On a rainy Friday morning, Ardresha Wilson, a member of the Dallas Street Choir, sat on a bench outside The Stewpot enjoying a chocolate chip muffin and tossing a thumbs-up at everyone who passed.
Stewpot volunteers and employees milled around, welcoming people of all walks of life to grab food and a seat.
Wilson was waiting for her moment to perform “Put A Little Love in Your Heart” with the choir on center stage to help celebrate The Stewpot’s anniversary.
For the past 11 years, Wilson has been a member of the choir and received support from The Stewpot, where she said she can give back and be surrounded by people that love her.
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Wilson was one of over 100 people gathered to celebrate The Stewpot’s anniversary.
Members of the Dallas Street Choir combine their voices and raise them in song as The Stewpot held its 50th birthday celebration at 1610 Malcolm X Boulevard in Dallas on October 24, 2025.
Steve Hamm / Special Contributor
The celebration included food, performances by the choir and speeches from city and organization leaders.
The Stewpot, founded in 1975, is a homelessness and at-risk individuals support initiative through First Presbyterian Church of Dallas.
“The true heartbeat of our mission is in the quiet everyday acts of service — one neighbor connecting with another, serving a meal, giving out resources to make the way easier for someone who is struggling,” Brenda Snitzer, executive director of The Stewpot, said.
“We see suffering every day at The Stewpot, but we also see joy, compassion and hope,” Snitzer said.
Dallas County Commissioner Theresa Daniel and Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Moreno gave The Stewpot resolutions to recognize its service and dedication to the community.
The celebration comes after a year of events designed to engage the community in providing support to those in need, Snitzer said.
Stewpot Executive Director Brenda Snitzer shares her appreciation to all of the vast network of volunteers that have worked for a half century to help make a difference in the lives of others. The Stewpot held its 50th birthday celebration at 1610 Malcolm X Boulevard in Dallas on October 24, 2025.
Steve Hamm / Special Contributor
“At The Stewpot, we believe in a future where no neighbor is left behind and every soul can thrive,” Snitzer said.
The Stewpot will host a celebratory picnic on Saturday, Nov. 1 from 11 a.m. to 12 p.m. with barbecue and activities, according to The Stewpot’s website.
50 years of passion, dedication
Although The Stewpot began as a soup kitchen in the basement of a church, the organization has become so much more, Betty Heckman, The Stewpot’s director of enrichment programs, said.
“We’re able to serve the whole person now,” Heckman said. “Yes, we still meet a basic need of feeding, but we also take care of clothing, medical, dental, mental health, housing and hygiene.”
Since its founding, The Stewpot has served over 9 million meals, she said.
The organization has also helped recover over 113,000 identification documents and house 337 people since its rehousing program began in 2021.
Guests bow their heads during a prayer as The Stewpot held its 50th birthday celebration at 1610 Malcolm X Boulevard in Dallas on October 24, 2025.
Steve Hamm / Special Contributor
The Stewpot relocated its main operation to a larger facility at 1610 Malcolm X Blvd. in December 2024 to meet the growing needs of the community.
“We now serve our neighbors at three campuses. It takes all of us, the city, the county, nonprofits, philanthropic communities and everyday citizens,” Snitzer said. “Even with this progress, our work is not done. Poverty and homelessness are still real, so we’ll continue to fight together.”
Loving ‘Thy Neighbor’
An art book, Thy Neighbor: Stories of Struggle, Strength, and Shared Humanity, debuted in January in honor of the organization’s anniversary.
The book was inspired by the organization’s goal of spreading love through action and provides a look into the experiences and perspectives of the community Stewpot serves, Heckman said.
It features original art and writings collected from Stewpot’s art and writing programs.
The Stewpot made available copies of the Stewpot story compiled into a book entitled “Thy Neighbor” as part of its 50th Birthday Celebration which was held at 1610 Malcolm X Boulevard in Dallas on October 24, 2025.
Steve Hamm / Special Contributor
The artwork for the book was selected by Heckman who said she chose the 36 images in the book in collaboration with Les Kerr, the book’s editor.
“It’s a tangible thing people can read to learn about firsthand accounts,” Heckman said. “All the writers were speaking from personal experience, and folks can see the art in the book as well and realize people experiencing homelessness are very talented.”
William McKenzie, a contributing columnist at The Dallas Morning News and senior editorial advisor at the George W. Bush Institute, started volunteering at Stewpot in 1993 and began the Writers’ Workshop in 2020 with volunteer Poppy Sundeen.
McKenzie coedited Thy Neighbor and helped select the final writings for the book, which took around six to eight months to complete, he said.
“The part that stood out the most is the friendships that developed, not only with us and the writers, but among the writers themselves and how they care for each other,” McKenzie said.
The hashtag #homelessnotvoiceless is used to promote the Dallas Street Choir as their mission is to use music to give a voice to people experiencing homelessness. The group performed on stage at the 50th birthday celebration of Stewpot which was held at 1610 Malcolm X Boulevard in Dallas on October 24, 2025.
Steve Hamm / Special Contributor
“The theme in Thy Neighbor is that we’re all in this together,” he said. “I hope the book will at least begin the process of helping people understand these are real human beings.”
McKenzie said he can be found at The Stewpot campus every Friday morning for the workshop.
The book is available as a thank you gift for Stewpot donations of $30 or more, according to The Stewpot’s website.