Jasmine Jones’ passion goes way beyond that of a frustrated Eagles fan

Jasmine Jones’ rant at an Eagles game is what gained her fame to start the year, but the Nescopeck woman’s passion for her community is the true measure of this mother of three.

Jones attended the Philadelphia Eagles vs. Arizona Cardinals game on Dec. 31 at Lincoln Financial Field, where the Eagles snatched defeat from the grasp of victory.

And the emotion that Jones displayed before nearly 70,000 equally ticked off Birds fans and a national television audience on Fox has vaulted her to become the face of that frustration. Her image has been plastered all over the Internet and her face is showing up on hoodies, shirts, hats everywhere.

Jones, 35, is the most sought-after interview by media at all levels, and she has weathered that storm remarkably well as she and her family prepare for the NFL playoffs.

Jones said she even got a call from Gov. Josh Shapiro, a fellow Eagles fan.

“The governor said he saw my moment and he shares in my frustration,” Jones said. “But then he asked me about my work as a teacher and my volunteer work with the United Way of Berwick.”

But before we get into all that — and Jones’ volunteer work is extensive and noteworthy — let’s first recap, as she calls it, her “moment.”

Jones and her husband, John, and their three sons — Emery, 9; Asher, 7; and Hudson, 4, and their cousin, Finnegan Kelly — were in attendance. It was Hudson’s first Eagles game.

“Well, the game was tied and there was about four minutes left,” Jones recalled. “After a failed run on first-and-20, they ran it again on second down and lost yardage, setting up a third-and-20. That’s when I stood up and yelled, ‘What the hell are you doing?’ ”

And a Fox camera was right there to catch her outburst, which was representative of every Eagles fan in the stadium or watching on TV.

“It’s not what I would have called,” Jones said of coach Nick Sirianni’s play selections.

The Eagles would lose the game 35-31, continuing their downward spiral heading into the playoffs.

Jones was born into a family of Eagles fans. Her parents, Chip and Ellen Helfrick of York, have always rooted for the Birds. Jasmine, John and their three sons continue that family tradition.

“I’ve been an Eagles fan my whole life — I was born into this,” she said.

So everybody saw Jasmine on TV, and in the days following, they have witnessed her “moment” go viral.

“They all think it’s hysterical and awesome,” Jasmine said. “I’ve still getting texts and emails from family and friends across the country. I have an aunt in Houston who told me she has become famous because her friends found out that I’m her niece.”

And Jasmine added, “Go Birds!”

The real Jasmine Jones

Jones, 35, retired from her teaching position after 11 years in the Berwick Area School District on Jan. 2. For several years, Jones has been a volunteer with the United Way of Berwick, an arm of the United Way of Wyoming Valley.

Bill Jones, President/CEO of the United Way of Wyoming Valley, is not related to Jasmine Jones, but they share a kindred spirit.

“While Jasmine Jones’ passion for the Philadelphia Eagles has gone viral, her passion for kids and her community is even more meaningful,” Bill Jones said. “I first met Jasmine after the merger of the Berwick Area United Way into the United Way of Wyoming Valley corporation in 2018.”

Bill Jones recalls Jasmine’s enthusiasm and advocacy for at-risk children.

“In 2018, at 29%, the child poverty rate in Berwick was no different than the child poverty rate in the Wyoming Valley,” Bill Jones said. “As a third-grade teacher who saw poverty every day in her classroom and throughout the school building where she taught, Jasmine instantly understood and embraced our work to help kids.”

Bill Jones said when COVID closed schools in March of 2020, Jasmine feared that kids, especially those with limited resources, would start falling behind. She lobbied the United Way to purchase summer learning workbooks for the youngest of students, grades K-2 so that parents would have a tool to help their children over the summer months stay on track and be ready for the next school year.

“Buying the workbooks for so many students was not an inexpensive decision, but it was the right thing to do at the time,” Bill Jones said. “We took that idea and did the same thing for many of the districts in the Wyoming Valley as well.”

Jasmine volunteered to serve on the United Way’s Advisory Council and chaired the Berwick Area United Way’s annual campaign in the fall 2020. Bill Jones said she was able to speak with “great authenticity” about the need to help children.

Jasmine got involved in helping the United Way establish the “Read Across America Day” in all three of the Berwick Area School District’s elementary school buildings to celebrate Dr. Seuss’ birthday and promote the importance of reading.

She was also involved in the United Way’s book drive and helped collect and distribute more than 10,000 books to help children have access to books over the summer months.

Jasmine also brought to the United Way’s attention how many students in the district did not have their own beds or slept on couches or the floor.

“Like any of us, if kids do not get a good night’s rest, night after night, they won’t be able to perform to their potential,” Bill Jones said. “The United Way invested in 50 brand new twin beds and created the Ready and Rested Bed Program.”

Bill Jones said the need was bigger than imagined and those beds went so quickly that the United Way bought 28 more over the next year to help meet this critical need.

Jasmine added, “I know how grouchy I can be if I don’t get a good night’s rest.”

Two years ago, Jasmine shared an observation at an advisory council meeting that anyone can tell the kids with resources from the kids with very little resources on the first day of school.

“The students with resources have fresh haircuts and the kids with little do not,” Jasmine said. “We asked United Way to help those kids in need. As a result, the United Way created the Back to School Hair Affair program, and over the past two years, the United Way arranged for more than 120 children to get fresh haircuts in the week before school starts.”

Bill Jones jokingly calls Jasmine the “other Mrs. Jones” in his life.

“Just like at home when my wife says, ‘I have an idea,’ I know I am not going to have much of a choice and it’s going to cost some money,” he said with a laugh. “When Jasmine contacts the United Way and says, ‘I have a thought,’ I know it’s going to cost some money, but every time, it is a good idea and always the right investment to make to help kids in need.”

Bill Jones said the United Way and the community at-large are fortunate to have Jasmine rooting for kids, the community, and the Berwick Area United Way.

“She always gives us good insights and advice,” Bill Jones said. “Maybe the Eagles should as well.”