That's a Wrap, "Full STE[A]M Ahead!"

Summer Camp at Jubilee has come to an end and we're excited to tell you about it!

For most low-income children, summer means hours alone at home, hunger, inactivity, and two months' learning loss in reading and math. This summer, Jubilee's Full STE[A]M Ahead Summer Camp took students on a journey through Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics for eight weeks of academic enrichment and fun!

What We Accomplished

• Enrolled 151 students

• Served over 10,000 meals

• Provided over 230 enrichment hours

• Explored Dallas through 4 off-site field trips

• Spoke with STE[A]M professionals from Dallas to Norway to Korea!

We are grateful to the community members, donors, staff and volunteers who make this possible every year - each year gets better and better! Stay tuned to the blog for more details on summer successes. In the meantime, check out the photos below, and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to keep up-to-date in real time. 

Jubilee Debuts Senior Home Visits

During the summer months, Jubilee provides an award-winning summer camp to over 150 kids. What most people don't know is that the camp takes up every available square foot of our campus, resulting in a lack of space for our senior programs. 

This year, Jubilee's Community Outreach Team debuted senior home visits to bridge this gap. Alejandra and Samantha, Jubilee's Community Outreach Staff, set out to make 20 senior visits in three months, with a goal to let senior residents know that Jubilee is here for them year-round.  They were looking for ways to provide resources and assistance while spending quality time one-on-one with the seniors.

The 21 homes they visited provided an important window into the needs of Jubilee's senior residents, including fall prevention/accessibility, pet care, and household maintenance to name a few. Here's what happened on one of the visits:

"When we visited Ms. David's* house, we noticed that her dog looked very thin and like he had chewed off patches of his fur due to fleas and a rash on his skin. This dog is Ms. David's best friend. She was devastated that she didn't have the money to pay for veterinary treatment. It was so easy to connect her with our veterinary partner.  We gave her the number, and helped her call it right then and there.  Within a few hours they came by, picked up Ms. David's dog, and took him to get his shots and medication. She was so grateful when he came back looking like a new dog!  He's like her baby, and we know she is better off with a healthy pet."

Jubilee serves over 300 seniors every year and hopes to use the summer home visits to learn more about senior needs.  Summer senior programs already include free food distribution, Baylor health topics seminars, and off-site field trips, but we now know a lot more about how to help our elderly neighbors.  With more information, we can seek out funding and volunteers to improve lives and strengthen community for senior citizens in Southeast Dallas.

Should you wish to get involved with Jubilee's senior program, you can plan a service project to install ADA home improvements and paint flower pots like Wells Fargo, collect and distribute hygiene products like the Jubilee Young Leaders, or join Samantha and Alejandra on a home visit by emailing us at volunteer@jubileecenter.org.

*Name changed to protect our neighbor's privacy

Data on your Doorstep

Did you know Jubilee Park has a data dashboard where it regularly shares the impact of its programs?  Well, we do! 

You don't need a knack for numbers to see how Jubilee makes a difference-- check out our Data Dashboard to read about our goals, strengths, challenges, and growth!

It's an easy, quick way to see the impact of Jubilee's work by focus area-- public safety, public health, affordable housing, economic development, and education (both summer and afterschool). 

A lot of our friends share their results just once a year, but we want Jubilee's work to be transparent, accessible, and public all year long!  Data tells us where we've been and where we are going, helps identify needs and find solutions, and holds us accountable. 

We've got a deeper dive planned to tell you more about our data-driven solutions and the importance of data at Jubilee.  Until then, click here to explore the dashboard for yourself!

In Case You Missed It!: Jubilee in the News

Behind any of our awards, recognition, or news coverage is a community full of willing hearts, a corps of caring hands, and a lot of hard work.  Here's a look back at some of the accomplishments spotlighted in 2017!

Children and parents from Jubilee Park participated in three performances of Shakespeare's The Tempest at Dallas Theater Center [photo credit: D Magazine]

Children and parents from Jubilee Park performed Shakespeare's The Tempest at Dallas Theater Center as part of the Tony Award-winning Public Works program-- stay tuned for box office details on this year's performance! (3/4/2017)

NBC did a profile on Jubilee's affordable housing program, and how the neighborhood has changed over time.  You'll recognize some of the interviewees! (3/6/2017)

FC Dallas players Walker Zimmerman, Victor Ulloa, Ryan Hollingshead and Kellyn Acosta played soccer with 200 Jubilee students, unveiling thousands of dollars' worth of gear donated by Chase.

FC Dallas and Chase surprised the kids with a donation of new soccer equipment and some pop-up clinics with professional players.  The kids loved learning that one of the FC Dallas players is from Wylie... a hometown hero in their eyes! (3/9/2017)

Jubilee was named the regional recipient of SMU's Luminary Award for impacting the lives of families through excellence in education. (3/21/2017)

Ben Leal, CEO of Jubilee Park, was named one of Dallas Business Journal's 40 Under 40. (You can read more about Ben and the Jubilee team here.) (3/28)

Congressman Jeb Hensarling, Mayor Mike Rawlings, and HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson visit Jubilee to learn more about best practices in urban development (3/31/2017)

HUD Secretary Dr. Ben Carson visited Jubilee Park with his wife and other dignitaries to see first-hand how Jubilee improves lives and strengthens community. (3/31/2017)

CEO Ben Leal was named one of Dallas Business Journal's 40 Under 40. (5/18/2017)

Rounded out a sports-themed week of Jubilee's STEAMing through Summer camp, former MLB players visited to offer a half-day baseball clinic for 165 campers! (7/19/2017)

Jubilee opened the first and only free mental health clinic in South Dallas in partnership with Jewish Family Service of Greater Dallas. (7/28/2017)

CEO Ben Leal was highlighted in Voyage Dallas and featured on the radio show Better Living with Nick Carissimi (August 2017)

Jubilee's 20th Anniversary Gala Honorary Co-Chairs Peggy and Mark Anschutz with Chairs Lydia and Bill Addy joined current Board Chair Jeff Rice, past Board Chair Tom Harbison, CEO Ben Leal, and founding Board Chair Walt Humann at the Sponsor Soiree hosted by Monica and Joe Eastin.

Jubilee hosted a Back to School Bash with Saint Michael & All Angels and AT&T, including a visit from the mobile Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame, the Mavs Dancers and ManiAACs, and virtual reality soccer games by 300lbs of Creative! (09/14/2017).

My Sweet Charity, the Digital Media Sponsor for our 20th Anniversary Gala, featured Jubilee's Sponsor Soiree honoring top gala supporters, Host Committee members, and Young Friends of Jubilee at the beautiful home of Monica and Joe Eastin. (09/26/2017)

Jubilee was awarded the Legacy Leaders Award by The Real Estate Council (TREC) in support of its workforce development programs! (10/05/2017)

Jubilee CEO Ben Leal was named a top-three finalist for CNM Connect's Night of Light Non-Profit Leader of the Year. (10/10/2017)

Jubilee and its community are so thankful for the successful 20th Anniversary Gala, described by PaperCity as both 'rocking' and 'impressive'! (Psst... click here for more fabulous photos.) (11/04/2017)

The Fort Worth Star-Telegram highlighted Jubilee as the model for community revitalization work under way in Tarrant County, with a follow-up video. (11/29/2017)

My Sweet Charity's annual My Sweet Wish List featured Jubilee's Community Outreach Manager Samantha Campbell and our Seeds of Hope Program. (12/18/2017)

Want to stay in the know about Jubilee year-round?

Follow us on social media and subscribe to our newsletter! 

Celebrate, Love, Dream: 20 Years in the Making

The Jubilee team is still beaming from that dreamy night on November 4th 2017 when 800 of our closest friends gathered in the Omni Hotel to celebrate 20 years of successful community revitalization in Jubilee Park. The event included a cocktail hour, seated dinner, special remarks from the Jubilee community and its founders, a birthday toast, live music and dancing, raffles, party games, and three generations of fun! Do you see any familiar faces?

(But wait, there's more! Stay tuned for more pictures from the Photo Booth.)

Read more about the event here in PaperCity magazine.

Welcome from the CEO

Welcome to Blog 62, named after the 62-block area of Jubilee Park. Our hope in starting a blog is to provide stories, updates and articles that give you a holistic picture of Jubilee's important work in Southeast Dallas and beyond. 

Here you will find insights from the Jubilee Team, our neighbors, our volunteers and our donors, in hopes that you will find your place and passion here at Jubilee. 

Jubilee is already a trusted resource to hundreds of families as we work to improve lives and strengthen community.  For our broader audience of engaged citizens, Blog 62 will offer a window into the triumphs and challenges of our ever-changing city. 

We thank you for being part of the Jubilee family, and hope you'll share your stories too.  

Hope to see you around the neighborhood!

Ben

Ben Leal, Chief Executive Officer