By Executive Director Steve Keener
One of the many things about Jubilee that brings me great joy is how invested the members of our community are in the organization’s long-term success. Over the past several months, I’ve met with a diverse cross-section of our community during our strategic planning process. I’ve heard your ideas on how Jubilee can continue to best support the people who rely on us in the years ahead. Thank you for providing valuable input.
Today, I’m happy to share with you the results of this impressive effort as we unveil our 2021-2024 strategic plan. Our work in the years ahead will align with three overarching areas where Jubilee can make a difference.
- Invest in the people of Jubilee
- Grow
- Do Justice
When we talk about investing in the people of Jubilee, that means both the people we support and our staff. Our top priority is to support the goals and dreams of the people we support through high quality person-centered planning. We are also investing in ways to combat loneliness and isolation as part of this strategic effort, such as our brand-new Community Engagement department. When we invest in our staff we improve not just their lives, but the lives of the people we support. We are leading the charge to “professionalize the profession” with enhanced training, and we are taking actions now that improve staff benefits and compensation. You will hear more about these efforts in the months ahead.
Jubilee is eager to grow and serve more people in Montgomery County. The need is great, and we are part of the solution. To ensure that everyone who relies on Jubilee receives the same high-level of quality care we are known for, we plan to grow at a sustainable rate of one new person we support per month. We also plan to refer at least 16 people to affordable apartments and homes through our community partnerships. I’m excited to launch a brand-new Housing Support service that will help people beyond those who rely on Jubilee for residential support services find a home of their own.
Last but certainly not least, our third strategic goal is to do justice. Justice is baked into the very foundation of Jubilee as one of our guiding core values, and this past year has been a wake-up call that there is more work to do. Jubilee is leading an effort to improve access to disability services to underserved Hispanic and Asian communities in the county. Our new program, Breaking Barriers, recently began its work, and we look forward to welcoming new clients from those communities to Jubilee. We are also integrating anti-racist practices and awareness at Jubilee. This effort is already underway and will grow. For example, our management team recently attended anti-racism training, and we’ll be making it part of our ongoing employee training.
Together, we’re building a brighter and more inclusive future for all.