For over two decades, the Well Community has enjoyed terrific support from the wider community in Oak Cliff and beyond. One way we have seen the interest of businesses and individuals is in their sponsorship of special events like the upcoming Starry Night, Spooky Night party. (To learn more, click here.)
The Well talked recently to Brooks Igo who, in addition to serving on our Board of Directors, is helping out with Starry Night, Spooky Night by providing the “Jubilee Bus” as our photo booth this year. Along with his wife, Ashely, Brooks believes that engaging with the Well is one of their greatest joys. We chatted with Brooks recently about Jubilee Bus and their commitment to the Well Community.
Well: Jubilee Bus has been a sponsor of Well events for several years. On October 29 you and Ashely are offering the use of the bus/photo booth for our fundraiser, Starry Night, Spooky Night. Tell us about the bus!
Brooks: Jubilee Bus is a 1971 Volkswagen Bus that we bought from another couple right before the pandemic. They had renovated it and fitted it out to be a photo booth bus for special events such as weddings and birthday parties. Earlier it was owned by a clown in Mexico.
Well: Where did the name “Jubilee Bus” come from?
Brooks: We named it “Jubilee Bus.” There is a lot in the meaning in the word “jubilee.” When you hear “jubilee,” you think of a big celebration. Also, my wife is a big anglophile, loving everything British, so we thought of the Queen’s Jubilee, and also there is a tube line in London called “jubilee.” And there is also the biblical reference to the Year of Jubilee. There is a lot of joy packed into “jubilee.”
Well: Why is Jubilee Bus such a strong supporter of the Well Community?
Brooks: We love the Well for many reasons. One is that mental illness has personally affected both of our families and so we are 100% behind the Well in its mission to create a place of belonging and fellowship. I think relationship is central to who God is and who we are. Any organization that is creating and fostering flourishing communities we want to support. Also, it’s an added bonus that the Well is located in Oak Cliff, where we live. We consider the Well to be a great neighbor and a wonderful piece of the fabric of our community.
Well: Why are you looking forward to Starry Night, Spooky Night?
Brooks: This annual event for the Well has always been a really fun time. I think the first one I attended was at the Kessler Theatre, which is my favorite concert venue in Dallas. You see some of the same people each year and they’re fun, engaging people from the neighborhood, and you always meet new people, too. It’s great to celebrate the Well together. This year I’m looking forward to being in the Turner House and seeing all the different costumes. I know we have some really creative folks who are sure to be in the Halloween spirit. It’ll be great to spend time with fun folks in an iconic local venue in support of one of the neighborhood’s best nonprofits.
Well: How does the Well help the local community understand mental illness better?
Brooks: By providing a place to gather and share a meal together and spend time with one another and invest in relationship, the Well leads by example to help reduce stigma. People that might not have an imagination for having a relationship with someone who deals with mental illness, someone who maybe is living on street (or maybe not) see others reach out, and it starts to renew their imagination of how they could befriend people like members of the Well. I think of Anthony, who chose to live on the street and then join the Well. I have seen the people at the Well stay with Anthony at the pace that he wanted to walk. Now he has taken responsibly to work at the Well and manage Jacob’s House. These things don’t happen instantly or maybe at a speed that people expect or want big transformational things to happen. It’s a slow work. It’s the speed of God. I think people at the Well are good at walking at the speed of God.
Well: Your Jubilee Bus is a business. How would encourage other Oak Cliff businesses to get involved with the Well?
Brooks: People in Oak Cliff care about Oak Cliff and are passionate about our neighborhood. The Well Community is a homegrown nonprofit that is doing really good work around an issue that the larger public is learning more and more about: mental illness. I can’t imagine any business not wanting to be a part of something that is bringing people together, especially in Oak Cliff, which is such a community-driven place.
Starry Night, Spooky Night will be held on Saturday, October 29, at 7 p.m. at the Turner House, 401 N Rosemont Ave. Tickets can be purchased by clicking here. Sponsorships are still available. To learn more, go to wellcommunity.org/starry-night-spooky-night or call (214) 393.5878 ext. 604.