Living in Grace
“In my life, I have suffered domestic and substance abuse. I was led to donate to Grace House because they represent a need that I see and know. I personally was lucky enough to have an escape plan and route, but so many women and children think they have no other choice but to return to their abuser or abusers. People in need of these services are all too often treated with the least dignity. They need love, compassion, respect, and every support. The PTSD and somatic responses live on... until nourished and treated. That’s where Grace House comes in. If I can do anything to prevent even one person from feeling that type of disappointment, I will have served. I’m blessed to be able to contribute and will continue to contribute.” –Elizabeth Jacobsen
Grace House is an incredible faith-based organization in Texarkana. We support young mothers who are facing some of life’s hardest challenges—things like homelessness, addiction, domestic violence, and aging out of foster care.
Grace House began in 2017 when our founder, Karen Rayfield, started mentoring a homeless young woman. After someone generously donated a home, she gave that young woman a safe place to live—and that’s when this mission truly began.
Today, we operate out of a much larger facility with 10 bedrooms and 8 bathrooms. We serve women between the ages of 17 and 30 who are either pregnant or have children under five. Our goal is to help them move from crisis to self-sufficiency through a structured, year-long program divided into five key phases: healing, stability, planning, growth, and independence.
Some of the core services we provide include:
- Individual and group counseling
- Life skills training
- Education and job readiness support
- Spiritual development
- Mentorship
We have an amazing team that surrounds each woman and child with love, support, and belief in their future. We stand with them. We encourage them. We fight for them. We cry with them. And we pray over them.
When a woman graduates from our program, we continue to support her. We offer a place in our “graduate house” and even gift her a car to help make her transition into independence a little easier.
Grace House is entirely community-funded. Some of the events we host each year include:
- Giving Tuesday
- Annual Grace House Gala
- The 5K Run for Her (coming May 31, 2025)
- Golf for Grace House (coming October 2025)
We also love to give back. We provide free diapers and toys, and we do regular outreach to mothers and children living in hotels—especially those affected by sex trafficking right here in our community.
There are so many ways to get involved, from volunteering with fundraising, childcare, and transportation to offering fitness training or teaching life skills.
CLICK HERE to learn more or get involved.
