:no_upscale()/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/dmn/VIOSVLIOAVDHHFZK3TPI36X6C4.JPG)
Tucked away on Young Street lies a world of opportunities and second chances.
Although a soup kitchen by name, The Stewpot provides free meals, ID cards, mental health care and other services to people without homes. From a thriving arts culture to a nurturing youth program, an entire community resides behind the charity’s doors.
The 48-year-old Stewpot, founded by the First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, has witnessed many changes in the neighborhood east of downtown. Most recently, Todd Interests is redeveloping and rebranding parking lots and vacant buildings into the East Quarter.
“Our needs are always growing,” said John Swindle, The Stewpot’s volunteer and meal service coordinator. “We have recently gotten a lot of volunteers that live nearby. A lot of them are last-minute volunteers, as well as a lot more donors from East Quarter businesses and residents.”
Serving meals
For over a year, eight to 10 employees at Dialexa, a digital technology company that moved to the East Quarter in 2019, have been serving meals to unhoused people two to three times a month at The Stewpot.
“I think it is not just the volunteering aspect, but the relationship-building aspect as well,” said James Ortiz, project manager and volunteer coordinator at Dialexa.
“Knowing that [The Stewpot] has support from some of the companies that are in their community is really important, and I think that goes a long way toward fostering a greater sense of community within the East Quarter area,” said Ortiz.
Another neighborhood business that works with The Stewpot is Lighthouse Artspace, an immersive art gallery on Harwood Street.
“Community is ingrained in our lives, and we really wanted to become part of the community,” general manager Nathan Armstrong said. “When we opened up in Dallas, we were seeking a partner and the perfect partnership grew from right next door with The Stewpot.”
The Stewpot’s art program gives clients supplies and studio space. Several dozen pieces from The Stewpot’s artists are sold through the Lighthouse gift shop. Proceeds go back to The Stewpot’s art program and artists.
“It’s a great partnership that we have, and we were able to make the art more visible to a general population rather than just people who already knew about the art program,” said Suzanne Erickson, The Stewpot’s senior director of programs.
Finding new partnerships is another example of The Stewpot moving with the ebbs and flows of downtown. The nonprofit plans to serve the area far into the future.
“The church has just continued to meet the needs of the community,” Erickson said. “The Stewpot continues to shift as we see the needs in the community shift.”
This story was reported and written by North Texas high school students and recent graduates who participated in The Dallas Morning News’ high school journalism workshop in June 2023.