Rebecca Ely Joins Jubilee
Earlier this month, Jubilee welcomed Rebecca Ely to its management team as vice president of Institutional Advancement. Ely comes to Jubilee from Inova HealthSource, where she directed employee wellness programming. Prior to that she worked exclusively in nonprofit fundraising and management. She has dedicated her career to helping others lead their best lives.
“I am passionate about the work of Jubilee Housing and honored to join the team,” Ely said. “I look forward to getting to know the organization’s many supporters and champions.”
Ely also brings extensive experience in communications, event planning, and marketing and promotions to her new role at Jubilee. She holds an MBA in Human Services from The Heller School for Social Policy and Management at Brandeis University.
Ely serves on the board of Arlington Thrive, an Arlington-based organization that provides same day, emergency financial assistance to families facing sudden financial crisis. She lives in Arlington, Va., with her husband, two sons, and dog.
Seventy-four Jubilee children “shop” for holiday presents for their families, with the help of Jubilee volunteers. Jubilee supporters donated more than 400 gifts to fill the annual Elf Store.
Putting on the Ritz
The dust has finally settled in the lobby of Jubilee’s Ritz property—literally. The renovation that’s been underway since mid-September is now complete, leaving residents of the property that Jubilee re-developed in 2009 with a new, more convenient, and upgraded entrance to their homes.
When Jubilee originally renovated the building, the architects were unable to design for a handicapped-accessible ramp. So, they specified a handicapped lift. Over the years, as wheelchairs got bigger and heavier, the lift became harder to navigate and to keep functioning properly. Meanwhile, residents with canes, baby strollers, grocery carts, and the like struggled to use the stairs.
With the help of Jones Associates Architects LLC and Monarc Construction, Jubilee was able to design a ramp that worked in the Ritz lobby. And with renovation underway on the ramp, Jubilee used the occasion to make further improvements: LED energy efficient lighting, porcelain flooring, crown molding, chair rail, baseboards, and automatic entrance doors—plus a more attractive paint job. In addition, the lobby will feature new seating as well as art that reflects the community and Jubilee’s other buildings.
“We’re surrounded by million-dollar condos in this neighborhood,” said Jubilee vice president of Property Management and Development Dorothy Larimer. “We want our building to look as beautiful as those. We want our residents to be proud that this is their home. Before the lobby was very utilitarian. Now it’s much more polished.” In keeping with the building’s name.
Jubilee Wins Weinberg Foundation Grant
While it is one of the largest private charitable foundations in the U.S., The Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation only approves fewer than 450 grants per year. This year, the foundation awarded one of its grants to Jubilee Housing.
The Weinberg Foundation recently granted Jubilee’s request for $315,000 to help renovate 5,000 plus square feet of space in the Maycroft for Healthy Start early childhood education run by Martha’s Table. Healthy Start at the Maycroft will offer full-day programming that lays the foundation for school readiness for up to 47 children, ages three months to three years. Children participating in Healthy Start at the Maycroft will be Jubilee residents and/or quality for childcare subsidies due to low household income.
Jubilee believes it takes more than stable, affordable housing for people to truly thrive. Research demonstrates that stimulating, early-childhood education is one of the best investments in lifelong success and too often not available to families facing the tightest budgets. That’s one reason Jubilee is committed to a holistic approach that combines affordable housing, with neighborhoods rich in resources we all need every day and nearby opportunities for critical support that can create greater equity among citizens—justice housing.
The neighborhood surrounding the Maycroft lacks early childhood education facilities, especially those serving families with lower incomes. By creating space for early childhood education in a building that’s home to many vulnerable families, Jubilee is helping to address multi-generational poverty at its source. Now, Martha’s Table and The Weinberg Foundation are vital partners in that mission.