Jubilee Students Gear up for School

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Another summer done, another school year fast approaching! This past Saturday, over ninety students from pre-k to high school seniors came out to Jubilee Housing’s annual Back to School Drive and took home brand-new backpacks stuffed with school supplies.

Hosted by Jubilee’s Youth Services and Resident Services teams, the event was the perfect way to kick off the school year by bringing together Jubilee students and families, staff and community organizations for a fun-filled afternoon. Partners such as Sitar Arts Center, the Mount Pleasant Library, Ounce of Care, and Amerigroup offered information and resources to families, while students picked out their backpacks, enjoyed some sweet treats, and even got a little festive with Yanira Facepainting.

From offering pencils and rulers to backpacks and graphing calculators, the Back to School Drive is just one part of the supportive network both Youth Services and Resident Services provide for students and families in the Jubilee community, helping offset the costs to families of provisioning students for a return to school.

Jubilee couldn’t hold this event year after year without the incredible generosity of our supporter community. A big shout out to the many donors and volunteers who contributed to making the drive a success, and to partners Guidehouse Federal, the James G. Davis Construction Company, and Tishman Speyer for their in-kind support of this important event. THANK YOU for ensuring Jubilee students have the best start to the new academic year!

Congratulations to New & Graduating Jubilee to College Students!

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Jubilee Housing recently held its annual Jubilee to College Scholarship Ceremony! We are proud to honor the exceptional students who have shown unwavering dedication and perseverance in their educational journey.

These bright minds have earned the Jubilee to College Scholarship through their academic excellence and extraordinary service to the community.

Graduating Jubilee to College Senior

Zaria Wilson 

North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

Major: Multimedia Journalism
Minor: Marketing

2023 Jubilee to College Awardees

Christopher Ocloo

University of Maryland College Park

Major: Computer Science

Kaylin Guandique

George Washington University

Major: Psychology

Dariyana Mitchell 

Spelman College

Major: Psychology
Minor: Film & Visual Culture

Clarissa Rivas

Trinity Washington College

Major: Business Administration

Nebayo Zerhiun

George Mason University

Major: Computer Science

Teen Center Summer Camp 2023

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Bored and hot in the summer? Register now for summer camp with the Teen Center! From July 5th to August 3rd, the center will be holding its day camp program on Mondays through Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Participate in social and academic activities, field trips, free time, and more! Teens also have the opportunity to sign up for one-on-one tutoring from 3-5 p.m. from Mondays through Wednesdays.

Program Details
Teen Center Summer Camp 2023
July 5th to August 3rd
Summer Camp Hours: Mon-Thurs, 9 a.m-3 p.m.
Tutoring Hours: Mon-Wed, 3-5 p.m.
Teen Center at the Maycroft
1474 Columbia Rd NW
Washington, DC 20009

Questions?
Emmanuel Gbajobi, Teen Services Senior Manager
egbajobi@jubileehousing.org
202-545-7548

To sign up, fill out the form below!

Launching Future Astronauts!

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This guest blogpost, contributed by Eduardo Herrera Diaz, Early Start Coordinator at Jubilee Housing, was originally published at Startwithabook.org.

This summer’s program, while short, was a lot of fun! Students participated in a modified summer camp, three days a week, for five weeks at Jubilee’s Early Start program.

Each week centered on a different “theme of exploration” such as space, oceans, nature, and city. Students interacted with staff and each other through a variety of STEM activities. Weekly field trips also added to the fun and excitement of exploring outside of the center’s normal routines.

Continue reading at Start With a Book. >>

Congratulations to New & Graduating Jubilee to College Students!

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Jubilee Housing recently held its annual Jubilee to College Scholarship Ceremony! We are proud to honor the exceptional students who have shown unwavering dedication and perseverance in their educational journey.

These bright minds have earned the Jubilee to College Scholarship through their academic excellence and extraordinary service to the community.

Graduating Jubilee to College Senior

Zaria Wilson 

North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University

Major: Multimedia Journalism
Minor: Marketing

2023 Jubilee to College Awardees

Christopher Ocloo

University of Maryland College Park 

Major: Computer Science

Kaylin Guandique

George Washington University

Major: Psychology

Dariyana Mitchell 

Spelman College

Major: Psychology
Minor: Film & Visual Culture

Clarissa Rivas

Trinity Washington College

Major: Business Administration

Nebayo Zerhiun

George Mason University

Major: Computer Science

Acknowledgments

Thank you to our esteemed event guests:
Clyde Robinson & Erika Hughes, ASB Real Estate Investments
George Robinson, Trustee, Leonard & Hilda Kaplan Foundation
Maureen Moran, Longtime Donor
Pat & Roseann McGeehin, Pat & Roseann McGeehin Education Trust
Ellen Miller, Longtime Donor
Toole & Katz, Longtime Donor

…and all Jubilee to College Donors!

We also extend our gratitude to the Jubilee to College scholarship committee (Dean Cinkala, Jane G. Mahaffie, Susan Ross, and Scott Martinson), Jubilee Housing’s Senior Manager of Teen Services Emmanuel Gbajobi, and the many Jubilee staff who assist this program.

Lastly, we thank Board Chair Emeritus Alex Orfinger and fellow supporters at Washington Business Journal’s 2023 Corporate Philanthropy Awards. Each year the Washington Business Journal honors the most philanthropic companies in the DMV and encourages award recipients make a further donation to a local nonprofit at the event. This year, the highlighted nonprofit was Jubilee to College. Sixteen businesses gave a combined $245,000 to Jubilee to College, plus a $25,000 donation to Jubilee’s Reentry Program!

Last year, Jubilee Housing staff increased the participation of eligible Jubilee to College students participation by 15%. Your support ensures that our growing number of participating students can access scholarships. Thank you!

Donate to the Jubilee to College Scholarship Fund

If you prefer to give by check, checks can be made out to Jubilee to College c/o Jubilee Housing (1631 Euclid St NW, #P-5, Washington, DC 20009).

Staying Connected Through Food & Community

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In this Capital Area Food Bank blog post, Audrey Walker, Jubilee Housing’s Director of Youth Services, discusses how Jubilee Youth Services’ summer program will adapt to COVID restrictions and why the CAFB partnership is so important.

For Audrey Walker, the Director of Youth Services at Jubilee Housing, summer isn’t just for vacation – it’s for community. Her summer is packed full of cohorts of kids and their families. Jubilee’s youth programs provide kids with experiential learning like field trips, practice in science, technology, engineering, art, and math (STEAM), and opportunities for community service and civic engagement. But even more importantly, it provides hot meals and snacks to keep kids healthy and energized throughout the summer and beyond.

Read in full at www.capitalareafoodbank.org >>

Improving Outcomes through Out of School Time Programming

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In this DC Action blog post, Audrey Walker, Jubilee Housing’s Director of Youth Services, discusses how Jubilee Youth Services has adapted its program during COVID to serve families though virtual and safe in-person out of school time programming.

Many in DC know Jubilee Housing for its innovative justice housing model. For 45 years we’ve helped connect low-income people to the city’s prosperity through high-quality, deeply affordable homes in thriving neighborhoods. A closer look at our approach shows that housing is just the tip of the iceberg. The families we serve receive wraparound supportive services such as financial empowerment and eviction prevention. Some of the services that families value most are academic support and afterschool activities  — including safe in-person programming —provided through Jubilee Housing’s Youth Services. These resources have become a lifeline for parents and youth during COVID-19, as the community adjusted to virtual learning and the myriad challenges that the pandemic brought on.

Read in full at www.wearedcaction.org >>

The Year in Review

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Jubilee Housing didn’t just survive 2020, we thrived. We couldn’t have done it without the gifts of our partners and friends. Last year, your support allowed Jubilee Housing to continue providing deeply affordable homes, at a time when having a home was so important.

Because we could not meet in person safely, we had to think creatively about how to spread holiday cheer to our community. Through your donations, we raised $40,000 and were able to provide direct monetary support to 284 Jubilee households during the holiday season!

And not just during the holidays, all throughout last year you showed up in unbelievable ways. Here are a few ways your investments in justice housing eased the challenges of 2020 for the Jubilee community:

  • 552 Jubilee residents maintained safe, stable, affordable housing
  • 454 community members received extra support when they needed help
  • 188 residents received 1,017 meals during the pandemic
  • 60 students used extra academic support during the pandemic
  • 46 people leaving prison moved into safe, supportive transitional homes
  • 21 new residents have joined a loving, thriving community
  • 14 students received Jubilee to College scholarships
  • Over $100,000 in direct financial support was provided to residents through meals, rent support, and gift cards

The Elf Store Amazes for Another Year

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Holiday shopping usually entails long lines, big crowds and lots and lots of grumpy adults. Thankfully, Jubilee Housing’s Elf Store is the remedy that puts everyone in the holiday spirit, kids and grown-ups alike. Held this year on December 7, the Elf Store is an annual tradition that, for a few hours on a Saturday, creates a pop-up store of holiday gifts sold at kid-friendly prices.

The day comes alive thanks to the generosity of donors and volunteers who fund and staff the store. Volunteer shopper elves help our young customers choose age-appropriate gifts for their family members, while diligent and dexterous wrapper elves bag, box, parcel and package the gifts in beautiful and dazzling style.

Our valued young customers also can enjoy a cup of cocoa while they wait, and Santa and his photographer are conveniently on site for anyone in the mood for a little holiday voguing.

The whirlwind event only lasts a couple of hours – Santa and the elves have to leave time to continue their rounds before the holidays start. As the children head home with stacks of gifts teetering in their arms, the store is whisked away until the next year, and the industrious elves return to their civilian guises.

This year’s Elf Store served over 80 children from the Jubilee Housing community. With the help of 60 volunteers, young customers purchased and had wrapped more than 300 gifts. The Jubilee Housing team hopes the youngsters also took home a few fond memories, too. We thank everyone who contributed to making the Elf Store a joyous holiday tradition again in 2019!

WashREIT’s Day of Service

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Participants in Jubilee Housing’s Early Start and Activity Zone programs are benefitting from upgrades to Jubilee’s Youth Services centers, playground, and outdoor community space thanks to WashREIT IMPACTS’ (Imagine More People Activating Community through Service) Service Day.

In late June, staff members from WashREIT held a fundraising event, which raised over $61,000 to finance the equipment and supplies needed for the renovations to Jubilee’s Youth Services spaces.

On November 1, over 70 WashREIT employees spent a full day transforming the various areas. Each center received a fresh paint job. Volunteers also created a huge motivational mural in the Activity Zone space. The mural says, “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?” and “You have the power to make your dreams come true.”

In addition, volunteers refurbished “safe space” rooms in both centers. The new safe spaces allow students to take quiet time away from their peers whenever they are feeling overwhelmed or would like to be alone.

Audrey Walker, director of Jubilee Housing’s Family Services, said that students in Early Start have benefited greatly from the safe space transformation. She described the space as “developmentally appropriate for kindergarten through third graders” and “a comfortable, cute, and inviting place to be Zen.” Activity Zone participants also use their safe space as a mix of homework station and lounge area. Emmanuel Gbajobi, Activity Zone’s program coordinator, said, “The design allows two to three students the opportunity to use the room for homework purposes. If a student needs time alone, the room is made available only to him or her at that moment.”

WashREIT’s volunteer team also transformed the playground. Team members installed new equipment – including a seesaw, a toss-up hoop, and magnetic wall games – and added an herb garden and a shaded sitting area. Youth Services students are overjoyed with the refurbished playground, Jubilee staff said.

The youth centers’ instructors are also enjoying the newly renovated spaces. Instructors said that the many renovations not only have refreshed and revitalized students’ mindsets, but also have prompted changes in their attitudes and behavior.

Jubilee Housing takes pride in creating program spaces and apartment homes that are high quality, well designed, and attractive. Jubilee Housing combines innovative financing and in-kind support, such as that from WashREIT, to develop justice housing™ that is deeply affordable, with onsite or nearby supportive programs, in thriving neighborhoods – and also aesthetically pleasing.

The hard work by WashREIT’s volunteers has made a tremendous difference for the centers and students. “Through the months of planning and designing to the day of creating the finished product, WashReit has helped to provide our youth with a beautifully renovated learning environment in which to grow and develop,” said Walker.

Jubilee Housing is grateful to WashREIT for all of the time, energy, and hard work devoted to this transformation.