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Help Mission Waco give back this holiday season

Posted at 7:23 PM, Dec 16, 2018
and last updated 2018-12-16 20:42:18-05

It's the final performance of "Every Christmas Story Ever Told" at the Jubilee Theatre in Waco.

It's a small production with just three actors, but nearly 100 people take part in these plays each year.

"I have four-year-olds doing theatre up to 18-year-old seniors in high school so it's a whole lot of fun," said Jubilee Theatre Director Trent Sutton. "We work on music, we work on acting and that has grown tremendously. When I started here, it was just a few classes offered to the after-school programs within Mission Waco and now we offer community classes as well."

Mission Waco President Jimmy Dorrell is proud of how far his theatre has come since he opened it in the early 90s. He's seen it change the lives of people in our community.

"We watch character get built because of the theatre," Dorrell said. "There was a neighborhood child who was just a nobody kid to most people. But today, we've helped him through his education. He came back, worked as the director of the theatre and has just finished his Master of Fine Arts in New York City and is doing theatre in New York City."

Mission Waco runs more than 15 programs that help the homeless and struggling families across our city. They range from after-school programs for kids to health clinics and a food market.

"This is community-based work and ministry among the poor and the marginalized," Dorrell said.

While the work is incredibly rewarding, the costs add up with each program.

Dorrell said 25 percent of Mission Waco's funding comes during the holiday season.

"We love it when people come over and participate, but we also love it when they send a check in," Dorrell said. "Because of that, people's lives are being changed."

Dorrell hopes people continue to believe in their mission, so they can help others believe in themselves.

"I never feel more myself than when I'm pretending to be someone else on stage," Sutton said. "The Jubilee Theatre has really created a safe place for people to come as they are and just figure things out and have a lot of fun. It's been a blessing to be here."

To help Mission Waco this holiday season, click here

For more information on the Jubilee Theatre, click here

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