Brenda, executive director of the Stewpot, told the Housing and Homelessness Solutions Committee on Jan. 28 that First Presbyterian Church purchased the City Square campus on Dec. 16 and that the nonprofit has already moved some programs and staff to the new site in South Dallas.

The acquisition cost was $7 million, Brenda said, and the organization used about $3 million in prior fundraising (roughly $2 million cash) and a $5 million bank loan to complete the purchase. She said the Stewpot has raised about $4 million toward a capital campaign and is currently pursuing another $10 million to cover remaining campus costs and program upfits.

"We did purchase, and it was at $7,000,000," Brenda said. "We're continuing to raise beyond the $7,000,000 to do some program upfit." She asked committee members and other city leaders for introductions and fundraising help.

Why it matters: City Square operated three decades of services for people experiencing poverty and homelessness; the campus sits about 1.2 miles from the Stewpot’s downtown location. The purchase preserves an existing nonprofit campus and transfers a set of food pantry, neighbor resource center and outreach services into Stewpot’s operation, affecting the service footprint in South Dallas and ongoing downtown programming at the church’s existing property.

Key details and how the transition will work

Brenda said the Stewpot began transition work in October and November, starting by hiring staff who had been operating City Square programs: four staff from the neighbor resource center, four from the food pantry, two from facilities and two from development. Those staff positions began Jan. 6, she said.

The food pantry served about 12,000 people a year before the acquisition; City Square added about 14,000 annual visits that the Stewpot plans to incorporate. The Stewpot also operates meal service (three meals a day, 365 days a year; about 1,000 meals daily), an ID-recovery program (Brenda said the organization has recovered more than 112,000 vital ID documents since 1975), children and youth programs, rapid rehousing (the Stewpot began federal-funded rapid rehousing in 2021), and arts and enrichment programs.

Brenda told the committee the campus will require some immediate investments: an upgraded security and camera system, modern badge access, and construction to accommodate Parkland Medical and Dental and MetroCare services that will relocate to the campus. She said the organization has already begun some of those expenses and plans to finish the capital campaign by summer 2025.

Financial status and fundraising

Brenda said the Stewpot’s annual operating budget increased to about $12.5 million after adding City Square programming and other recent program expansions. She said the organization raised roughly $3 million prior to purchase (about $2 million in cash) and financed the remainder with a bank loan; that left roughly a $10 million fundraising target to cover program upfits and pay down campus acquisition costs.

She told the committee a $500,000 gift from the Crowley Foundation arrived the prior Friday and that the Stewpot had about $2.5 million in cash on hand, approximately $3 million in outstanding solicitations and an active pipeline of proposals.

Community engagement and operations

Brenda said the Stewpot is calling its new location the "1610 campus," is placing signage and using client outreach and a downtown connector service to ensure people know where to go for services as the move completes. She said the organization is holding community engagement events in South Dallas and is working with local leaders and consultants to make the transition "in the right way."

Committee reaction and follow-ups

Committee members thanked the Stewpot for the acquisition and asked about the organization’s housing work, landlord recruitment and how the downtown site at 508 Park Avenue ("Encore Park") will be used after the move. Brenda said the church will retain 508 Park Avenue for arts, music, worship and community partner activities and continue fundraising for that project separately from the Stewpot’s campaign. She also said the Stewpot’s rapid rehousing and permanent supportive housing programs started in 2021 and that the organization participates in the All Neighbors Coalition and has housing outcomes tied into that coalition’s reporting.

Several committee members pressed for details about signage, closure of the downtown site and security, and for proactive city coordination so the campus does not become a source of "loitering" or unmanaged encampments during and after the transition. Brenda said signage, client outreach, and the downtown connector would be used to direct clients to the new campus and that the organization was coordinating with Parkland and MetroCare to continue on-site medical and dental services.

Staff and program names referenced in the meeting included Pastor Amos DeSasse (First Presbyterian senior pastor), Danny Buford (director of operations), Jana (director of philanthropy and engagement) and volunteer leader Buddy Jordan.

Ending

Brenda closed by reiterating the Stewpot’s 50th anniversary theme, "50 years of loving our neighbors," and asking committee members to consider introductions to potential donors. She also reminded attendees of the upcoming Point-in-Time Count scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 30 and invited volunteers.

The committee did not vote on funding or a formal action tied to the acquisition during the Jan. 28 meeting.