Letters to the Editor for Saturday, November 21, 2009

Jubilee Center marks 10 years
Ten years ago, Florida Avenue in Lynchburg was a cut-through on the way to somewhere else. Other than local congregation members, not many non-residents would have ever thought of stopping there.

Ten years ago, 1512 Florida Ave. was vacant, scrubby and littered with bottles, cans and trash. Gangs were encroaching, staking out the lot as part of their territory and claiming neighborhood kids as part of the deal.

Ten years ago, Habitat for Humanity and area citizens decided to counter this encroachment and developed the Jubilee Heights and Bright Star Court neighborhoods, and local residents banned together to establish the Jubilee Family Center at 1512 Florida Ave.

Designed to be a destination and a resource for neighborhood residents, the Jubilee Family Center opened the doors of its first building in 1999, followed by a gymnasium and the Bev Cosby Occupational Outreach Center. Thanks to the dreams and visions of individuals and corporate partners, Jubilee has grown from a neighborhood center to a neighborhood network.

In addition to the after school tutoring and enrichment program and a 10-week summer camp, Jubilee’s computer lab is open to the public and provides Internet access for job searches, online classes and research; there is a weight room and gym that is busy every day of the week; and a Vocational program featuring the Nurse Aide program, Culinary Arts, GED classes and Building and Trades Center.

In 10 years, Jubilee has become a safe haven and resource in the present and a spring board toward the future. Jubilee always is open, and those who walk through the door are treated as family by the staff (small though it may be!) and volunteers.

Members of the Jubilee family that participated in Jubilee programs now include attorneys, engineers, two Caldwell fellows at N.C. State University, officers in the armed forces and a sous chef. Members of the family are high school and college graduates, CNAs, mechanics and young entrepreneurs, and above all are productive citizens wherever they have chosen to live.

This would not have happened without the entire community taking part in the process.

Volunteers, donors and corporate partners are the members of our family, upon whom we depend and without whom we would not exist.

They are the core of our family and truly the life’s blood of our organization. As we mark 10 years of service, we will honor our Heroes and Angels for all they have done for Jubilee and the Jubilee family.

Join us for our “Thanks for Giving” Open House from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. on Monday for tours, activities for children, a robotics demonstration and more.

Come see for yourself the destination 1512 Florida Ave. in Lynchburg has become and how dreams, hard work and grass roots efforts can change lives and build futures!
STERLING WILDER
Executive Director
Jubilee Family Center

Operatic thanks
Opera on the James wishes to thank community partners who helped make “Hansel and Gretel” such a success Nov. 15: Virginia School of the Arts, for wonderful choreography and dancing; Cantate Children’s Choir, for excellent young voices; and the Blue Ridge Area Food Bank, for helping with food donations.

Ninety-five children took advantage of our offer of free admission to children 12 and under in exchange for donation of a food item.

We also are grateful for The News & Advance’s coverage of the opera and of our elementary school tour of a 40-minute version.
DAVID NEUMEYER
Board president