Virginia native Jacqueline Turner has been selling Street Sense since 2011. She usually has a smile on her face, and can frequently be found helping others.
“If I had one wish, I’d like to save young people,” Turner said.
Turner has always wanted to make the world a better place, and believes the coolest thing she ever did was help a runaway find clothes and employment. She was only in junior high at the time.
Recently, Turner attained a job through The National Caucus and Center on Black Aging, Inc (NCBA). She serves food to senior citizens who lack the mobility to be able to get it themselves.
“I like it because the people are all around my age, and they have nutritious food, and I feel like I’m useful,” Turner said.
The new job is especially exciting because she has been actively looking for work for the past three years.
Turner lives with her family, including a daughter and three of her five grandchildren in a District apartment. It makes her feel needed.
Family is important to Turner. The proudest moment in her life was holding her daughter for the first time.
“I would like to do more than I’m doing now to help the world, because that’s a requirement of being a Christian,” Turner said. “You want to feel like you’re spreading love.”
Turner loves learning, although her only formal higher education has been through certificate programs.
“I like to learn things. With more people around, the more you can learn,” Turner said. “Not brain-boggling things all the time, it’s the little things.”
In addition to studying the Bible and selling Street Sense, Turner plays chess and reads. Her ideal Saturday night is spent eating walnut ice cream and watching old movies (her favorite is A Good Day to Die).
One day, Turner hopes to return to live in Virginia, she loves the country.
