The Stewpot is committed to helping Dallas' homeless

March 11, 8:32 PMDallas Christian Community ExaminerAlisa Gossage

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The Stewpot Cafe Crew

The Stewpot of First Presbyterian Church

‘The Stewpot' has come a long way from its humble beginnings. 

In 1975, it was just a small soup kitchen located in the basement in the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. Today, through the generosity of local citizens and businesses, The Stewpot offers more than just food to the homeless - it provides a place where the impoverished can find resources to rebuild their lives.

"We not only help those who are already homeless, but we also focus on homelessness prevention," said Lee Hutchins, Development Director for The Stewpot. All the people at The Stewpot, from the pastor to the volunteers, work tirelessly to teach the impoverished how to become self sufficient.

Everyday, The Stewpot helps over 700 people in the Dallas area. They provide free dental, medical and counseling services. They offer Art Classes, Bible Studies and Ministry Scholarships.

They also provide educational services for kids and teens. "Our primary focus in on career development," Hutchins said. The Stewpot has ‘job-shadowing' programs that connect at-risk teens with mentors who show them how they can reach their full potential. “Nearly 100 percent of the older youth participating in our program finish high school and go on to college.”

But they don't stop there, for there are those who, for whatever reasons - mentally, physically, or emotionally - are not able to fully care of themselves. For these people, The Stewpot has the Representative Payee Program. Stewpot volunteers work as liaisons between social service agencies and Stewpot's disadvantaged clients. "We have trained volunteers who help our clients deal with the Social Security and Disability Administration processes . . .," Hutchins said.

And The Stewpot crew does even more. But they need the help of the Dallas Christian community. "We need volunteers from area churches to make long-term commitments to help these people," Hutchins said. "These are people in desperate need of mentoring. Many of the homeless have serious day-to-day struggles such as alcohol and drug addiction."

To find out how you can donate or volunteer call Lee Hutchins (donations) at 214-746-2785 ext. 236 or Jean Jones (volunteering) ext. 320. The Stewpot provides training for new volunteers.

The Stewpot operates under the 501(c)3 of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas. Donations are tax deductible. Their website is www.TheStewpot.org. Their address is 408 Park Avenue Dallas, Texas 75201.

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