Jacqueline Easley is 28 years old and the mother of a six-year-old son. She is a single parent and graduated from Hamilton High School in 2000. In 2003, she moved to Dixie Homes (now Legends Park) and lived there for three years. During the relocation period for the HOPE VI Project, Jacqueline received a Section 8 voucher and relocated to an apartment in southeast Memphis. Until she became a client of the Memphis HOPE Project, she had been unemployed for four years.

Jacqueline also suffers from seizures, and she was afraid to leave her house for fear of being embarrassed if she had a seizure in public. In 2007, Jacqueline had to move out of her apartment in southeast Memphis and become a caretaker for her mother, which she did until her mother's death last year. After grieving her loss, Jacqueline decided to get in touch with her Memphis HOPE case manager and ask for help. After assessing Jacqueline's career interests, the case manager referred her to an employment specialist, who then helped Jacqueline decide on the next step.

For Jacqueline, that next step was to enroll in hospitality training offered by the Uptown Alliance CDC. Jacqueline excelled as a student, completed the course and received her certification. She then decided to continue participating in additional training opportunities so that she would have more options for employment. She completed Project Golden HOPE and the Institute for Women's Empowerment program.

Jacqueline was able to utilize her training to find a good job with benefits at Gold Strike Casino Resort. She is very excited about her growth and has proven to herself that she can do anything she desires. Jacqueline is more outgoing and says she now smiles more and has more self confidence. She feels that the last nine months have been an adventure she will cherish for the rest of her life. Jacqueline expresses her gratitude to Memphis HOPE and her case manager for the counseling, advice and support she received and for encouraging her to believe in herself.