It wasn’t long after she came to the United States that Emelida met Jesus. She was cleaning houses at the time. He worked as a cook in a little market she frequented for lunch. “He would ask for my number every day,” Emelida recalls with a wide smile. “I resisted at first, but eventually I [...]
I dreamt about my freshman year at Florida State University many times... I never imagined it like this. I envisioned campus life to be a busy social scene, not socially distanced. I figured most of my time in the dorm would be spent sleeping, not staring at my computer screen on virtual classes. I haven't [...]
Bill Fox has volunteered with the high school LEAD program and has served as a Grace Place mentor for the past several years. Karen Rodino, LEAD Program Site Coordinator, eagerly shared “Bill is always smiling, he has boundless energy, and his enthusiasm is infectious. Bill treats everyone with respect and dignity and takes the time [...]
Laura Velasquez began her Grace Place journey seven years ago as a volunteer. In her fourth year, she joined the Bright Beginnings program with her son, Danilo. Today, she attends the Beginnings 301 course, while Danilo is thriving in the fulltime three-year-old class, and her daughter, Karen, is blossoming in the fulltime two-year-old classroom. Beginnings [...]
We want to recognize and extend a heartfelt thank you to the volunteers, staff, donors, and community partners who have gone above and beyond to lend their time, talent, treasures, and voice to make a difference for Grace Place and its families, especially now. You are all heroes to us. During these challenging times, we're taking a moment to [...]
Dear Friends, Thank you for your patience during this unprecedented time of uncertainty and challenging circumstances. Like you, Grace Place is concerned about the spread of COVID-19, and we are doing everything we can to adapt our important work for students and families while protecting our community. As an organization, we have developed a plan [...]
Join us for the premier Grace Place Ambassador event, Beers & Books, at Ankrolab Brewing CO. on Feb. 20 @ 6 pm. Bring a new book to the event and get your first beer free! Food from JewBan's Deli Dàle, LLC Cuban & Jewish Favorites with a Twist will be available for purchase, with a [...]
WE’RE TICKLED “BLUE!” We are pleased to share that Grace Place is now a certified Blue Zones Project approved worksite. Blue Zones Project is a community-wide, well-being improvement initiative to help make healthy choices easier for everyone in Southwest Florida. The global movement offers solutions for worksites to inspire and encourage employees to [...]
It’s a Holly, Jolly Christmas at Grace Place! All week long, families, staff, and volunteers hosted Christmas themed events and brought the Christmas Spirit to our campus for all our amazing students. To kick off the festivities, our Bright Beginnings moms hosted a special Christmas presentation and impressed staff and volunteers alike. With [...]
Bright Beginnings Classrooms Celebrate Thanksgiving Our Bright Beginnings preschoolers and moms got a nice break from their busy routines and hosted a Thanksgiving celebration in our classrooms. Many of our students and parents are new to Thanksgiving and this was a great chance to teach them the origins of this gratifying holiday [...]