Grace Cathedral
Article | January 25, 2016
“Grace Gives” Goes Live
Blog|Grace
Our first Grace Gives day was a smashing success! More than 400 volunteers joined us on Saturday when we teamed up with other San Francisco non-profits for a day of service. Despite the rain, all attendees brought their energy and excitement about being able to give back to communities in need. Launched earlier this year, Grace Gives is a new initiative designed to strengthen our community and make the Bay Area a better place for all. Throughout the year we’ll connect volunteers with organizations working to solve problems facing our city, including homelessness, the need for quality education in low-income areas, environmental issues, services for disabled persons and more.
Thanks to everyone who turned out for our inaugural Grace Gives event. We received incredible positive feedback from our volunteers and from staff at partner organizations, and we are excited to keep the momentum going. Collectively we put in 1,600 hours of work and tackled projects that would otherwise remain neglected. At The Verona Hotel, an organization that provides housing and services to low-income women, volunteers gave the hallways where residents live a much needed upgrade –a fresh coat of paint. Volunteer coordinator Elain expressed her gratitude for our volunteers, and said, “We are a small team getting by on a shoestring budget. Having this extra manpower today really changed the game for us.” Our volunteers experienced their own rewards. Volunteer James Case said, “Living in San Francisco, you see so many problems every day and wonder what you can do. I drive through the Tenderloin almost every day, so being able to go to The Verona Hotel today and help make it a more comfortable place to live for the people that live there was really rewarding.”
Huge thanks to our partner organizations: The Verona Hotel, The Pomeroy Center and Education Outside. We’re honored to work with groups that are doing such great work. To suggest an organization that you’d like to work with in the future, email outreach@gracecathedral.org.
Check out photos from the day and stay tuned for the next Grace Gives day in March. Make sure you’re following us on Facebook and Twitter and sign up for our weekly newsletter Highlights to get updates on Grace Gives and other ways to get involved.