Wednesday, September 26, 2012

Groceries For Good



GROCERY SHOPPING
Did you know that grocery shopping can benefit The Stewpot at no cost to you?

TOM THUMB
It's time to collect Tom Thumb community bucks! Spend a minimum of $50 at your local Tom Thumb between September 1 - 30, and you'll receive a Community Buck. Collect and deliver as many as you can to The Stewpot no later than Friday October 5th:
1.       Postmark by October 3rd to The Stewpot, 1835 Young Street, Dallas, TX  75201.
2.       Drop off in person at First Presbyterian Church to The Stewpot's mail box - just off of "Church Street."
3.       Give to an employee of The Stewpot.
For every Community Buck we receive, Tom Thumb donates $1 to The Stewpot.  THANK YOU!  And don’t forget to link your Tom Thumb Reward Card to #1507 to benefit The Stewpot year round!

KROGER
Link your Kroger card to The Stewpot by scanning the attached*.   A percentage of your purchases will benefit The Stewpot through the rest of the program year!  Program years run from July 1 through April 30.  You must rescan the attached at the beginning of each program year for maximum benefit.  

The Kroger bar code reprinted here will remain active through April 2013 at which time the program is put on hold until July 1st of 2013Then, please wait until July 1st  of July 2013 to scan The Stewpot’s barcode to reconnect with Kroger’s Neighbor to Neighbor Program.  Thank you for your support of The Stewpot! 

ALBERTSONS  
Scan the bar code* each time you purchase groceries.

*For these bar codes, please email Stephanie McKee (stephaniem@thestewpot.org) or Lee Hutchins (leeh@thestewpot.org)

Wednesday, September 19, 2012

How 'bout them Cowboys?

You can probably guess where most people will be this Sunday at noon... in front of their televisions watching the Dallas Cowboys take on Tampa Bay. Nothing rivals football season in the fall. Especially the Cowboys. But what about those loyal fans who don't have a tv or a place to watch the game? They miss out on something they really enjoy and an opportunity to hang out with fellow fans.

The Stewpot opened its doors for the Cowboys' season opener a couple of weeks ago. Over 100 people attended. They enjoyed the first victory of the season, good food, and camaraderie. This is something we'd really like to keep going for a couple of reasons: 1) It gives the people we serve an opportunity to hang out and have some fun. 2) It provides another volunteer opportunity on the weekends.

We'll open up for game day watch parties on Sundays (only for 12PM or 3PM games). The 7PM games cause an issue with curfews and getting beds at shelters. So this is where the opportunity comes in for you! We would love to have volunteer groups come in and provide snacks, pass out drinks, pop some popcorn for everyone to enjoy, and hang out and get to know our clients.

If you have a group of friends, church group, work group, etc. interested in sponsoring and volunteering one of the games, contact Stephanie McKee (stephaniem@thestewpot.org). We'd love to have you as early as the game this week! This week the Cowboys play Tampa Bay at home at 12PM. If you're a fan, this is an incredible opportunity for you!

Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Stewpot Program Expansion


Hunger, medical, dental and meeting other basic needs of people experiencing homelessness are at the core of The Stewpot’s “recipe for success,” but more than one-third of The Stewpot’s resources are directed to prevention and stabilization for children and youth and their families. Thanks to strong community support from people like you, your donations go further to help stabilize families. 

One of The Stewpot core competencies is innovative collaborations with partner agencies. As a “hub” of the North Texas Food Bank – and its largest distributor of groceries - we are enormously proud of the role of Crossroads Community Services (CCS) in leading the Dallas community toward a Multi-Family Food Program model, revolutionizing the way that food pantries operate in the community.   As The Stewpot transitions into its role as a "spoke" food distributor in 2012, we feel confident that we are utilizing community resources the most efficient and effective way possible.

As of August 2012, The Stewpot Children & Youth program is the 3rd largest Community Distribution Partner site. By January 2013, The Stewpot could be the largest CDP site in Dallas by simply transitioning into group distributions of food for families of the children and youth in our programs!  A planning process is in place this year to assess client needs so that we will be well prepared for the challenges ahead as we plan "wrap around" programming to address family challenges. 

Thanks to Orix Foundation, The Stewpot added two new positions - Assistant Children and Youth Program Director and Assistant Volunteer Coordinator - to help with enhance and strengthen support to families. 2012 has been the pilot year with quarterly distributions. Not only are the families receiving healthy food, but tips on healthy snacks and recipes. The first two were a huge success, and we look forward to the next food distribution on Saturday, September 22.