Jacquette “Jackie” Frazier served as the Executive Director of Takoma Park Lunch and Learn from 2013 to March 9, 2025. Her volunteer work included serving the Takoma Foundation Azalea Committee, Community Dollars, Educare, Small Things Matter, Essex House Apartments Tenants Association, Village of Takoma Membership Committee, and numerous other organizations.
After Jackie retired from the Department of Agriculture’s Office of Civil Rights, her dream was to start a free summer camp for underserved children who did not have funds to attend camp otherwise. Her vision was to ensure that the students would have a safe enriching learning environment (including: math, reading, science, arts and crafts, swimming, volleyball, soccer, basketball, computer science, etc) with components relating to Social & Emotional Learning, proper nutrition, and access to free meals. She was determined to accomplish all of this while campers and staff had fun. In 2013, Jackie worked with Takoma Park Councilmember Jarrett Smith, along with residents of Essex House and other organizations, to develop Takoma Park Lunch and Learn.
Jackie was concerned that many children did not know how to swim and insisted swimming be offered as part of the curriculum. Thanks to the Piney Branch Elementary School, Montgomery County Public School, and the staff of Adventist Community Services, many children who did not know how to swim can now swim.
Jackie wanted to support retention of what students learned during the school year and to prepare them for the next school year. The results from Takoma Park Lunch and Learn have clearly been demonstrated. Jackie instituted the use of a pre-test and post test. Time and again, Lunch and Learn identifies the students’ learning skills which need improvement, provides students with six weeks of support, and sees measurable advancement by the end of camp.
Jackie collaborated all throughout the region and secured funding from everywhere she could. Some of her partners included: Takoma Park City Council and Recreation Department, Montgomery County Council and staff, Takoma Foundation, Tommy Raskins Foundation, Takoma Park Lunch and Learn Board of Directors, Takoma Elementary and Piney Branch Elementary Schools, Takoma Middle, School, Blair High School, local PTA’s, Adventist Community Services of Greater Washington, Washington Adventst University, Montgomery College, Small Things Matter, Educare. Lunch and Learn has become one of the largest camps in one of the largest camps in Montgomery County.
As a result of Jackie’s devotion to volunteering, she received two Lifetime Achievement awards. One from the Takoma Foundation Azalea Committee and one from President Joseph Biden. She was recognized by the Essex’s House Apartments management office for volunteering over a 1,000 hours. Jackie emphasized the need to help seniors and residents with disabilities. She organized special events for seniors (Chrstmas, Easter, Mother’s Day, clothing drives, food distribution, etc.)
Jacquette (Jackie) Frazier, passed away on Sunday, April 13th, 2025. We send our prayers and condolences to Jackie's daughter, Ashley, and their family. Jackie will be remembered by everyone for making major contributions that affected residents ofTakoma Park, Silver Spring, Langley Park, Washington, D.C, especially for her support of children and parents. She leaves a legacy of Lunch and Learn for both children and adults who will always remember that there is nothing you cannot achieve and it takes a village to raise a child.