Nearly 700 attendees gathered at the The Stewpot’s 18th annual Soup’s On Luncheon and Art Show, presented by H-E-B/Central Market, held at Thompson Dallas on Monday, February 2.
The event featured an art show including 100 curated pieces of original art created by artists from The Stewpot Art Program, soups by 10 local celebrity chefs, and a meaningful conversation with luncheon speaker Hailee Kaleem Wright, all woven together around the luncheon theme of “Living in Harmony.”
Featured speaker Hailee Kaleem Wright, singer, songwriter and actor, shared her story of resilience—about overcoming homelessness twice on her rise to Broadway stardom, about holding on to her faith and to little moments that helped her keep going, and about the dignity she witnessed at The Stewpot that stood in contrast to her family’s dehumanizing experiences when seeking help.
“The [Stewpot] campus is incredible,” Kaleem Wright said. “On my tour, I kept hearing them say ‘neighbor’ and ‘our friends here’ and ‘our family here.’ There were very specific words they were using that I picked up on immediately because it was so different from what my experience was. And that was really heartwarming."
Kaleem Wright made waves as Catherine of Aragon in “SIX: The Musical” and recently captivated audiences as Satine in “Moulin Rouge! The Musical.” The Broadway star surprised luncheon attendees with a beautiful performance of “Firework.”
Brenda Snitzer, executive director of The Stewpot, thanked the community for making the move to the former CitySquare campus possible last year and celebrated the growth of The Stewpot’s programs. Since taking over the Food Pantry last year, demand has grown by 50 percent, and the program is serving more than 300 households daily, in addition to the 900 hot meals served every day at The Bridge downtown.
Hosted by The Stewpot Alliance, the event was co-chaired by community leaders Cory and Shane Bowenand Ashley and Danny Ellis, and retired Dallas Regional Chamber president and CEO Dale Petroskeyserved as honorary chair. NBC 5 anchor Deborah Ferguson emceed the luncheon. Since 2008, Soup’s On has raised more than $5 million for Dallas neighbors experiencing homelessness and poverty.
Chef Brian C. Luscher of 33 Restaurant Group (Suburban Yacht Club, Union Bear, Taverna Rossa), along with nine other local chefs, created soups in honor of The Stewpot’s legacy of feeding the hungry. This year’s chefs included Jeff Bekavac, Goodwins; J. Chastain, Duro Hospitality (Sister, The Charles, El Carlos Elegante); Omar Flores, Big Dill Hospitality (Casa Brasa, Muchacho Tex-Mex, Whistle Britches, Even Coast); Danyele McPherson, Leela’s Wine Bar; Janice Provost, Parigi; Anastacia Quiñones-Pittman, Oh Hi! Hospitality (AM/FM, Puerto Cocina & Bar); Jeramie Robison, Thompson Dallas; Abraham Salum, Salum; and special guest chef Adam Bazaldua from Dallas City Council.
Founded in 1975 as a ministry of First Presbyterian Church of Dallas to feed people on the streets downtown, The Stewpot has served more than 9 million meals and has grown to provide comprehensive services and a community of support for people experiencing poverty and homelessness, including programs that stabilize, house and enrich the lives of Dallas neighbors. These include helping people recover nearly 115,000 vital ID documents to access services and employment, funding 233 four-year scholarships for college or vocational school since 1991 and helping provide housing for 385 people since its rapid rehousing program began in 2021.