Birthday Fun

I love birthdays! I love my own, and I love celebrating the birthdays of my friends and family. I get so excited about presents for my husband that I can never keep the gift a secret. Birthdays are so fun!

A lot of people have a birthday tradition they love. It may be a meal at a certain restaurant, or a special breakfast each year. Our staff here at The Stewpot is like a family, and we've started this tradition of funny homemade birthday cards. The cards usually include a funny picture of staff members. We went all out for our executive director's birthday in December. Staff, volunteers, and clients made a book of custom cards for Bruce that will be a great gift to keep and look back at. 

We were thinking about starting a new tradition. Why not include our clients and do a giveaway? So, this morning we started with Suzanne, our Children & Youth program director. Suzanne wanted to hand out warm winter hats to everyone. Everyone was grateful for the gift and Suzanne received a lot of birthday wishes!

We'd like to open this up to volunteers also. If you're interested in celebrating your birthday the same way, you can! Contact me (stephaniem@thestewpot.org) a week or so before your birthday. You can choose what you'd like to hand out. You can bring something (we usually plan on 175 people) or hand out something we have here. It can be a seasonal item (hats, gloves, water bottles, baseball caps, etc.) or food. Any food item must be pre-packaged. Hopefully we can start a new birthday tradition!

Stephanie 

Women's Tea

Women's tea was a huge success thanks to our staff, visiting agencies, and volunteers! This year we had representatives from:

• Parkland Hospital
• Turtle Creek Recovery
• Attitudes and Attire
• Genesis Women's Shelter
• Martha's House
• Crossroads Community Services
• Dallas County Health and Human Services 
• Planned Parenthood (HIV Testing)

Each agency came to share the services they provide, and how the women we serve can access those services to reach their potential! Every lady received a gift bag filled with makeup, perfume, jewelry and a few necessities. Crossroads Community Services sponsored a fashion show. And of course that was a hit. The ladies looked beautiful! Santa even stopped by and took pictures with our guests. 

We had so many donations thanks to you all! Thank you for helping out! Here's a video and pictures from the afternoon. 

Feline Newsmakers

Any visit to the Stewpot needs to include saying "Hello" to Precious, our 2nd floor feline resident. She's a "Working Cat" and keeps other four legged visitors and some two-legged ones as well in check. She's a great companion and is very well informed about the Fine Arts (a la the Stewpot's Open Art Studio) and knows the ins and outs of Food Pantry management. About three weeks ago Precious came face to face with another of her species in a surprise encounter.

On a Sunday morning the mournful sounds of a cat were heard on the Stewpot first floor. A search to locate the Meow-er found Precious safe and sound and suspicions that another cat was nearby. Two days later without benefit of séance several people were enveloped by the calling of a cat from "beyond".

As best we can figure a cat wandered into the 15feet of space above the suspended ceiling of the 1st floor and the floor-boards of the 2nd. Most of us thought only the likes of John Malcomvitch inhabited these inter-floor zones. "Cat" was spotted, fed and wooed. She was captured in a stunning "Have-a-Heart" adventure. With the hopes she would be a suitable companion for Precious.

"Cat", an 8 month true calico, was taken to a vet where she spayed and determined she was feral. We were advised the most humane thing was to release her back downtown. She was given a casework referral letter, several bus passes and the number of Judy's special hot-line.

Over the years the Stewpot has rescued many animals. "At risk" dogs, cats, birds and rabbits have gotten 2nd chances along with people. Food, water and respite have long been de facto Stewpot service. Many of us have taken home "just temporarily" an animal that became a long-time companion. Oh well, we also have a shelter for unwanted 8-track tapes.

Bruce

Precious the Cat

A Day of Celebration!

Last Thursday was truly a special day here at The Stewpot. We had our 24th Annual Stewpot Talent Show and a special lunch honoring Dr. and Mrs. Elgin Ware.

Dr. and Mrs. Elgin Ware were instrumental in bringing medical services here to The Stewpot in 1999. For 12 years, Elgin and Karen served our clients each Friday with the help of several volunteers. In June, Dr. Ware retired, and we were finally able to honor him! We invited past medical clinic volunteers and donors to a lunch. We enjoyed a great meal, great conversation, and a video of client/staff testimonies about the impact Dr. Ware and the medical clinic have had. The lunch ended with a special presentation to the Wares.

Parkland Hospital received a grant to expand our medical clinic. We are so excited about this new season. Construction should begin shortly. When it is complete the "Karen and Elgin Ware Stewpot Medical Clinic" will be open five days a week to serve our clients!

Following the lunch, we had our annual talent show. Clients are able to compete in five categories: performance, poetry, essay, art, and costume. There are cash prizes for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. The theme this year was "Stewpot Hospital: Reflections on Healing". We are always so impressed with the creativity and talent of our participants.

We had a great day celebrating the gifts of so many people here - the gift of writing, the gift of singing, and the gift of healing.

Holiday Project

Can you believe October is almost over? Thanksgiving is just 4 weeks away! Each holiday season we are blown away by the generosity of so many people in our community. Our holiday meal services are already full, however, we have a great opportunity for you and your families (or co-workers, church groups, book clubs, etc.) to serve our homeless friends. Every year we ask for people to donate a "Holiday Box for the Homeless". We collect thousands of these to hand out around the holidays. They make an incredible impact.

How to make a holiday box:

 

1. Use an empty shoe box (standard size). Please only use boxes that have a separate bottom and lid. Please wrap the lid and the box separately. The box should not be wrapped shut when finished.
2. Fill the box with a variety of small, inexpensive gifts. Use the gift ideas listed at the bottom of the page. Please fill boxes with ADULT, UNISEX items only.
3. Once filled, place a rubber band around each box.
4. In a separate envelope you may enclose a holiday card or note from you/your family or group. (Please do not include addresses or phone numbers.) Place your note inside the box.

Delivery:

Boxes may be delivered between Thursday, December 1 – Wednesday, December 14, 2011. Drop off at The Stewpot, 1822 Young Street, Dallas, 75201, Monday through Friday, 8:00 am – 3:30 pm

 

PLEASE DO NOT DELIVER HOLIDAY BOXES TO THE BRIDGE

 

Gift Ideas

• knit hat
• small flashlight w/batteries
• pens, pencils
• knit gloves
• disposable stick razors
• stationary or cards w/stamps
• tube socks
• small umbrella
• phone calling cards
• plastic poncho
• fast food gift card ($5 or less)
• hard candy or gum
• chapstick
• small hand sanitizer
• travel size Kleenex
• small Bible or book of inspiration

DO NOT INCLUDE:

• used or damaged items
• knives or weapons
• chocolate or food
• liquids
• medications or vitamins
• breakable items or glass containers
• aerosol cans
• money

We've already had a great start to the holiday boxes! 160 associates from the Frito Lay Controller's team in Plano donated holiday box items this week!
Questions? Call 214-746-2785, ext. 320: Jean Jones, Stewpot Volunteer Director

The Value of Volunteers

It's no secret that the staff of The Stewpot is unable to accomplish everything we do on our own. Our volunteers play a vital role in all of our programs. Did you know we have 42 volunteers each day just for meal services?

On top of that volunteers help us:

• sign people up for services
• hand out toiletries
• sort mail
• teach computer classes
• manage budgets for Representative Payee clients
• teach art
• sort donations
• give eye exams
• teach Bible study
• tutor students
• teach ESL and so much more!

We really couldn't do it without you all! According to http://www.independentsector.org/ the estimated dollar value for volunteer time is $21.36/hour. According to that number, the estimated value of our meal service volunteers only for one month is over $54,000!

Thank you for helping us serve second chances each day here at The Stewpot!

phoneless. not hopeless.

Today we want to share some encouraging feedback from one of our Community Voice Mail clients. He receives a free voicemail number through our program.

“Good afternoon, this is Richard Sams.  Listen, I just can’t thank you enough to First Presbyterian Church and Community Voice Mail for providing me this number – it has helped me get into a veterans rehabilitation program, it’s also working right now as I’m on my journey for permanent employment for employers to contact me, and it’s also been a number for my family, by my family being out of town, to contact me and leave me a message if there is an emergency or if somebody gets sick such as my mother since she is in a nursing home now.  So I just want to thank you and I just pray that you continue this service – it helps get homeless people off the street and get employment.  It’s just been a blessing to me – it’s just been all positive.  I just thank you…”

It's hard to imagine that someone might not have access to a phone. So many of us are constantly connected to hundreds (maybe even thousands) of people through our phones - phone calls, texts, Facebook, e-mails. We forget what life was like before the never-ending stream of status updates and mass text messages. Thanks to programs like Community Voice Mail, people are able to stay in touch with family, employers, and health care!