Support to Achieve a Dream

Tamika’s dream to design and sell clothes and accessories seemed out of reach until a letter about the SDHC Achievement Academy’s Power of One program caught her attention.

“It talked about learning to become more self-sufficient, and that really spoke to me,” she said.

About seven years ago, Tamika began receiving rental assistance from SDHC as a teenager after her mother died and she sought guardianship of two of her younger siblings.

Now a mother of three herself, Tamika was working in retail and had just earned an associate’s degree in fashion from San Diego Mesa College when she received the SDHC Achievement Academy letter.

Inspired, Tamika signed up for the inaugural 2016-2017 Power of One session.

Power of One helped Tamika organize her thoughts and questions, develop a career roadmap, and understand key tax implications for business owners.

She also improved her credit rating and saved money through the program’s savings account match.

Just as important to Tamika was the moral support she received from the other program participants — all women.

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of Power of One has been the impact on her children, who no longer see her stress because her financial burdens have eased and her career path is on track.

“They can just be kids,” she said.