Marlene
Marlene is eight years old with an infectious smile. She has been faithfully attending the Jubilee Consortium aerobics classes at Saint Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Hollywood for the last year and a half. When asked questions about why she comes and participates in the Jubilee classes, she doesn’t hesitate to share her answers. One of the things she likes about the classes is that she gets to spend time with her mom. “The classes,” she says, “make my mom feel happy and that makes me feel happy, too. I come with my mom and some of her friends. I’ve noticed that I have more energy and I feel happy and better about myself.” Marlene also comes to
Jubilee’s Alternatives to Violence class on Thursday evenings when the church’s sanctuary is converted into a boxing gym and twenty or more young people gather to learn boxing, life and leadership skills. “I like the boxing class because I have a place to take my anger out,” she says with a smile. “In all the classes,” she continues, “I feel that I am at home.”
Recently, the Jubilee Consortium hosted an “Aerobics-a-thon Fundraiser and Health Fair” at its Hollywood site. When Marlene heard about the planned event, she immediately signed up to participate, grabbed several sponsor sheets and went out in search of potential donors. By the day of the event, Marlene had raised $110. That itself is amazing for an eight year old. But the thing that was even more amazing
was how she did it. Marlene persuaded more that 100 people to sponsor her. She asked her family, her friends, her neighbors, her teachers at school. Some of the sponsors pledged $1 or $5. But many pledged a nickel, a dime or a quarter. Her efforts and commitment were a clear signal to everyone how important these exercise and nutrition classes are to the low-income residents that attend them. “When I grow up,” Marlene explains, “I don’t exactly know what I want to do, yet, but I would like to be an aerobics instructor to help all the women and people get healthier.”
Marlene is great at getting the word out about Jubilee programs. “I’ve invited everyone,” she exclaims. And the folks that take her up on her invitation always tell her that they love the class and the community spirit. Marlene embodies the urgency and commitment Jubilee feels in its efforts to help individuals, families and neighborhoods to be healthy and strong. When asked if she wanted to say anything to the people who financially support the work of Jubilee, Marlene offered the following: “I just want to thank the people. Many people who come to the classes don’t have a lot of money. The money that others give makes a lot of people happy and healthier and I am happy that all those people are happy. It makes me feel great!”