First Presbyterian Church of Dallas acquires a downtown facility to better serve its poor and houseless neighbors
Services offered by The Stewpot, a partner of FPC Dallas, have tripled in recent years
First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, Texas, will acquire CitySquare’s Opportunity Center and relocate the programs and services of its community ministry, The Stewpot, which serves those experiencing homelessness and poverty, to the 53,000-square-foot facility. The Stewpot and CitySquare are longtime partners of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas with a shared commitment to meeting the basic needs of individuals in the community and helping them improve their lives.
With the steadfast support of donors and in response to community needs, The Stewpot’s programs have tripled in size in recent years, and the ministry has outgrown its current space. When CitySquare announced earlier this year that it would cease operations and sell its property by the end of the year, the church, on behalf of The Stewpot, engaged in active conversations with CitySquare about acquiring its property. CitySquare’s board of directors voted unanimously to accept The Stewpot’s proposal after a competitive and equitable process to select the best partner.
For several months, the church’s leadership has been working through due diligence, building inspections, environmental testing and detailed plans for the program transition. Members of FPC Dallas met Dec. 8 for a congregational vote and approved the acquisition. The closing is scheduled for Dec. 13. The Stewpot will begin moving into the new space later this month. As a part of the acquisition, The Stewpot will continue two of CitySquare’s core programs: its Food Pantry and its Neighbor Resource Center. Resource navigators at the Neighborhood Resource Center help people with housing options and other resources, including Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits; Women, Infants and Children; health care; financial assistance; mental health services and more.
“This new facility will allow us to better deliver our programs and continue to support the 12,000 people served annually by CitySquare’s Neighbor Resource Center and Food Pantry programs,” said Brenda Snitzer, executive director of The Stewpot. “We are thankful for this opportunity to maintain vital services for the CitySquare community and grow the impact of The Stewpot. As we move forward in faith, we are grateful for continued support from funders and donors as we raise the dollars for this significant undertaking that will allow us to help more Dallas neighbors in need.”
CitySquare’s property, at the corner of Malcolm X Boulevard and I-30, is located only a mile from The Stewpot’s current facility on Young Street, across the street from the church. With this acquisition, The Stewpot will move its operations and offices, while continuing to serve more than 1,000 meals daily at The Bridge downtown.
“You can’t tell the church’s story without talking about The Stewpot,” said Rev. Amos Disasa, senior pastor of FPC Dallas. “We are excited to embark on this new journey on the eve of our 50th anniversary serving our neighbors downtown. The Stewpot is a community ministry, binding us together to love and care for one another.”
In 2025, the Stewpot will celebrate 50 years of positive impact and helping people break free from poverty and homelessness. The theme of “50 Years of Loving Our Neighbors” will be a centerpiece of its celebration throughout the year, marked by several milestone events. Since 1975, The Stewpot has served more than 8 million meals and has provided housing, education, stabilization, enrichment and, most of all, love to Dallas neighbors in need of support.
For more information and to support the work of The Stewpot, visit thestewpot.org.
About First Presbyterian Church of Dallas
Founded in 1856, First Presbyterian Church of Dallas, located in downtown Dallas, is a congregation of the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Together with its ministries — The Stewpot, FPC Day School, Encore Park and the FPC Dallas Foundation — First Presbyterian Church of Dallas seeks the transformation of the city as ministers of reconciliation, peace and justice. For more information, visit fpcdallas.org.
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