership students will also be participating, [...]