Dallas/Fort Worth-area businesswoman Jaime Meeks defies an array of odds to start resourceful nonprofit organization

DALLAS — Jaime Meeks spent a majority of her young life growing up in inner city Dallas.

Still, because of the divine purpose for which God created her, she was determined not to become a product of her environment.

Never mind that she was sexually abused at a very young age.

Never mind that she was victimized time and again by constant verbal abuse.

Never mind that she was often physically abused.

Never mind the emotional abuse setbacks she had to endure.

Never mind that the fact that she had become a teenage mother or, as she tells it, a self-proclaimed runaway, one who eventually had to resort to violence, all while making an assortment of ill-advised decisions and  ultimately dropping out of school.

“A lot of what I went through carried over into my adult life, because I never had a support system,” Meeks, during an interview this week with Making Headline News, said while recalling arguably the most turbulent chapter of her life. “I was never able to get it out and I never healed.

“I was so emotionally, mentally, and physically broken and, because of that, I sabotaged just about every relationship that I had, leaving me feeling neglected, alone, hopeless, and with no one to love me.”

Despite all of that about which she had to weather, two operative words routinely come to mind whenever this remarkably beautiful woman of color finds herself sharing of her awe-inspiring story: But God.

“It wasn’t until I met God,” Meeks said without hesitation. “He picked me up out of my mess, saved me, and transformed me into whom He created me to be.”

The rest, as they say, was history.

Today, unlike never before, Meeks — this thriving, progressive, resourceful businesswoman — is steadfastly maximizing her potential in ways unimaginable which, to her credit, is a far cry from those disastrous, chaotic events of the past.

A native of nearby Midland, Texas who was raised in Dallas, Meeks, 40, is the President and CEO of F.R.E.E. Our Daughters, a Dallas/Fort Worth-based nonprofit organization and mentoring program designed specifically for teenage and young adult women.

F.R.E.E. is an acronymn that stands for Fortify-Restore-Encourage-Empower.

Having gone into full operations earlier this year, Meeks’ F.R.E.E. Our Daughters was organized in her quest to routinely serve as an additional resource, one that is geared toward helping address some of the vital issues faced by teenage girls, most notably being raised in low income families, as well as the experiences of facing financial adversity as young adult women.

“God has placed a tremendous burden on my heart for young women,” Meeks explained as a part of a detailed description of her organization on her F.R.E.E. Our Daughters Facebook business page. “It is my desire to help them make better life choices and to encourage them to become the type of women God desires them to be.”

An organization that has made continuous strides since its inception, Meeks is especially grateful she can fully attest that in spite of all she’s gone through, God still had plans to her life — plans to prosper and not to harm her, plans that were accompanied largely by array of hope and a favorable, memorable future.

“Through my testimony, God has shown me that I am an overcomer and I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” said Meeks, sounding very much like a successful, victorious evangelist, one whom is destined to change a generation. “The same is true for our young ladies. They just need guidance and positive reinforcement to destroy the issues that keep them in patterns of unhealthy behavior.”

For what’s it worth, Meeks is persuaded that through her nonprofit, she is armed with the awesome responsibility of being an influential impact for young girls and adults.

“Sadly, positive role models are scarce, but the impact is evident,” Meeks said. “Morality is most evident in the minority, while the masses embrace amorality. F.R.E.E. Our Daughters was established to help regain some of the integrity that has been lost.”

For years, Meeks can greatly attest that all seemed lost during what undoubtedly was the darkest chapter of her life. Conversely, after adopting a newfound disposition on life, education had ultimately become a massive focal point, an avenue by which she knew full well she had to take in order to recapture the confidence and perseverance that apparently were displaced for such a lengthy period of time.

Once a sudden dropout after having attended Dallas’ South Oak Cliff High, Meeks eventually resumed her education, which led to her obtaining her GED.

Currently, she is pursuing a Masters in Psychology from Argosy University, this after having become certified as a Life Coach through The Life Coach Training Institute while simultaneously receiving training as a Cognitive Behavioral Coach.

“What I like most about my business is that I get to meet a wide range of teens and young ladies from many different walks of life,” said Meeks, whose organization caters to youngsters ranging in ages 13 to 21. “It can sometimes be a challenge, getting them to open up, because they don’t know who they can trust. It’s very rewarding when I can earn their trust, aid in the betterment and quality of life for these young ladies, help them make healthy life choices and to encourage them to become the type of women that God desires them to be.”

Having been mentoring for a little more than six years, Meeks announced that an array of events are on the horizon in the foreseeable future, most notably the unveiling of her F.R.E.E. Our Daughters “Classy Closet” in 2018, an event designed to help clothe young ladies who are registered through Meeks’ program.

Meeks said that women’s clothing, shoes, accessories, and monetary donations can be made by contacting her via email at: [email protected]

“It’s always better to give than to receive,” Meeks said. “I believe that God has given me something special, but He didn’t give it to me to keep for myself. If I was selfish, standing there with my hands closed, I would not have room to receive anything else from God. He gave me these tools to give away to others.”

Amongst the reasons is that because of the divine purpose for which God created her, she was determined not to become a product of her environment.

EDITOR’S NOTE: If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, producer, author, athlete, musician, barber, life coach, motivational speaker, cosmetologist, tax preparer, model, or pastor/minister who is seeking exposure and would like to share your story with an in-depth news feature, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.

Andre Johnson is the Founder and Publisher of Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, call him at 901-690-6587 or send email to [email protected] or [email protected]. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.