Jubilee Holiday Angels All Year Round 

When you stop to take a look around the city, there is no doubt the holiday season is upon us and in full swing. The Nutcracker’s sugar plum fairies rule the stage at McCaw Hall, the carousel in Westlake Park is illuminated and there are cookies, cookies, cookies everywhere we turn. For many, the holiday season is a time to celebrate and enjoy our friends and families as we spend time and share meals and gifts with each other.

All too often we take for granted the things that make up the holiday season, like buying the perfect gift for a loved one, receiving the perfect gift from someone who loves you or an odd gift from a well-intentioned aunt, or the endless holiday parties and sharing in traditions with your family.

For many people though, they find themselves far from family at this time of year. They are working hard to make sure food is on the table and the bills are paid, and are unable to afford to send presents to loved ones to show them how much they love them.

Jubilee’s residents know all too well how difficult the holidays can be. With an average annual income of only $7,000, or $583 per month, nearly all the residents’ budgets go toward food, transportation, medical bills and other necessities. This usually leaves nothing to buy holiday gifts for their children, grandchildren, siblings or parents or to travel to spend time with family living far away.

Each year, Jubilee collects wish lists from residents and distributes the wishes to community members, business groups, churches and families. The wish lists range from basics, such as food, bus tickets and health and dental care, to things that add a true spark of holiday cheer to the women’s lives, such as tickets to a holiday concert, passes to a ballet show or a trip to the spa. These gifts are so important for the women – it allows them to truly understand how many people in their community care for them and are invested in their success, and that they are not alone during the holidays.

While the holidays are the perfect time to bless others and add a bit of joy to their lives, many of the wish list items residents have requested are needed all year round. Any gift, big or small, will mean the world to the women at Jubilee. A few gift ideas include:

Gift cards to:

• Grocery stores (Safeway, Grocery Outlet, QFC, Fred Meyer)

• Drug stores (Bartell, Walgreens, Rite Aid)

• Department stores (Ross, Target, Macy’s, JCPenney)

• Fabric stores (JoAnn’s, Pacific Fabrics)

Residents would also love:

• Bus tickets

• Entertainment passes to plays, concerts or sporting events

• Brand new makeup

• USB flash drives

• Twin bed comforters

Gifts can be dropped off at our office during regular hours, Monday - Thursday, 9am to 6pm, or Friday from 9am to 5pm.

You can also purchase something to benefit the whole house on our gift registry at Bed Bath & Beyond, accessible online at www.bedbathandbeyond.com or in-store at any location. The information for the registry is:

First Name: Jubilee

Last Name: Gift Registry

Happy holidays and many blessings to you and yours from everyone at Jubilee!

15th Annual Benefit Breakfast a Success! 

Building the future, one extraordinary woman at a time

Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Fong Photography 

The Sheraton’s Grand Ballroom was abuzz with cheerful chatter Wednesday, October 10th, as more than 500 attendees settled in for Jubilee’s 15th Annual Benefit Breakfast. KING 5 Television’s Meeghan Black once again emceed the event, designed to show how Jubilee impacts the community.

A Jubilee resident, Janelle, welcomed guests by singing “His Eye Is on the Sparrow,” bringing a hush over the crowd. Immediately following, Dr. Alexandra Kovats, CSJP, blessed the meal and Jubilee supporters.


Next, Board Vice President Matt Sweeney introduced Executive Director Cheryl Sesnon, who proudly discussed Jubilee’s new comprehensive approach to ending homelessness. Matt also announced Cheryl as one of five finalists for Harlequin Romance’s More Than Words award, a national award honoring ordinary women making extraordinary contributions to their communities.

             Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Fong Photography 

Jubilee alumna, Alicia, shared how Jubilee made it possible for her to stand back up after a debilitating challenge and carry on with renewed confidence and skills. When Alicia’s abusive husband of 17 years kicked her out of her home in the middle of the night, she had to leave behind her two sons. This broke her heart. With the support of Jubilee’s staff, especially her care manager, Kathy Lewis, Alicia took control of her life; she got a divorce, went back to college, became a translator and is now able to have her sons stay with her in her new home. Alicia stated, “A better version of me is out there now. I am a stronger person. All of this would not be possible without the support I got from Jubilee.”

Caroline, one of Jubilee’s current residents, spoke next. She shared her passion for writing and publishing with the audience and explained how one mistake had nearly cost her everything. As she pointed out, “It was a mistake on my part, yet it would have been devastating without Jubilee’s help. With your help, I was given an opportunity to fix it.” Caroline also took the opportunity to thank Lynn Boes and supporters of the Ellen Keegan-Boes Scholarship Fund, which allowed her to take more classes to develop her writing skills as she writes her 3rd novel and works to support herself.

           Photo courtesy of Jeffrey Fong Photography 

Last, Volunteer of the Year Stacy Duhon talked about working with staff to create and deliver inspiring workshops for residents and seeing firsthand the transformation that happens within Jubilee’s walls. She expressed, “It is amazing what comes out of these women when they are given fertile ground to grow. That is what Jubilee is for them – it’s a place where they can get the nourishment they need to shine.”

Every attendee left with an origami butterfly that included a special message inside from a Jubilee resident. They also received roses from the bouquets that filled the room, donated by QFC and Denver Wholesale Florist.

Total donations received added up to over $249,000! Donors took full advantage of the $75,000 matching pool for gifts of $250 and above. We cannot thank everybody enough who attended and contributed to this event! Jubilee is truly blessed to have a supportive community that understands the importance of Jubilee for women experiencing poverty.

Celebrate the True Meaning of the Holidays 

Learn how you can make the holidays bright for a Jubilee resident

How You Can Help

The holidays are an especially hard time for the women at Jubilee Women’s Center as many are far away or estranged from family. Our giving tree program allows them to feel like part of a family again. We encourage our community to provide gifts for the women so they can have a memorable holiday and understand how much love and support is out there for them in the community.

Sponsor a Resident

Beginning in October, Jubilee Women’s Center collects a wish list from each resident and distributes the wishes to community members who want to sponsor a resident.  If you’re interested, you can contact Jubilee’s Giving Tree Coordinator at givingtree@jwcenter.org or (206) 957-5512 to find out more about what is on a woman’s wish list. The list allows people to know exactly what a woman needs. You can also check out our online wish list, which allows you to donate a gift for the house, kitchen or garden.

Host a Giving Tree

Another fun way to increase your impact is to host your own giving tree where all collected gifts go to Jubilee residents. Popular places to host giving trees include businesses, schools, churches or holiday parties. We ask that all gifts arrive at Jubilee by 3 pm on Thursday, December 13^th.  For those who have yet to visit us, Jubilee Women’s Center is located in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood at 620 18^th Avenue East, on the corner of 18^th Avenue East and Roy Street.

What’s on a Wish List?

Our residents ask for a variety of things at different price levels. Household items, such as pots and pans or bedding, are popular requests so women have household items for their own home when they move into independent housing. Some women also ask for entertainment items like DVDs and music players, while others ask for specific clothing items and sizes or store gift cards. Residents can always use grocery store gift cards in any amount.

Distributing Gifts

With many women at Jubilee unable to share time with family during the holidays, Jubilee’s staff throws a holiday party for the women before Christmas Day. The day of the party, we sort through all the donated gifts and wrap them for each woman. Each staff member cooks their favorite holiday dish, and we all sit down and enjoy a holiday meal together before opening gifts. Each year, the women are overwhelmed with how much love the community shows them.

Make the Holidays Bright

This holiday season, adopt a resident or host a giving tree at your business, church, office, community group or next party to gather gifts for a woman at Jubilee. Remember, you can also purchase items from our online wish list to contribute! For more information, contact us at givingtree@jwcenter.org or call (206) 957-5512. All holiday contributions should be delivered to Jubilee by 3 pm on Thursday, December 13^th. Happy Holidays!

Help Jubilee win $15,000

Cheryl Sesnon nominated for Harlequin Romance Novels’ More Than Words Award

Harlequin More Than Words

We are proud to announce Cheryl Sesnon, Executive Director of Jubilee Women’s Center, is one of five finalists for the Harlequin More Than Words award. This national award honors ordinary women making extraordinary contributions to their communities. Three winners receive a $15,000 gift to their organization and Harlequin Romance novels will write e-books inspired by each of the winner’s lives.

Photo credit: Karissa Carlson,
The Evergreen State College

Winners are chosen by popular vote – Vote for Cheryl to help us get her hard work noticed and bring this impactful donation to Jubilee!

Meet Cheryl 

Cheryl started as a Jubilee volunteer in 2008, teaching life skills classes to residents. Two years later, she became the executive director, leading the organization as it works to support more women experiencing poverty to rebuild their lives.

Because Cheryl has faced many of the obstacles Jubilee residents confront, she believes any woman is capable of overcoming seemingly insurmountable challenges and creating a stable and fulfilling life. As anyone who knows her can attest, Cheryl is passionate about providing opportunities and support for women making positive changes in their lives. Her door is always open to provide an ear for Jubilee’s residents when they hit a rough patch, or cheerlead as they find successes along their journey out of homelessness. She empowers and inspires those around her with her tremendous work ethic and big heart.

Jubilee Transforms Lives

The Harlequin More Than Words award would make a tremendous impact on the women at Jubilee. During the recession, the number of women seeking services has tripled while funding has not kept pace. This award would help Jubilee provide more women with the opportunity to transform their lives and become self-sufficient, confident members of our community once again.

Vote for Cheryl!

Online voting begins Thursday, Oct. 18 at www.harlequinmorethanwords.com and ends Sunday, Nov. 9. Voters are allowed one vote per IP address, per day; so  vote often!