2013 kicked off with The Stewpot Children and Youth programs
doing our family stabilization program monthly instead of quarterly which is
what we did in 2012. The last Saturday of each month 98 families come to The
Stewpot to receive a week’s worth of groceries as well as clothing and other
services. In January, we had Parkland’s mobile mammogram unit come out and
provide mammograms and education to 40 women. Many women had never received a
mammogram before. We also have had representatives from the North Texas Food
Bank and Consumer Credit Counseling Services of Dallas come out and provide
information about programs they offer that could help meet the needs of the
members of our Family Stabilization Program.
The families say that receiving the groceries is a budget
relief. They are able to use the money they would have spent on groceries for
other bills and expenses which is especially important with the tough economy
and rising food costs. Ana Lira, a current
client states: I have not been able to find work. The program has been so much
help in reducing the amount of food that I have needed to buy from the grocery
store. I was able to get 2 sweaters for my young daughters during the January
food distribution. I chose sweaters that are a little larger than their current
sizes so that they will be able to grow into them next year. I am happy that I
have been able to save some money thanks to this program.
