This Sunday, June 26, at all worship services, Church of Our Saviour will celebrate the 20th year of Jubilee Homes ministry. Every summer, we recognize the efforts of the Transitional Housing Advisory Board working under the supervision of the Vestry to operate four living facilities in Pasadena and Altadena. These large homes, and a six-unit apartment building, offer 50 adult men and women in recovery from addiction the chance to start fresh in life in a safe and affordable drug- and alcohol-free environment.
Each of these four homes is managed by a live-in adult, who are themselves veterans of the recovery movement of the 12 Steps of Alcoholics Anonymous. Our Resident Managers are Fabian Gonzalez, Dixie Colas, Brian Woodruff, and Christopher Colas. In addition to these four staff, the Church employs Deacon Bill Doulos as the Director of Jubilee Homes and Dale Stanhope as the Director of Recovery Services. And the Rev. Tim Hartley will be employed as of July 1 to work alongside Bill, prior to Bill’s retirement a year from now.
Residents of Jubilee Homes can stay for about two years, and we have offered this housing, along with a strong social work component, to about 1,600 individuals over the course of our ministry at COS, which began on July 1, 2002. We have managed to pay off all four of our mortgages, so our properties are owned by the Church, free and clear. The money that used to go toward mortgages (about $8,000 monthly) is now spent extending the useful life of our properties and enriching the opportunities for success for our residents.
So, on this happy Sunday we will have some of our residents share their stories with us from the pulpit, followed by a celebration birthday cake and punch on the patio after the 8:00 am, 10:00 am, 11:15 am, and 4:00 pm services. Come join us this Sunday to share in the success that this Church has made available to our friends in recovery!