Stewpot Children & Youth Programs Director named Alumna of the Year

Suzanne Dwight

Suzanne Dwight, LMSW, Director of Children & Youth Programs at The Stewpot, is an inaugural graduate of Baylor University's Masters program at the School of Social Work. Suzanne was named Alumna of the Year, and was recognized at a dinner at Baylor on April 28th.

Chosen for her work as a congregational social worker with children and youth in inner-city Dallas, Suzanne received the Louise Brandon scholarship for graduate school. At The Stewpot, she oversees 38 college students who are receiving scholarships through The Stewpot's children and youth program. "As I see the difference that the scholarship makes to those students it has helped me to appreciate the scholarship that I received even more."

Suzanne joined The Stewpot in 2004 and coordinates all Stewpot programs for Dallas inner-city and homeless children and teens ranging in grades from first grade through college. When she started, she reports that "there were 13 scholarship recipients and now with program expansion we are able to help many more students achieve their dreams. Many of the students I work with are first generation college students and also the first person in their family to graduate from high school. It has been a pleasure to be able to help them through the process of preparing for college as high school students and then also to follow them through their college career."

Since joining The Stewpot, children and youth program attendance has increased by 25%, and the number of youth attending college has increased by more than 50%. "I am expecting ten of our students to graduate from college this year," reports Suzanne. "To many of the students the thought of going to college is a completely new experience and The Stewpot programs are able to provide guidance and support they may not receive otherwise."

Suzanne initiated the formation the ESL program for parents of the Stewpot’s Saturday School, and implemented the formation of Junior Crew to hold and recover former Saturday School participants that otherwise would not have participated in the programs. Suzanne has built programs and increased participation in events through surveys, evaluation tools, and new initiatives. This summer she will be supervising a bi-lingual Exxon Mobile Intern to work with the parents of the children in our program, and to evaluate curriculum.

"During a typical year, my staff and I work with about 350 or more students in 1st grade through college doing enrichment programs and also 20 parents in an English as a Second Language class that I was instrumental in implementing. These are individuals and families that live in the downtown Dallas area but they themselves do not attend First Presbyterian Church. They are however able to experience the ministries that the church has to offer. In fact the two summer camps that we implement each summer utilizes the church space as much if not more than the church members do during that time. This is what being a community ministry and living out the Christian faith is about. I love that I am able to do that as part of my job."

"If I could make a recommendation to the students that are here today, it would be to take every opportunity to learn from what the faculty has to offer and teach. Also, in your field placement don’t be afraid to ask questions and learn as much as you can. I have found from being a field instructor that some days especially during supervision, I learned as much as the student did."

Homeless artists to paint murals in Deep Ellum’s Pillar Park

The Stewpot Open Art Program has 20 artists working on proposals for Pillar Park. Their work will be displayed April 13 at an exhibit, where guests can vote on the eight best pieces for the eights sides of the pillars. The winning artists will each receive a $200 stipend and paint supplies.

The art exhibit and judging will be from 4:30 to 6 p.m. April 13 at the Deep Ellum Foundation, 2630 E. Commerce St., Dallas.

Read all about it at the DMN.

The Stewpot Open Art program shares similar strategy with a homeless art program in Atlanta.

for more information about The Stewpot Art Program, go to www.thestewpot.org\art.asp

Soup for the Soul initiative helps feed homeless individuals

Corporate philanthropy took a interesting twist in the first months of 2011 at JPMorgan.  A "Soup for the Soul" initiative set regions moving to participate in a philanthropic "contest" to win more points than the other regions.   For the DFW area, employees earned one point for each can collected for a food drive and 20 points for serving a meal to hundreds of homeless individuals coming for meals at The Stewpot's Second Chance Café where over 1,500 meals a day are served to those in need. The JPMorgan department with the winning points received an all expenses paid trip to the Sabine for a pizza lunch.   Hooray for corporate America in giving philanthropy a competitive edge!

The Stewpot Has Many Chef’s

Friends of the Stewpot, thank you.
The word leverage is used by just about everyone these days. We use the word to describe how we overcome inertia with energy and movement. Leverage is an example of cause and effect, of action and reaction. Leverage is an application of basic laws of nature. But we know leverage is more.
Our bones act as levers blessing us with movement. From classroom to home, from workshop to factory that simple lever works hard. That ancient Greek, Archimedes, claimed thousands of years ago, and the truth of what he said still echoes today: “give me a lever long enough and a place on which to stand and I can move the world.”
Another voice from the ages past, the Prophet Isaiah, answers that challenge and reminds us how to change the world. From the 58th chapter of Isaiah (6-9): “Is not this the fast that I choose; to loose the bonds of wickedness, to undo the thongs of the yoke, to let the oppressed go free, and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into your house; and when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh? Then shall your light break forth like the dawn, and your healing shall spring up speedily; your righteousness shall go before you, the glory of the lord shall be your rear guard. Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer; you shall cry, and he will say, Here I am.”
I know it’s a tough sell to mention fasting when we recognize the wondrous, God-given gift of food, artfully and lovingly prepared. The prophet uses the word fasting not to lap-band our stomachs but to leverage our hearts, minds and souls to move the world. He tells us to stop doing one thing and start doing something else.
The abiding beauty of the lever and its incredible usefulness lies in its multiplying effect. Place the fulcrum in the right place and the effort you put in will have astounding results.
For 36 years the Stewpot has been blessed with chefs who have used their ladles as levers. What a testament to the multiplying effect of the simple lever first tipped to fill a bowl in October of 1975 that has been multiplied to serve over 4 million meals.
Be they chefs that cook, chefs that serve, chefs that teach, chefs that sort mail, chefs that manage money, teach art, or chefs that mentor our 40 college scholars they are the chefs that help to answer that call. They lead the way, helping us to stop doing what holds down and back and they help us to start doing what helps grow justice and achieve potential. It has been my blessing to “leverage” with the best.
Morton Myerson came to the Stewpot and with leverage skillfully tipped pitcher to glass and filled empty cups with milk and water. Later, perhaps a “Here I am” answer to the prophet, he pictured music as another nurturing way to fill what is empty. Through music, song and dance I saw what the prophet claimed would happen erupt with joyful applause, smile and laughter. When silence was filled with sound it made true what the prophet said: “Your light break forth like the dawn and your healing shall spring up speedily.” Mort, thank you for listening to that inner voice.
Mort has been our Chef of Music but truly our Stewpot Alliance has been of Chefs of Magic. They have now, for three years, taken an idea and with great love, imagination and hard work leveraged that idea into a premier community event that changes lives.
I can attest to and predict there can never be enough chefs for the Stewpot.
Our sincere appreciation to Mort and the Alliance, our esteemed Chefs and you all who give in many ways. But there is a special place in today’s celebration of someone else who answered a call to help heal and build by saying so often in so many ways: “Here I am.”
I can say nothing greater than Gil and Billie Thomas gave us a place on which to stand from which we have, with your help and God’s blessing, changed lives.
Thank you.

Remarks spoken at Soup’s On event – January 25, 2011
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Children and Youth Program Community Ministries Scholars graduate

Congratulations to the Stewpot Children and Youth Program Community Ministries Scholars that graduated in August and December from college!

Blanca Duran received her Bachelor in Broadcast Journalism from Texas A & M University at Commerce. She currently works at Ernst and Young as a phone representative and plans to go back to school to get her teacher certification.

Nallely Ramos-Garcia received her Associates in Nursing from El Centro College and after passing her state board exam will start working as a Registered Nurse in the ER at Presbyterian Hospital.

Steven Medina received his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from University of Texas at Arlington. He is working at Alcon Labs.

Jennifer Figueroa received her Bachelor of Science in Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Technology from Texas A & M University. She currently works for Vendor Safe Technologies while looking for a job in her degree field.
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Volunteers needed for homeless census

It is once again time to conduct the Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance (MDHA) annual homeless count and census. The census is conducted each year in the last week of January so that Dallas and Collin Counties can collect information on homeless residents.  With MDHA’s renewed commitment to end Chronic Homelessness by 2014 and the opening of the Bridge Homeless Assistance Center in May of 2008, the Homeless Count and Census allows us to monitor our progress in achieving this goal. The Census helps us to complete a needs assessment for the community and encourage the development of programs to fill identified gaps. The information compiled during the census is also used by several interested groups, including non-profit organizations, faith-based groups, media outlets and various departments in Federal, State and local government.

DATE: Thursday, January 27, 2011
TIME: 5:30 P.M. sign-in

LOCATION: Dallas City Hall – 1500 Marilla, L1 F North Auditorium Park in City Hall underground parking (entrance traveling east on Young Street). Enter through the GREEN door.

HOW TO HELP: Volunteers must be at least 18 years of age. Those conducting the census should remember to wear clothing appropriate to the weather, comfortable shoes, bring a flashlight, writing pen, and clipboard. Training on how to conduct the census will be provided for volunteers on the night of the Count. Volunteers will sign-in from 5:30 – 6:15 p.m., and training will begin at 6:30 p.m. For more information, please contact Metro Dallas Homeless Alliance at 214-670-1112 or PMaroney@MDHADallas.org