stories & quotes
On March 24th, seven Jubilee residents traveled to Olympia on Catholic 
Housing Advocacy Day to take action in the political process. The women participated in an eight-week workshop called the Women’s Justice Circle, a project of the Intercommunity Peace & Justice Center, which allows women to gain the tools and support to advocate for themselves on issues that affect their lives.
Facilitated by volunteers Whitney Lewis, Leslea Bowling and Catherine Endicolf, the Circle of Women discussed issues that impact their lives and chose to focus on one that affects every woman at Jubilee - lack of affordable housing. Fewer vacancies in subsidized low-income housing during the economic recession has lengthened the wait for independent housing significantly to three to five years.
In hopes of creating change, the Jubilee women shared their personal stories with legislators, along with the stories of their fellow residents who could not attend, of how a lack of affordable housing has impacted their lives. “It was not only amazing to see the women of Jubilee become empowered but also realize that I too was empowered through this process,” said volunteer Whitney Lewis.
A Jubilee resident expressed, “before participating in the Circle, I was a spectator. I sat back and watched the action. I never thought that I would be heard. By participating in the Circle, I learned the process of making change happens, and I learned how to go about speaking out for my concerns.”
Whitney also noted, “It was a very special thing to be able to work with such a diverse group of women and find power in our commonalities that we then leveraged to try and make a change.”
From the desk of Cheryl Sesnon, Jubilee Executive Director
About 50% of the women living at Jubilee have a level of disability that prevents them from being employable at this time. This might be a result of a disease like cancer, an accident or even disabling trauma from abuse. They survive off of a state government assistance program known as Disability Lifeline, which is their only source of income for everything including the very basics such as food.
- Prior to January 1st, 2011 – Disability Lifeline was $339 per month
- Beginning January 1st – it was reduced to $258 per month.
- Beginning April 1st – it was further reduced to $197 per month. Yes, that is a little over $6 per day to try and survive in Seattle where even a one-zone bus pass costs $2.50.
When our most vulnerable are already living at this extremely minimal level, it is shocking to me that our state is making choices to further reduce this basic lifeline. There is talk Disability Lifeline will be cut further, possibly completely, in July of 2011.
I think it is important for all of us to be aware of the impact funding choices have on our most poor. We may reduce spending in the short-term, but we could be creating enormous and expensive problems for ourselves in the future. We may be setting up scenarios where it becomes impossible for people to get back on their feet and become reengaged and productive in our community.
If you are wondering how you can help…
- Get involved in advocacy. Your voice, combined with our voices, may make a difference. In March, a group of 7 Jubilee residents went to our state capital to share their personal stories in a very public way to legislators. It took tremendous courage, but they have much to lose.
- Donate grocery store gift cards to our Jubilee women. They can’t afford to buy fresh fruit, greens and other healthy food on their reduced incomes.
- Mention Jubilee to your providers with the request they consider pro bono help for the women at Jubilee. Along with the cuts in financial assistance, the state has cut ALL dental and vision assistance. That means our women don’t have access to any of those services.
- Contact us about having a small fundraiser, or even awareness raiser, at your workplace or home. We would love to share information and stories about the important work of Jubilee.
- Donate your clothes, personal care/hygiene items, and other basics to Jubilee.
We are grateful for your continued support, concern and belief in our Jubilee community.
- Cheryl Sesnon, Jubilee Executive Director
I am a constituent in the 43rd District, currently residing at Jubilee Women’s Center, which provides transitional housing for women. My issue today is with the housing situation in our district. In 2007 I lost my job, which is around the time our economy began a downward spiral. My unemployment benefits took two months to start up and, in the meantime, I fell behind on my rent which eventually led me to being evicted. With nowhere to go, I found myself homeless. You know family can only help you for so long, so I sofa surfed for a while and I even went into drug treatment, even though I was clean and had been since 2003; I was desperately seeking shelter.
That only led to a couple of clean and sober houses, but that was like putting a band-aid on a deep wound. Not only was I homeless, but my health was going downhill at a very fast pace. I fell into deep depression and all other kinds of sicknesses, while without health insurance. I found it was almost impossible for a woman with no children. I just stumbled across Jubilee Women’s Center, where I live now, in December 2010.
Not one person should have to go through all of this drama after working so hard and paying taxes, only to find yourself dangling on a limb all by yourself. Where is the help when you need it? I am standing here today on behalf of lots of homeless people, to ask that you make housing a top priority. It is a very serious issue and I appreciate you allowing me this time to express my feelings on the matter. Hopefully, we can move forward on this to turn this tragic situation into a victorious one.
Thanks to grants from The Boeing Employees Community Fund and the City of Seattle’s Bill Wright Technology Matching Fund, our Learning and Technology Center (LTC) recently received major upgrades, including 11 new computers! The LTC is a free resource for residents and other low-income women in our community, where they can access onsite technology classes, workshops and one-on-one coaching.
Technology classes in the LTC are taught by dedicated expert volunteers and include Intro to Computers, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access and Web Development. Residents are also able to earn a Microsoft Office Specialist certification which can boost their career development.
Jo Bader, a volunteer in the LTC since 2001, has noticed more interest in the Microsoft Office Specialist certification program, a test that was difficult to administer on the older computers. “These women understand that employers value candidates who can demonstrate their computer skills in a universally-accepted way,” says Jo, “The LTC was definitely due for an upgrade!”
“Now, Jubilee residents are working with first-rate computers and current software in order to compete in today’s job market. We are looking forward to increasing our class schedule and utilizing these computers to their full capacity,” Program Coordinator Mo Whalen said.
Jubilee's Volunteers Make It Possible
On September 8th, residents, board and staff honored our volunteers and the wonderful contributions they make at our annual Volunteer Appreciation Party. We truly couldn’t serve women in our community without their help! So far in 2010, we have had 430 volunteers give over 6,000 hours of their time at our front desk, in the boutique, cooking community meals, teaching classes, and taking care of the garden, among many other things. Pam Robbins was recognized as this year’s Volunteer of the Year for her outstanding contributions – thank you, Pam!
From our residents:
“The volunteers have changed my life; just by the way they have given time, talent and money to help us. I have learned how to trust and love people more because of our volunteers. Thank you all.”“To all who make a difference in the lives of Jubilee residents: I am so thankful. The community meals have been fabulous, the clothes have been great, and the classes have been very helpful. Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers who so graciously provide their time and effort to improve the lives of women here.”
“A big thanks to the front desk volunteers whose warmth and welcoming spirit make the first time you knock on the Jubilee door such a positive experience. It makes all the difference!”
A special thanks to Cafe Flora, Barrio, Café Presse, Irwin’s, Samui Thai, Helsing Junction CSA and Piroshki on Madison for food and flowers!
Jubilee Resident named Volunteer of the Year
at The Center for Wooden Boats
Kirsten moved into Jubilee in June of 2008 after being homeless for five years. Her care manager encouraged her to look for a volunteer opportunity in the community, as she was unable to work.
A fellow Jubilee resident showed her an article about The Center for Wooden Boats, a nonprofit organization with locations on Lake Union and Camano Island that provides hands-on maritime experiences using a fleet of historic wooden boats. Kirsten had fond memories of sailing with her daughter years ago, so she jumped at the opportunity!
"I like that it is an active learning environment and I get to work with people volunteering their teaching skills," said Kirsten. "I was excited to learn to sail and I'm constantly improving my skills!"
Less than two year later, on March 26, Kirsten was awarded Volunteer of the Year at The Center for 
Wooden Boats. Her volunteer supervisor, Kim Lorio, said that Kirsten was honored for her countless hours of participation in volunteer opportunities across the board from livery, to cutting toy boat hulls, to making auction phone calls, to handing out visitor surveys, to helping at events; and for her gung-ho attitude in approaching any and all volunteer tasks. Her once-estranged son even attended the banquet event. "I felt validated, and a bit like a celebrity!" says Kirsten.
Congratulations to Kirsten for finding a passion while also making a valuable contribution to our community!
Photos by Bryn Photography
Resident Reflections: 2 years After the Renovation
It has been two years since we completed the major renovation of our facilities, which turned a 1950's convent into a warm, inviting and dignified home for homeless women. From donated furniture, landscaping and marble counter tops - down to the spatulas in the kitchen - we couldn't have done it without the community's support! Because residents can stay at Jubilee for up to two years, many of the first residents to live at Jubilee after the renovation are moving out and into stable, permanent housing. We wanted to share with you a little bit about their experiences at Jubilee, and the personal successes they've achieved through a helping hand in a time when they needed it most.
"I didn't have any sense of purpose when I first came - I knew I had to change my life but wasn't sure how to do it. Under the guidance of [Care Manager] Mo Whalen, I came to know the things I needed to work on. I am now in my own apartment and going back to school to be a social worker. Now I am doing instead of wishing. I want to say thank you to the sisters who had the vision of what to do with an empty convent."
Thank you, J
"I was very blessed to be a part of Jubilee. For the first time in my life ever, I was able to finally let the wall down that I had put up for too long to find out who I really was. I learned I did not have to put up with abuse and if I put my mind to something I could accomplish anything. Jubilee was a very warm and strong place to be. The staff at Jubilee helped me to have confidence in myself and get on the right road again. When I left I had the tools in my belt to get things done I had to do. With all the classes that were available I learned how to deal with my emotions better and how to do Word on computers. I learned at Jubilee that I AM AND I CAN. I am forever grateful to have walked through the doors of Jubilee. That is where I started my new life and journey."
Forever grateful, S
"Jubilee was a place where I could breathe again and get back on my feet. After a domestic violence incident, I found myself homeless. All of the people in my life who I went to college with or were in the sorority with were not there for me when I needed them. Not even my own family. Thank God for Jubilee! I found a new family and women who really cared. Now I know what it means to have and be a friend during a time of need. You don't turn your back on people...I found out when I was homeless and looking for a place to live that there was more shelter for animals than single women. I was shocked.
Jubilee gave me the time to learn new life skills. I updated my computer skills, took classes on creating boundaries and how to live my dream life. We all took a self defense class. Cooking on a budget was one of my favorites. We would have free haircuts from a local hair salon which made all of us feel wonderful and I was able to go back to school and get retrained in Hospital Administration. Thanks to Jubilee, I am living on my own in a one bedroom apartment with a beautiful view of Seattle and interning at a local trauma hospital. I cannot thank them enough for helping me get back on my feet again."
K
“Mother’s Day has new meaning to me now.”
Tracie lived a comfortable life in California. She was married to her best friend since high school. They lived in a nice house with their six children.
Life was enjoyable – until her husband became a drug addict and abusive. “It started slowly,” she recalls. “First he became slightly jealous. Then it became worse and worse – until he finally hid the phone and computer, and nailed the windows and doors shut when he left the house.”
After her second stay in the hospital, CPS stepped in and placed her children in foster care. Tracie was sent home without her children. “I was absolutely devastated,” she says. “But I also knew we all had to get away from this situation.” Tracie’s son Paul had a complex cardiac history and suffered a stroke at the age of 9 which left him a non-verbal quadriplegic. Tracie worried about him constantly.
Her husband’s abuse escalated until her escape. At one point, he locked her in a bedroom and raped and abused her for three days straight. When he finally fell asleep, Tracie grabbed her wallet, ran upstairs, threw on the first clothes she could find and escaped out of the upstairs bathroom – the only window that wasn’t nailed shut.
“I ran as fast as I could away from that house,” she recalls. “I had $100 stashed in my wallet. I purchased a bus ticket for $78 dollars - I chose Seattle.”
When she arrived, she had nothing. No kids, no home, no clothes (except what she was wearing) and no self respect. After weeks spent in the shelter, Tracie sought out domestic violence counseling and was given the number to Jubilee Women’s Center, where she lived for nearly a year.
At Jubilee, Tracy began the long and arduous journey of getting her kids back. “Jubilee pointed me in the direction of so many resources,” she says. “I couldn’t have done it without them.” She found clothing in Jubilee’s boutique, got a job at Macy’s, and began putting the pieces of her life back together.
She found a school for her kids and physicians for Paul. “Every day I would watch moms drop their kids off at the nearby school. It was heartbreaking – but it also motivated me to work harder to get everything in place.”
Every other week, Tracie would take a long trip to California to visit her kids. During her three days off in the middle of the week, she would board a Greyhound and endure a 48-hour round trip bus trip so that she could visit her kids for a mere 4-hour window of time.
Her insistence on being in California at her son Paul’s bedside after a surgery, she believes, kept him alive. She tells the story through tears. “I stayed by his bed constantly after his surgery. At one point, I looked at him and he had turned blue. They called Code Blue, and doctors and nurses came running. I spoke quietly to him, ‘It’s okay honey, I’m with you,’ and his heart beat resumed.”
In fall of 2006, the courts ruled that Tracie’s children could be sent to Seattle to live with her. “I was absolutely ecstatic,” she says. “There’s really no way to describe the feeling.”
Today, life is full. Tracie is in school to become a social worker. She rents a home in Bellevue where she lives with three of her children. Her oldest son, 21, attends college and is Paul’s full-time caretaker. Her daughter will be graduating high school soon.
“Mother’s Day has new meaning for me now,” Tracie says. “I get coffee in bed, and mushy cards that make me cry. We appreciate each other so much more now.”
I Am Not A Number...
I'm 263rd on the state list for Department of Vocational Rehabilitation
I'll be waiting for 3-4 months
I'm 1-2 years down on the housing list
In 3-4 months I should hear about my Social Security
My magic number is $339 a month in Government Assistance
and $127 in food stamps
I pay $200 a month in rent and live in transitional housing
4 months here and 14 to go
Before I have to leave for what I do not know
I'm one of 27 lucky women with a stable roof over my head
and a small room with 1 bed
I'd like to be somebody someday, somebody real, somebody strong
and have a real name
Instead of numbers strung along...
I hope eventually we will be people, not just numbers or statistics. Low-income housing has a 1-2 year wait list and other housing requires first and last rent, a deposit, rental history and a major investment. Jubilee Women's Center has given me a chance to stabilize myself. My life felt like a rollercoaster – not knowing if I’d be able to pay rent and not taking the best care of myself at times. Since I’ve been at Jubilee, I’ve learned computer skills, I have a case manager who has helped me prioritize and I’m encouraged to try new things that I’ve been hesitant to try before. Thanks to Jubilee I feel empowered to be good to myself!
~ M.M., Alumna
"Jubilee helped turn me from an ugly duckling to a beautiful, smart, intelligent swan. I started looking good and feeling confident with the clothes I got from the clothing boutique - all for free. The community meals, tickets to games, movies, ballets and symphonies have added to my self worthiness. The technology classes and the life-skills classes I’ve been taking have all benefited me in real life." | "I lived at Jubilee Women's Center for one year and three months. The experience changed my life for the better. I came to Jubilee emotionally, physically and spiritually frazzled. The resources helped me to get physically healthy and more in tune with myself. I had a chance to heal emotionally through tears and laughter." ~ JWC Alumna |
A Success Story... My heart was full of fear when I realized that I was homeless. I never had to face this issue before. I lived with one of my children for about a week and during that time I had applied for residence at Jubilee. Fortunately, there was an opening and I was accepted. |