Early on, two primary needs identified by the community were the lack of playground facilities and the need for a center where families could come together. The Walt Humann – T. Boone Pickens Community Center opened its doors to the community on August 1, 2010, replacing two smaller buildings that had served as the community center since 1997. The park and community center serve as the focal point of the neighborhood and house everything from after-school programs to computer classes to exercise groups and community fairs.
Watch the video below to learn about the unique process behind the Community Center’s construction.
The Community Center is located at 907 Bank Street, Dallas, Texas 75223. The Community Center can be reached at (214) 887-1364.
Read how the Community Center impacted the life of one special Jubilee Park resident.
Rozlyn’s Story
Ms. Rozlyn was an inspiration to the Jubilee community. During the last years of her life, she was at Jubilee nearly every day and was involved in each of Jubilee's programs. Unfortunately, Ms. Roz recently passed away. The Jubilee community is sad to have lost both a committed volunteer and Ms. Roz's enduring positive attitude. However, we continued to be inspired by Ms. Roz's story and the rejuvenation of the Jubilee neighborhood which she experienced first-hand.
Ms. Rozlyn's Story:
"I first came to this neighborhood when I was 9 years old with my mother and my brother. We lived on Gurley Avenue and Fitzhugh. When I first moved here, the neighborhood was very family-friendly! I went to O.M. Roberts Elementary School. I then went to JL Long Jr. High School, and I graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School. I worked as a tutor at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church at I-30 and East Grand Avenue. Later, I became Assistant Director of the After School Studies Program at the church. I was in charge of college students who worked with children at the church in summer programs.
"I remember the Jubilee neighborhood as a safe place to live. When I first moved here, the neighborhood was primarily an Anglo neighborhood, but there were many African-American families as well. In 1980, I decided to move away to East Texas to experience life in a different part of the state. At that point, the neighborhood was beginning to decline. It went downhill really fast. The crime rate went up, and people began to lose respect for their neighbors. In the 80’s, drug activity in the neighborhood became rampant. My sister was living in the neighborhood when I moved away, and she would call me and tell me how awful the neighborhood was becoming. She told me that people were stealing things from her garage and her neighbors had things stolen as well. At one point they had to install an iron fence around their air conditioning unit because someone had tried to steal it. They even installed additional lighting around the house so it would deter someone from being on the property, but never helped. The neighborhood had lost its free and easy feeling, and it had become a place where neighbors felt confined to their homes. It was a fearful time for my family and our neighbors. I remember we used to be able to sit outside as long as we wanted to, but then out of nowhere, gun fire would ring out, and we wouldn’t know where it came from so you’d have to run inside your house to hide. The pleasure of just sitting outside with your friends and family was diminished.
"In 2007, I moved back to Jubilee Park because I wasn’t happy in Austin, and I wanted to come home. My sister invited me to come back and live with her in our old house in Jubilee Park. I was so excited to return to my home! However, there were only 3 original families still in the area from when I had lived here before. The communal feeling of the neighborhood was gone.
"For a year, I physically saw Jubilee, but I didn’t really see it at the same time because of some of the things I was going through – illnesses, hospitalizations and other hard times. I was mostly concentrating on those things. When I finally started getting out and going through the neighborhood, I detected that something good was going on at Jubilee, and I wanted to know what it was and be a part of it if possible. Jubilee was giving out a good vibe to the community that the neighborhood hadn’t had for a long time.
"When I first walked into Jubilee, it seemed like a happy and pleasant place. I was very impressed with the activities that were happening with the children, and I saw how experienced the AmeriCorps teachers were in each classroom. They were doing things with the children that were needed – homework, tutoring, and one-on-one mentors.
"Now I come to Jubilee every day, and I participate in the ESL and computer classes. Sometimes I help teach the ESL and computer class when the instructor is on vacation. Eventually I want to be a part of the neighborhood association and be a part of the improvement of the neighborhood. I want to be a part of Jubilee because our neighborhood is growing in a very good way for all residents. The assistance programs help people with things around their home, the repairs, block appeal and ambiance. People coming through the neighborhood need to see that we’re helping people help themselves as we better this neighborhood. The Resource Center is a great addition to Jubilee. It is going to benefit many people in many ways. There is so much to do in this neighborhood, and by talking to people, I became acquainted with Jubilee. And I said, “That’s an organization I want to be a part of!” Jubilee helps the community to grow, and it helps the people to grow.
"Jubilee came into my life like a light bulb! I am greeted to the best, and I feel so welcome here. That encourages me to do better in my life. If anything I know can help someone else to feel better and to feel better about the community, then I want to be a part of that because it makes me grow! I like to participate with people. I like being a part of the Senior Citizen’s community. I like to go by my friends’ houses and make sure they are doing okay and see if they need anything. I hope to be an asset to Jubilee!"