• Tweet
• Sharebar

• Tweet

By Jovana Sanchez-Melendez

On a hot and muggy August afternoon, 400 attendees gathered to welcome the Jubilee Park Community and Resource Center in East Dallas. Opening ceremonies included a prayer, a bi-lingual speech from one of the original founders, Walt Humann and testimonials about the positive experiences of members of the community.  That was followed by a performance by the Jubilee Children’s Choir. A scavenger hunt that spanned the entire  Jubilee  Park was held to allow children to become more familiar with the new additions to their neighborhood; the prize was a new bicycle. The event was highlighted by the DJ skilss of Miguel Salinas, a teen member of the Jubilee family.

Jubilee Park and Community Center Corporation (JPCCC) in collaboration with AmeriCorps and Habitat for Humanity among other organizations. Jubilee  Park represents the 62 block community bounded by I-30,  Fair  Park , and  East Grand Avenue. Since 1997, Jubilee held its offices in two homes built by Habitat for Humanity on Bank Street, but a $6 Million gift from the T. Boone Pickens Foundation helped build the new Community Center and new Resource Center . At 21,000 square feet, the new Community Center will triple the available space for Jubilee  Park according Executive Director Stacy Welk. In addition to the new buildings, Jubilee offers an early Head Start school, Davids’ Place, was built in January 2002.  The students attending David’s Place transfer into neighborhood school O.M. Roberts.

In 1997, Jubilee provided programs in the front of the Habitat homes while AmeriCorps members lived in the back. The living room and kitchen became a congregating point within the houses and that idea was incorporated in the new center. The entrance doors lead into a welcoming open lobby (living room) with couches facing the park. Adjacent to this is an industrial sized kitchen with a long counter, a perfect place for conversations. Ms. Welk said Jubilee wanted the kitchen to also be a social point within the new space yet large enough to accommodate the members of the community.

The kitchen is also a nutritional learning tool for children at Jubilee where children receive meals from the Kids’ Cafe, sponsored by the North Texas Food Bank.  Martha Ruiz started with Jubilee in 1997 as the cook and has fed many of the regions children. She says she feels attached to the  Jubliee program and what it represents. “I feel proud to be a part of this for so long. Feeding and caring for all those kids makes me happy,” said Ruiz. Her own children participated in the program and came back as volunteers.

Recently, Jubilee opened The Jubilee Farm Stand , with a donation from Pepsico, where they sell subsidized fresh fruits and vegetables to the community; all for no more than a dollar. “The area is considered a food desert because the community does not have access to healthy food; the closest grocery store is across the freeway,” said Liliann Faz, Administrative Assistant. The children learn to save their money to buy healthy food to take home. The Farm Stand  is mainly run by retired volunteers from the community.

Dolores Pride volunteers in the Jubilee Farm Stand  every other Thursday. “People should take advantage of this program,” Said Ms. Pride.  The program has also helped Ms. Pride learn to manage her money when shopping for groceries. It’s a learning opportunity for adults and children in more ways than one.

JPCCC serves 2,000 people on any given day through its various programs. The after-school and summer academic programs for children and youth are taught by volunteers and AmeriCorps Teacher Assistants. During the summer, college interns serve as teachers and Saint Michael students volunteer.

Jubilee offers programs for adults including: Computer Literacy, Pre-GED and GED, and ESL Classes. The Dallas Women’s Foundation donated a grant for exercise courses at the  Jubilee  Center . The goal is to help teach children and families about good health through Zumba and exercise.

The reoccurring theme in Jubilee seems to be family. Bianca Callier, a Senior Accounting Major at the University of  Houston, grew up in the program. “Jubilee helped mold me in the person I am today. It helped me stay motivated and realize that just because you don’t come from the best situations you can still achieve great things,” said Callier. Since she was nine years old, she has participated in the program and came back last summer as a first grade teacher. Her grandmother, Ms. Pride, also volunteers at the center. They are a great example of the bond that Jubilee strives to bring into the community.

“Jubilee is not just a house, it’s a home,” said Ms. Welk.