After nearly 30 years of unwavering commitment, Charlie and Charlotte Frith are officially retiring from their leadership roles at the Little Rock Stewpot at the end of 2026. The couple leaves behind an incredible legacy of community service, compassion, and hands-on leadership.

A 30-Year Journey of Service

Charlie’s journey with the Stewpot began nearly three decades ago as a member of the Westover Hills Presbyterian Church First Wednesday team, working under co-captains Dick and Carolyn Hardie. Dick, who served as Westover Hill’s minister for nearly 50 years, eventually stepped back due to health concerns, and Carolyn asked Charlie to take over as captain.

• Leadership & Board Service: In addition to leading the First Wednesday team, Charlie served on the Little Rock Stewpot Board for many years, holding positions as both chair and co-chair. He set up arrangements for collecting coats for the Stewpot Clothes Closet from TV Chanel 7 and Hangers Cleaners in their Annual “Coats for Kids Drive.” He also collected hundreds of athletic shoes for the Clothes Closet from Fleet Feet Running Store. 
• Communications: Charlie single-handedly developed and maintained the Stewpot website and launched its newsletter, which grew to an email list of nearly 400 subscribers featuring photos, updates, and community activities.
• Charlotte’s Partnership: Following her retirement as a speech-language pathologist from Arkansas Children’s Hospital in 2000, Charlotte joined Charlie as co-captain of the First Wednesday team.

Memories of the Stewpot Kitchen

During the years when the Stewpot operated out of First Presbyterian Church, volunteers cooked and served meals directly to diners who gathered upstairs. The First Wednesday team became famous for a reliable and comforting menu: 350 hot dogs, seasoned pork and beans, salads, and desserts picked up from downtown’s Community Bakery on Main Street. Ed Stanfield was an active member of the team for many years and always picked up several gallons of milk so that the diners could have another beverage choice besides water, coffee or tea. Fred Whitmore, a former member of the team, made sure the dishes were washed and ready for the next day.

The First Wednesday Team consists of Charlie and Charlotte Frith, Dwane Tankersley, Scott Hiers, Joyce Wilson, Lorie Scott, Ellen McEwen, Debbie Cooper, Tammy Pflug, Polly Redmond and Nancy Carter.

Ensuring a Seamless Transition

To ensure the vital ministry continues uninterrupted, transitions have been put in place for Charlie’s administrative duties:

• Website and Newsletter: Ministry Architects—which already provides administrative services for Westover Hills Presbyterian Church, including the weekly bulletin and CareLine—will take over maintaining the website and producing the newsletter. Cory Martin is the individual from Ministry Architects who will be responsible for maintaining the website and producing the newsletter.
• Church Support: With the backing of current Westover Hills minister Robert Lowry, the church will cover the service costs as a direct contribution to the Little Rock Stewpot.
• Michael Easley, Stewpot Manager, will take over writing articles and taking photos of Stewpot activities and submit them to Cory.

While Charlie and Charlotte reluctantly step down from their daily duties, they do so with deep affection for the Stewpot and a strong belief that its mission to feed the homeless in the Little Rock area must carry on. The community extends its deepest gratitude to them for decades of exceptional service and wishes them a joyful retirement.