Stewpot Community Services was started over 40 years ago by people like you and me who saw a growing need in Jackson and decided to work together to respond. One of our greatest strengths is that we are, and always have been, locally owned. 

Last month we received a great honor: we were one of only 38 organizations in the United States to receive a leadership award from the Jeff Bezos Day 1 Families Fund. The Day 1 Families Fund focuses its giving toward the needs of homeless families with children. They take their vision from the inspiring words of Mary’s Place in Seattle: ensuring “no child sleeps outside.”

Stewpot has a long history of serving families experiencing homelessness, which is one reason why we were invited to apply.  We opened our first shelter for women and children, Sims House, in 1984, and, over time, operated as many as five shelters at once. In that long history, we have helped thousands of homeless families with children find and maintain stability. And it has always been work that we have done together, as a community, neighbor reaching out to neighbor. 

We are excited about the Day 1 award because it helps us do some new and impactful things. For instance, the city of Jackson currently has no transitional shelter for families with children. We were reminded during COVID how critical transitional shelter can be for a family to achieve stability since for some, a longer runway is the key to success. So, we will use Day 1 funds to help fill that critical gap in our area. 

Additionally, the Day 1 gift stretches over five years, which means we can play the long game. We can establish creative partnerships that will leverage the funds for bigger impact. We can evolve with emerging needs. The field of possibilities opens up with Day 1’s multi-year commitment. 

However, the Day 1 funds do not undergird the other essential ministries of Stewpot. Through four decades of growth and change, we now provide an array of important services to people in need: a Community Kitchen, a Food Pantry, Meals on Wheels, a Clothing Closet, a day shelter, a men’s shelter, after school and summer camp programming for  kids and teens, a Legal Clinic, Chapel, and with our partners, HeARTworks art and St. Dominic Community Health Clinic. Between 400-500 people visit our campuses every day to find help and hope. 

In the midst of our many struggles as a city, we should all feel proud of the recognition our homegrown effort has received by a national, high-profile foundation.  You and I should be proud of the “compassionate, needle-moving work”  we’ve done to help families experiencing homelessness as well as grateful for the opportunity to expand on that work. 

But you and I are still being called upon to help feed the hungry, clothe the naked, welcome the stranger, and care for the at-risk child right here in our own city.  The vast majority of Stewpot’s work still needs our support to continue. 

So let us not grow weary in doing good. Some of our neighbors still struggle mightily, and we want them to know that we will not leave them to struggle alone. To find out more about what your gifts support, or to volunteer, visit our website at www.stewpot.org. We’re still in this work together…as people of faith, meeting needs, in our community.

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