Crossroads Community Services is celebrating 25 years of serving Dallas, Ellis and Navarro Counties.
The local food resource organization’s leaders said the work they are doing now is more important than ever before, with higher food prices and changes in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for families who depend on them.
Since 2021, they have worked to fill in the nutrition gaps with dignity. Their President and CEO, Benaye Wadkins Chambers, said their work has constantly had to evolve to help with access.
“Honestly, this mission was started to feed people in and around the church where this all started, First United Methodist in Downtown [Dallas],” Wadkins Chambers said. “There were just group volunteers coming in and asking where they could help, and they just started making sandwiches. As they got to know that community, they realized that they needed more than just sandwiches. They needed food. They needed clothes. They needed help with finances. So really, Crossroads, over this arc of 25 years, has done a number of services. We believe that the core focus for a person is good, healthy, consistent nutrition.”
She said that in the current environment, an increased number of families are living in a food cost crisis.
More than six million Texans are food insecure. Nearly 1.4 million of them are in North Texas. One in four of those are children.
“We realized that if we really want people to feel like the food is for their family, they have to get it in a dignified way. That means that we allow them to select what they need themselves,” Wadkins Chambers said.
To celebrate 25 years, Crossroads is hosting their Silver and Soul Gala at Union Station in Dallas, headlined by a conversation with Grammy Award-winning R&B singer Patti LaBelle on Friday, October 23. At the gala, Carolyn and David Miller will be honored as the 2026 Power Change Award Honorees for their extraordinary leadership, generosity, and commitment to the community.
“We are so excited about Patti LaBelle being there. It’s been 25 years since she published her cookbook. In it, she talks about good and nutritious ways to feed a family. Especially with her, as she has been very open about her health and the need for healthy food,” Wadkins Chambers said.
While Crossroads appreciates continued support from the community, tickets for the event with Pattie LaBelle are no longer available.
