The Stewpot, a community program with the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas for people experiencing homelessness, will relocate to the CitySquare Community Center following its acquisition.
In late May, CitySquare, a 53,000-square-foot nonprofit housing center, announced its closure and the sale of its property at the end of the year. Church representatives said that around that time, The Stewpot had tripled in size, outgrowing its current facility.
According to FPC Dallas, after a "competitive and equitable" process, CitySquare's board voted unanimously to accept their purchase offer. The acquisition was finalized and approved after a congressional vote on Dec. 8.
The church said they would continue CitySquare's Food Pantry and Neighborhood Resource Center, which offers housing options, SNAP, WIC, healthcare, financial assistance, and mental health services to the community.
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According to The Stewpot's website, the program currently helps people experiencing homelessness get legal IDs and healthcare and serves as a place to receive mail for those without a mailing address.
Brenda Snitzer, Stewpot's executive director, said the larger facility will allow the program to continue supporting nearly 12,000 people annually.
“We are thankful for this opportunity to maintain vital services for the CitySquare community and grow the impact of The Stewpot," Snitzer said. "As we move forward in faith, we are grateful for continued support from funders and donors as we raise the dollars for this significant undertaking that will allow us to help more Dallas neighbors in need.”
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The purchase came shortly before The Stewpot's 50th anniversary in 2025, which will be themed "50 Years of Loving thy Neighbors." Church representatives said that since its creation in 1975, the program has served more than 8 million meals to Dallas neighborhoods.
“You can’t tell the church’s story without talking about The Stewpot,” said Rev. Amos Disasa, senior pastor of FPC Dallas. “We are excited to embark on this new journey on the eve of our 50th anniversary serving our neighbors downtown. The Stewpot is a community ministry, binding us together to love and care for one another.”
The community center, located on the corner of Malcolm X Boulevard and Interstate 30, is scheduled to close on Dec. 13. The Stewpot will begin moving its operations later this month. FPC Dallas said during the transition the program will continue to serve daily meals at The Bridge downtown.
More information on The Stewpot and its transition can be found on its website.
