Going to school, finding a good job, opening a savings account, buying a home -- they're all parts of the American dream. But they might just be dreams for many in North Texas, where one in three can鈥檛 weather a financial storm that lasts 90 days.
This week, 四虎影院 launches a new series to examine these issues. will focus on Jubilee Park, a Dallas neighborhood sandwiched between Interstate 30 and Fair Park. ()
We kick off the series with a look at the neighborhood. Ben Leal is CEO of the . He sat down with 四虎影院鈥檚 Jeff Whittington to talk about Jubilee Park.
Interview Highlights: Ben Leal鈥�
鈥� On why the neighborhood is called Jubilee:
鈥淪t. Michael and All Angels was getting ready to celebrate their 50th anniversary,鈥� Leal says. 鈥淪o instead of building another chapel or adding on to their church, they actually wanted to give back to their community and back to their city. So they identified an area, a tired neighborhood in southeast Dallas, which is now called Jubilee Park since St. Michael鈥檚 was getting ready to celebrate their 鈥榡ubilee.鈥欌��
鈥� On what the neighborhood used to be like:
鈥淗ad you walked the streets of Jubilee 17 years ago you would鈥檝e seen prostitutes walking the streets,鈥� Leal says. 鈥淵ou would鈥檝e seen dime bags and syringes littering the gutter. You would鈥檝e seen gang members freely roaming the neighborhood and residents afraid to exit their home.鈥�
Leal says there鈥檚 been a resurgence in Jubilee over the past 17 years.
鈥淵ou鈥檙e seeing new construction coming into that neighborhood,鈥� Leal says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 definitely turning around.鈥�
鈥� On how the police have helped:
鈥淲e actually have a building on our campus called the Resource Center,鈥� Leal says. 鈥淚t houses a police storefront, code compliance and a community prosecutor. Since that building has been in place in our neighborhood, there鈥檚 been an increased presence of police in the neighborhood and we actually have 17 cameras spread out through the 62-block area that makes up Jubilee.鈥�
鈥淭here鈥檚 been a 64 percent reduction of crime in Jubilee since 2007,鈥� Leal says. 鈥淎nd I can鈥檛 say enough great things about [Dallas police] and their involvement and their partnership with us. They act as our Cub Scout leaders. They act as our chaperones for field trips. They鈥檙e actively involved in the neighborhood.鈥�
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