Prayer Circle

At the beginning of each shift, here at Grace Network, the Lead Coordinator calls all the volunteers together in a prayer circle. During circle time, the Lead reads specific prayer requests from our clients, then we pray for them, and for our partner congregations, and our friends and family in need. Here are a few of the recent prayer requests we've received from our clients. Please add them to your daily prayers.

"Just pray for everyone, and me too please. I was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got charged for something that I didn't know was in the car!! Thank you all and God Bless!!"

"I need blessing, blessing, blessing. I want to give up. Lord, shower down blessings on me to provide for my kids. Bless me not to get in another stressed out and depressed stage again. Bless my child with her asthma and with her SOL's. Use my family for Your Glory. I'm claiming a turn around in my life."

"My sister is incarcerated. Please pray that God will keep her safe and that she gets closer to the Lord. Please pray that I can find a job and continue to try and live right and to be a blessing to my church. Thank you."

"My sister is in Afghanistan. Please pray for her health and safety. And for our family finances."

"Please pray for me and my husband to find jobs and to get on our feet. Pray for the homeless, hungry people with no jobs."

"Please pray that I may grow in strength with the Lord. That I may be encouraged to do right and that I may encourage others.

"I pray that Grace Network is highly blessed for all the blessings that they give to individuals like myself. I also pray for the volunteers who provide help without asking for anything in return."

Unexpected Consequences

The fact is that you never know when something you say will have an important impact on someone. One of our interviewers here at Grace Network heard a touching story from one of our clients this morning which reminded her of that fact. The woman was a first-time client of Grace Network who had come in to request some emergency food. When the interviewer asked her how she had heard of Grace Network, she smiled and told her that she had seen Barry Nelson on cable TV. Mr Nelson, whose car dealerships are generous donors to Grace Network, had talked about us, the good work that we do, and why his company supports us. Obviously, the woman was impressed. And not only that, she realized that Grace Network might be able to help her out in her hour of need. Which we did!

The board members, staff, and volunteers of Grace Network send out a bouquet of thanks to Barry Nelson for his support and advocacy for the good work that we do here. We hope he will see this and know that his efforts have definitely made a big difference in this community.

Many, many thanks!

Meet Our Resident Fence Lizards

If you've ever had the pleasure of taking a stroll through our little garden, or brought a food donation into the pantry, you may have caught a glimpse of our resident fence lizards. One tends to perch, every afternoon, on the concrete pad behind the dumpster, but Two prefers the top of the fence next to the building. They're really very cute, for reptiles that is, and not particularly skittish. If you approach them quietly and keep your distance, they don't scurry away but just swivel their little heads and look at you. And just this summer, they've hatched out babies. I've counted three, at least, but they tend to be a bit more camera shy than their parents.

So now that we have a whole family of fence lizards in the Grace Network garden, it's time they had real names. Numbers just won't do. Put on  your thinking caps and help us name our lizards. Post your suggestions on our Facebook page.

Here are photos of One and Two. Photos of the babies to come.

Weatherization Project

Thanks to Grace Network's grant from the United Way of Martinsville and Henry County and the hard work of talented men from Rich Acres Christian Church a local home gets a much-needed face lift. New windows and storm doors will make this home more attractive as well as much more energy efficient. Pat Dillard, the homeowner, is thrilled with her new doors and windows. Many, many thanks go out to Marvin Sawyers and his crew from Rich Acres for their great work on this project and to Ellen Hanckel of the Grace Network Board of Directors for her coordination efforts.

A Day of Grace

Welcome to a typical day at Grace Network. Our volunteers are busy at work in the front office, doing data entry, manning the food pantry, interviewing clients, and providing assistance to needy families. You really SHOULD be a part of this good work. Our next volunteer orientation is Wednesday August 7th at 1pm. Call 276-638-8500 to sign up! You definitely will be glad you did.

Grace Network thanks the Smith River Missionary Baptist Association and their summer youth campers for the very generous donation of food items for our food pantry. Adrene Cox and Renee Moore (who is also a Grace Network volunteer) brought in the food items to the pantry. Rev. Harold Carelock is the youth program coordinator and camp director. Rev. Eric Hairston is the Association Moderator.

Pictured in the photo are Joe Prince, food pantry volunteer, Adrene Cox, and Renee Moore.

Grace Network's Board of Directors, John Collins, President, honored retiring Board members, Milt Davis and Mary Pritchett, and interim director, David Dickerson at a lovely dinner at Chatmoss Country Club on Thursday July 11th. A great time was had by all! 

Many, many thanks to Milt, Mary, and David for their former and continued service to Grace Network. Our volunteers are absolutely the very best!