It's more than just a soup kitchen...

Stewpot Community Services is much more than a soup kitchen. Stewpot’s 17 ministries – including shelters, counseling, food and clothing services, community development projects and children’s programs – provide assistance to people from all walks of life.

It all started in 1981 when representatives from seven Jackson churches came together across denominational lines to discuss a problem they all had in common – consistent requests for food and assistance from the poor and homeless in the downtown area. The seven churches – Calvary Baptist, Capitol Street Methodist, Central Presbyterian, Galloway United Methodist, St. Andrew's Episcopal, St. Peters' Catholic and St. James Episcopal – came together and created what is known today as Stewpot Community Services.

The original Stewpot was located on West Capitol Street in an old service station. From its beginning, Stewpot was housed in Central Presbyterian Church on West Capitol, on the western edge of downtown Jackson. When the church closed its doors in 1992, the Presbytery of Mississippi entered into an agreement, which essentially donates the property to Stewpot. In honor of Central Presbyterian Church, the property is now known as the Central Urban Ministry Center.

From its beginnings, the goal of Stewpot has been to promote, develop, stimulate and encourage physical and spiritual development by providing nutritious meals. The Stewpot kitchen was a success almost instantly. The Community Kitchen provides a noontime meal to anyone – no questions asked – seven days a week.

Stewpot Community Services, which began as a single soup kitchen, has grown into an organization that provides thousands of men, women and children with hot meals, groceries, clothing, shelter, child care, mentoring and other programs to nurture them and help them get back on their feet. In these hard economic times, you might be surprised just how many people need help each and every day.

For more information on Stewpot’s ministries, visit the organization’s website at http://www.stewpot.org/.