Veronica Manning Executive Director Update March 2020
COVID-19 Virus Impact ➢ Jubilee Center - currently closed for all programming including afterschool & Level Up. All staff are furloughed and are guaranteed two weeks of pay up until at least the April 3rd pay date. I have made it clear that I will update them before that date. Andrew & Rebecca are working from home as we continue to stay connected to the parents & families. I continue to work alone at the building for short periods each day, as well as at home. ➢ La Puerta Abierta - program is closed while Union City schools are closed. Staff can be paid indefinitely as their grant payments are ongoing for 2020. ➢ Family Success Center - all in person programming is closed and the staff is working remotely to continue to serve clients in Union City. Staff can be paid indefinitely as their grant contract is ongoing for 2020. ➢ Emergency Fundraiser - We launched a GiveLively campaign on 3/18. As of 3/20, it has raised $2300. The fundraiser has been shared on FaceBook, LinkedIn, Twitter, our mailing list, Instagram and our website. Please also share the link and encourage your network to create Peer-to-Peer fundraisers. ➢ https://secure.givelively.org/donate/all-saints-community-service-and-development-corporatio n/jubilee-center-covid-19-emergency-relief-fund
Fundraising & Grants ➢ HOHA Classic 5 Mile Run - As of now, the race is still on. I will update everyone once I hear anything different. As of today, 175 runners have signed up and we have received a total of $817 in additional donations. Both those numbers are ahead of the same time last year. We have received sponsorships from All Saints Parish, Makarios Consulting and Hoboken Family Alliance. We also have soft commitments from M&T Bank, Bijou Properties and T-Lighting Limited. ➢ Grant Applications Grid
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➢ CDBG - we have successfully secured a $25,000 Line of Credit from M&T Bank to use exclusively for the repairs at the Jubilee Center. We were also required to open a Business Checking account at M&T for receiving draw downs from the line. I have sent the HVAC quotes to Michelle May, who has volunteered to help me evaluate them and choose the right vendor. With the building being empty, this is a great opportunity to get the work done quickly. The new CDGB application process has opened and we will be applying for the full $30,000 again to support our afterschool program. Applications are due on April 8. I do not plan on applying for additional construction funds as our program support would decrease. Operations & Facilities ➢ Van - recent electrical issues along with battery failure has been repaired, however our insurance has lapsed due to nonpayment. We have not been using the van and instead, picked
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up food in our personal cars. It may be time to sell or donate the van. It is a 2006 model and prone to constant issues. ➢ HVAC- as stated above, we should be able to get this repaired soon, especially with the building being closed to programs. ➢ Name Change Project with ProBono Partnership - we have been assigned to Patrick Flaherty
has completed his work with us and has found no legal restrictions on using the name Jubilee Center of Hoboken. The project now returns to Nyeemah Grazier, who is working on preparing documents for the actual name change.
Programming & Events ➢ Level Up: Junior Teen Entrepreneurship and Leadership Program - The final Level Up session was held on March 11. The students worked on a product innovation exercise using the SCAMPER method (Substitute, Combine, Adapt, Modify, Put to another Use, Eliminate, Reverse). All 11 students were in attendance. ➢ Summer Planning - Summer Open House was scheduled for Thursday, March 26, but will now be an online presentation at a later date. As the situation is constantly evolving with the COVID-19 virus, staff are thinking about how we may need to change our approach to summer camp. Community Relations ➢ West Side Women & Housing Authority - In recent days, I’ve spoken to Danny Perez & Sandra Smith about the situation at the Housing Authority and whether residents currently have unmet needs that the Jubilee Center could possibly assist with. As of now, people have stocked up, but they anticipate a need for bottled water, meat and toilet paper in the coming weeks. With kids being home from school, resources are being used more quickly. I will stay in touch with them and keep the Board updated. ➢ Jubilee Families - I have surveyed our families and haven’t yet received any requests for assistance or resources of any kind. True Mentors loaned some ChromeBooks to families, as many of their students are also served by the Jubilee Center.