A Half Century of Community Care

A support group in Dallas is marking a major milestone this week. The Stewpot is celebrating 50 years of helping people in need. It started as a small church effort. It has since grown into a big operation. The Stewpot offers a wide range of services. These include food, housing help, and even ID recovery. This is all part of their mission to fight poverty and homelessness. One person who has benefited from The Stewpot is Perla Sifuentes. She is a working mom who has been getting help from them for four years. She said that after the pandemic, prices went up. Her salary alone wasn't enough. So, she turned to The Stewpot for support. She has received food, formula, and diapers from them. She is grateful for their help and always tells her community about it. The Stewpot has changed a lot over the years. They started by serving lunch five days a week. Now, they provide three meals a day, every day of the year. They also have a new campus. It used to be run by another organization called CitySquare. CitySquare had to close due to a drop in donations. The Stewpot took over their facility to meet the growing demand for their services. The Stewpot has done a lot of good in the community. They have provided over 8. 7 million meals. They have also recovered over 112, 000 ID documents. This is a big deal because IDs are important for getting jobs and other services. They have also funded 233 scholarships and housed 320 people. They offer other services too, like free haircuts and art therapy. The Stewpot faces challenges ahead. They need to secure funding in a tough economy. They also need to reduce homelessness in Dallas. But they are hopeful. They have a strong community support system. People can help by volunteering, donating, or joining the Stewpot Alliance. This group raises funds and promotes public awareness. This week, there are events to celebrate The Stewpot's 50th anniversary. On Thursday, they will collaborate with Streetside Showers. They will provide showers for people experiencing homelessness. On Saturday, they will host an Open House and Community Meal. Volunteers can serve meals and tour the new campus. There is also a virtual volunteer opportunity. People can assemble snack bags and drop them off at the Open House.