Grace Place provides groceries, diapers, fans, school supplies, and financial assistance for essential services (rent, utilities, prescriptions, etc.).
We are located at 365 W. Tarleton St. in Stephenville. This is the main office where clients are seen and where food is distributed.
We work with the Erath County Benevolence Network (a group of churches and other organizations) to be able to meet a client's needs if it is more than we can do alone.
During this coronavirus crisis, we became a drive-through for food and financial assistance. Grace Place is located on a corner and our driveway allows people to pull in from Tarleton Street and exit on the side street, so it has worked very well. A volunteer would go out to talk to the people in their car. If they just need food, we wheel it out in a wagon and put it into their trunk for them. If they need financial assistance with bills, we talk to them and take care of that through their car window as well. This should go back to normal with clients coming inside for services beginning summer 2021.
Our numbers of people requesting financial assistance increased dramatically as the virus crisis stretched on.
Our Needs
Food - We are a partner agency with Tarrant Area Food Bank. When they have groceries that we can get to stock our shelves, it is extremely helpful. We pay a handling fee that amounts to less than 10cents on the dollar for food. If they don't have the groceries, we still need to provide staples for those in need. Therefore, we have to $1,000+ every month at local grocery stores to keep the shelves stocked.
Funds for financial assistance - the needs have grown over the past year. We are seeing more homeless people who need assistance with motels (there are no shelters in this area) and lots more people needing assistance to pay their utility and/or rent bills.