A Star in the Making: Jacqueline's Story

Having lived in Vancouver since she was 11 years old, Jacqueline has always loved this city that she calls home. She lived in New West with her family until her kids moved out on their own and their father moved back to Quebec. This shift left her experiencing homelessness, so she moved to the Downtown Eastside and sought out the assistance of a women’s shelter. Although the shelter was able to find her a place to stay, it was not a good experience for her and she began to struggle with her mental health, eventually ending up in the hospital for 3 months before finding a more stable housing situation, where she has lived for 4 years.

When she felt ready to work, she was able to get a cleaning job at BC Children’s Hospital; however, she didn’t love it because she felt too much pressure when cleaning the operating rooms, and seeing the children’s struggles day-after-day was difficult on her mental health. 

While living on Granville Street, she had seen Mission Possible (MP) crews cleaning the streets, and asked her doctor how to join these teams. Her doctor was able to get her connected with MP and she started working with us shortly thereafter. Jacqueline shares, “I went from homeless on the street, to now living in a very nice, clean apartment, with a cute little job that I love.”

Since starting at MP she has loved getting to meet new people. In fact, her favorite part of her job now is working with one of the supervisors, Steve. Steve leads the crews that clean the washroom trailers, and she likes that they are never in one spot. The variety keeps Jacqueline, a naturally fast-paced person, on her toes! 

Jacqueline has also created strong bonds with the people she works with. Meeting with coworkers outside of MP for dinner and fun activities has become a new normal in her life, which has given her a new perspective on what it means to be a part of a community and create everlasting friendships. 

During her time at Mission Possible, Jacqueline has learned skills that she never knew she had, like public speaking and meeting new people. She spoke earlier this year at a 100 Men Who Care Vancouver event, and has also been featured on multiple newscasts, including CBC Radio One and Global News. “At this job, I’m meeting all kinds of people and I’m enjoying it!” 

As the weather warms up and the skies start to clear, Jacqueline says she plans to spend more time at the beach and looking for the notorious “Sleeping Giant” nuzzled somewhere in the northern mountain range…