As the COVID-19 crisis began to unfold earlier this year, we could not have fathomed how devastating the impact would be on our community. In the weeks following Dallas’s stay-at-home order, we began to survey the damage the pandemic had caused. Through hundreds of long and difficult conversations, we learned that nearly 75% of our households experienced job loss or suffered decreased wages, and children were rapidly falling behind in school due to a digital divide. We knew that the situation would soon become dire if we did not act.
However, in this time of considerable uncertainty and tumult, one thing has remained constant: the incredible generosity of our Jubilee Family. We are blown away by the outpouring of support we have received over the past few weeks. In the last two months, we have been able to expand our bill assistance service, Seeds of Hope, by 12x and scale up our meal distribution program to provide 2,000 meals weekly for school-aged children and seniors in our community.
Our strategic partners, like Alto, Saint Michael and All Angels Episcopal Church, Hardies, VNA, Equal Heart, Services of Hope, and many others have demonstrated a willingness to be innovative throughout this crisis. This pandemic has demanded courage, compassion, and true out-of-the-box thinking, and we are so proud to say that our Jubilee Family has delivered.
You have energized, encouraged, and inspired us as we continue to work to meet the evolving needs of our community. We know that this crisis is not yet behind us, but we are ready to meet whatever challenges lay ahead. Thank you for your support; we could not do this work without you.
