Jamboree is building more affordable housing across California, from Sacramento to San Diego, including the Inland Empire (IE). With eight properties in San Bernardino County and six properties in Riverside County, Jamboree has 14 communities in the IE – and, at many of them, we offer our customized resident services that support families by providing greater opportunity.
REACH, our unique approach to resident services, is an acrostic that outlines five key values for customized services that enrich the lives of residents – kids, families, and seniors. REACH encourages the success of kids and students at our properties and ensures that our high school seniors are thriving in the surrounding neighborhood, both academically at school and practically for work and life.
The H value in our REACH Kids approach is for Horizons that open new opportunities in a global world. We develop activities that provide physical and mental wellness, team and leadership skills, education and employment assistance, with virtual and in-person programs designed to meet the unique needs of each community.
In communities such as Valencia Woods, Kassandra – a resident with parents who place a high value on academics – was a committed middle-school participant in Jamboree’s after-school programs in Fontana. Over six years, she gradually made the shift to invest in these programs by volunteering at property events and helping younger students with after-school learning. After her high school graduation, she asked our Resident Services Coordinator (now a Community Engagement Coordinator) to write a college recommendation, which was gladly provided. Today, Kassandra plans to attend California State University San Bernardino to earn a bachelor’s degree in entrepreneurship.
REACH is customized to also encourage resident kids at a young age, since reaching horizons in a global world begins with activities that teach teamwork and collaboration. Younger students at Ceres Way in Fontana were recently challenged to stand in a circle, holding one of five strings attached to a magic marker in the center. They had to patiently work together to drop the marker into an open water bottle.
One advantage of stable, affordable housing with services is that it provides capacity for residents to focus on other life goals, such as education. Kassandra is just one of many students who work to help support their families while pursuing the opportunity of education – becoming the first generation to go to college.
Another benefit provided by affordable housing is the opportunity to save. With affordable rent and programs that increase financial literacy, families can achieve a better future. One young family recently moved out of Valencia Woods, purchasing their own home with room to grow.
