Opportunities From: The Stewpot

Help us wrap Christmas presents for the kids in our children and youth programs. Light refreshments will be provided. We'll have a great time spreading Christmas cheer as we wrap gifts.

Parking: Go through the main gates. come around past the first parking lot towards the back. Building "C" is located in front of the playground, near the back gate.

The Stewpot is the sole meal provider at The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center which is located at 1818 Corsicana. At The Stewpot's Second Chance Café we serve three meals a day every day of the year! To do so we need volunteers to help serve food onto each tray, clean up, serve drinks, etc. All volunteers for Meal Services must be 18 years or older.

Meals are served at 1818 Corsicana Street. Please park in the parking lot at the corner of St. Paul and Corsicana in any open spot (see photo below). Enter through our kitchen door marked with a Stewpot sign (see second photo below). The door is sometimes locked, please ring the doorbell if so. It is near the pull-through loading area in the parking lot. We look forward to seeing you at 7:15 am for Breakfast, 11:45 am for Lunch, or 5:45 pm for Dinner. 

Meal Service Volunteers Must:

Be at least 18 years old 

Wear closed-toe shoes

Wear a ball cap or be prepared to wear a hairnet; have your hair pulled back 

Please Note:

The Stewpot's Food Pantry is an excellent volunteer opportunity for both individuals and groups! Our Food Pantry is open Monday through Friday, from 9 AM to 3 PM, providing no-cost food to anyone, with no proof of residence required. There are also no income or zip code qualifications to receive food. While we are appointment-based, walk-ins are also accepted.

Location: The Food Pantry is located at 1610 S Malcolm X, Building 350. When you enter through the black gate on the campus, drive to the back of building 350 and use the doors at that entrance (you will enter where the star is on the map below). You are welcome to park anywhere in the parking lot; however, please avoid parking in the spots directly next to the back doors, as those are reserved for our neighbors to load their groceries.

When you arrive, you will check in and receive a nametag. To make things even easier, feel free to check in using your phone! A member of our Volunteer Services team will help you get signed in, and then you’ll meet the wonderful Food Pantry staff. They’ll guide you on your specific roles and walk you through what your shift will look like. We’re excited to have you with us!

Volunteer Roles for the Pantry (will be assigned by the Food Pantry staff):

·       Greeter: Welcome neighbors, open the doors, and assign shopping carts.

·       Shopping Assistant: Take ownership of a grocery aisle—greet neighbors, explain the items available on the shelves, count the number of items, and restock as needed.

·       Bagger: Assist neighbors with bagging their groceries.

·       Shopping Cart Runner: Load groceries into cars and return carts to the front of the pantry.

·       Warehouse Helper: Sort food items and transport them to the shopping area.

Volunteer Requirements:

·       Volunteers must be at least 12 years old and accompanied by a parent or guardian. Volunteers aged 16 and older can volunteer independently.

·       Closed-toed shoes are REQUIRED. Dress comfortably and appropriately for the weather.

·       Please dress modestly—bare midriffs, crop tops, yoga pants, and very short shorts are not permitted. For shorts, the length must reach at least the end of your fingertips when your arms are at your sides.

We are currently collecting children's books in both English and Spanish to make available in the Food Pantry for the little ones who come through! If you would like to donate books, please feel free to bring them when you come to volunteer or reach out to Beverly at BeverlyA@thestewpot.org to coordinate a drop-off time.

 Thank you for your support and thank you for volunteering with The Stewpot!

The Stewpot is the sole meal provider at The Bridge Homeless Recovery Center which is located at 1818 Corsicana. At The Stewpot's Second Chance Café we serve three meals a day every day of the year! To do so we need volunteers to help serve food onto each tray, clean up, serve drinks, etc. All volunteers for Meal Services must be 18 years or older.

Meals are served at 1818 Corsicana Street. Please park in the parking lot at the corner of St. Paul and Corsicana in any open spot (see photo below). Enter through our kitchen door marked with a Stewpot sign (see second photo below). The door is sometimes locked, please ring the doorbell if so. It is near the pull-through loading area in the parking lot. We look forward to seeing you at 7:15 am for Breakfast, 11:45 am for Lunch, or 5:45 pm for Dinner. 

Meal Service Volunteers Must:

Be at least 18 years old 

Wear closed-toe shoes

Wear a ball cap or be prepared to wear a hairnet; have your hair pulled back 

Please Note:

Become a mentor to our high school students!

Our high school students are part of the Stewpot's Children and Youth Venturing Crew. Venturing Crew is an out-of-school program that meets on Wednesday evenings and provides enrichment and academic support. The Mentoring Program is an additional opportunity to enrich the lives of our students. Your skills and commitment can help further enrich the lives of our young scholars!

Please note this opportunity does not take place at The Stewpot. Please feel free to make the snack bags on your own and upon completion, reach out to The Stewpot to coordinate a drop off time. 

Snack Bags are gallon size ziploc bags or drawstring backpacks filled with nourishing snacks for hungry clients. Suggested items include:

- Bottle of water

- Electrolyte packet(s)

- Soft cereal bar

- Tuna Packets

- Pop top vienna sausages

- Individual cup of peanut butter

- An encouraging note (optional)

You do not have to follow this list exactly but everything must be prepackaged and ready to eat. No homemade items. Please keep in mind that many of our clients have dental issues making it difficult to eat hard foods such as nuts. Please do not include items that need a can opener or other device to open. Thank you for your support and partnership. We appreciate you! 

We suggest making at least 25 bags when you donate. You must arrange a dropoff with at least 2-4 business day's notice and please email volunteer@thestewpot.org to coordinate.

Need Service Hours for school, court, an organization, etc.? We offer 2 service hours for 25 snack bags. We do suggest you make sure your school, court, or organization allows hours for in-kind donations.

The Stewpot partners with a fellow nonprofit organization called Streetside Showers, to provide mobile shower services, clothing, and a hot lunch directly to our neighbors! We would love to have you join us!

Please Note: Streetside Showers now takes place at our new campus, 1610 S Malcolm X Blvd.

Please note that if there is inclement weather, showers may be cancelled. We will do our best to inform you in a prompt manner.

Pull into the black gate on the campus, you are welcome to park anywhere in the parking lot. Then go to just outside building 200 and a Stewpot staff person will be around the area marked with a star to get you set to volunteer.

Please note this project is to be completed by you on your own time. Once you've bought everything and assembled a basket(s) then you can arrange to drop it off at The Stewpot. When you've completed a welcome basket(s) please reach out to John Swindle, johns@thestewpot.org, to coordinate a drop off time.

We ask that every item listed below please BE NEW. The goal is to present the items in the laundry basket but every item may not fit in the basket and that is ok. If you think there are necessities missing from the list, don't worry, many other items are covered by other sources. Thank you for supporting The Stewpot's newly housed clients.

If you cannot contribute everything to a Welcome Basket please try making a Bathroom Basket or a Cleaning Basket instead. To do so just use the items marked with a (B) or (C) for bathroom and cleaning products.

Need Service Hours for school, court, an organization, etc? We offer 4 service hours for a full Welcome basket or 2 hours for a smaller bathroom or cleaning basket. We do suggest you make sure your school, court, or organization allows hours for in-kind donations.

Questions or concerns? Please email JohnS@thestewpot.org for more information. Thank you again!