Stewpot Community
St. Columb’s participates in Stewpot Community Services, a faith-based ministry devoted to meeting the needs of the Jackson, MS community. Several local congregations organized the program in 1981 in order to provide assistance to people in central Jackson who need food, shelter, clothing, love and encouragement to make the most of the lives God has given them.
More than 60 Christian and Jewish congregations, as well as hundreds of individuals, institutions, and businesses support the Stewpot, headquartered in the Central Urban Ministry Center at 1100 West Capitol Street. The volunteers and staff members are people of faith who are committed to helping our needy brothers and sisters.
Stewpot services are most active in the neighborhoods surrounding Poindexter Elementary School in central Jackson. About 94 percent of this population is African-American, 54 percent below the poverty line, and a full third of the people affected are children.
Through counseling, shelters, food and clothing services, community development projects, and children’s programs, Stewpot staff and volunteers work to help people find decent housing, jobs, and childcare while providing them with basic necessities. A sampling of Stewpot’s ministries is listed below. There are numerous ways to serve Christ in this agency.
Community Kitchen
This ministry centers around providing a hot noon meal to the needy and homeless. More than 100 people a day are fed, both physically and spiritually. Volunteers are needed everyday to help serve our guests.Food Pantry
This is a miniature grocery store that provides a four-day supply of food for carefully screened applicants. The pantry is stocked through donations from supporters, and volunteers from local congregations help staff it. These volunteers sort, stock, and bag groceries for each family who comes to us for help.Sims House
The Sims House is a transitional shelter for women and their children who are fleeing abusive situations. Over the course of a 90-day stay, the Sims House helps these women prepare for a return to independent living. Participants are required to find employment, learn about financial planning and money management, help with chores around the house, and participate in group and individual therapy with a licensed family counselor. Volunteer opportunities abound at Sims House.Matt’s House
This emergency shelter provides a safe environment to over 300 women and children each year who have no other place to call home. The staff assists residents in finding housing, employment or to transition back to their families. Volunteers are needed to provide an evening meal once a month or to provide transportation to special events.Billy Brumfield House
The Billy Brumfield House is an emergency shelter for men, which provides three different services for over 700 individuals each year. First, it serves as emergency shelter for homeless men. In addition, it provides an alcohol and drug rehabilitation program. Finally, it provides room and board for disabled men, and helps them to find permanent housing. Volunteers are needed to provide meals once a month.Clothing Closet
The Clothing Closet is stocked with clothing donated from residents in the Jackson Metro area, which is distributed to the needy who come to the Stewpot for assistance. Staffed by participants of Virginia’s Playhouse (another Stewpot project), the Clothing Closet provides quality clothing to those who need it.Neighborhood Children’s Program
Stewpot’s Neighborhood Children’s Program offers both an after school program and a summer camp for elementary, junior high and high school students. Throughout the year, more than 200 children are given educational assistance and presented with positive role models, generally resulting in higher self-esteem and plenty of good, wholesome fun for all. Anyone with a love for children will find ample opportunity to share their gifts here. Art projects, field trips, reading to children, tutoring, and mentoring are needed every day.
