Barbara Moore has put in a lot of miles in these neighborhoods over the years. As one of Jubilee Housing’s founders, long serving staff, and board member, she has walked the streets of the Adams Morgan for decades. Her speedy gait is recognized from a distance, and Barbara is known for her trademark, year-round SAS (San Antonio) sandals. Her daily routine through the neighborhood has made her a fixture in Adams Morgan – Moore is something of a protector spirit. “I really want to know, over these 50 some years, how many steps I have put down in the neighborhood. I will ask God to please tell me if he wills when I report in.”
Most people are acquainted with Barbara’s history with Jubilee Housing. She, her friend Terry Flood, Gordon Cosby, Bill Branner, and a handful of others were guided to the idea of Jubilee Housing while serving at the Potters House. It was a way of responding, in part, to the deep pain following the assassination of Martin Luther King, and the subsequent riots.
With the help of legendary city planner Jim Rouse, who financed the purchase of the Ritz and Mozart, Moore, Flood and the others jumped in to learn from scratch how to address the many needs of the 90 units, then in great disrepair and to learn about management. Those two original buildings have expanded to ten, with two other properties in pre-development.
Barbara served Jubilee Housing in several capacities over the years, including starting a ministry for Jubilee youth with Pat Sitar. For twenty-one years, Good Shepherd was the closest thing to her heart. Her love for the children and staff of Good Shepherd will always sustain her. After the years at Good Shepherd, Moore worked mainly in resident service roles, including everything from planning social events, teaching classes in leadership, teaching English and working with the resident council. “The friendships and relationships with Jubilee residents and staff have been a source of true joy in my life,” she says. “I have learned so much from so many dear people.”
The bulk of her responsibilities has been one that Moore has shouldered with grace, gratitude, and good cheer over the years. She left her position at the end of last year to focus on her husband’s health and other aspects of ministry to those coming home from incarceration. Re-entry has been important in Barbara’s church life, and she is thrilled that Jubilee has such a strong vision for its own Re-Entry program led by Cherie Lindsay.
When asked what Moore hopes to see in the future for Jubilee, she feels strongly that good communication between staff and board and between supervisors and staff is critical. She supports the vision that the board has set to address these things. “I am so encouraged that we are committed to communication and consistency which is so important in sustaining a happy work environment, especially as we expand the number of affordable units in our neighborhood. We are all in this together.”
Even though Barbara is no longer on the staff, she loves serving on the board and helping out in other ways. She really feels comfortable coming over to Jubilee as she can. She commented that “at first I felt hesitant to come over for fear of seeming to overstep, but everyone has welcomed me so kindly. I am so grateful to be a part of this amazing ministry.”
We are tremendously grateful that Jubilee’s protector spirit is still guiding us after all these years.