Written in Partnership with Amir Bakian
In the heart of Southern California, a beacon of hope has emerged for underserved women seeking to rewrite their narratives and build generational wealth.
Time For Change Foundation‘s Black and Brown Opportunities For Profit (BBOP) Center is a testament to innovation and their unwavering commitment to breaking systemic inequalities. Spearheaded by the foundation’s Founder and Ambassador, Kim Carter, alongside Executive Director Vanessa Perez, the BBOP Center is transforming lives and paving the way for change.
Before starting the Time For Change Foundation in 2002, Kim Carter had her own personal struggle with homelessness and drug addiction, which led to cycling in and out of prison. During this time, Kim noticed the lack of resources available to women seeking a fresh start. Inspired to provide the support she wished she had during her lowest moments, Kim created a space where women could find resources, guidance, opportunity, and hope for a better future. Since its founding, TFCF has been able to successfully help 3,600 women and children achieve self-sufficiency through its various programs.
If you’re interested in learning more about Kim’s incredible journey, her life story was recently portrayed by Jennifer Hudson in the Academy Award-nominated film, Tell It Like A Woman, directed by Taraji P. Henson.
Carter’s experience with incarceration and addiction has allowed her to build such a successful program since she understands first-hand what the women have been through and what they need to overcome it. On top of this, many of the TFCF staff members have also faced similar challenges, so they’re able to connect with the women in their programs on an even deeper level and ensure they are serving them in the best way possible. The trust that is built with these women in some of the most pivotal moments of their lives creates a strong foundation and support system for them to lean on on their path to self-sufficiency.
Time For Change operates by the motto, “We give the best to those that need the most.” The team works hard to help women through evidence-based programs and providing housing to introduce independence into their lives – which might not have been a feasible option previously. As a result, these individuals and their families become positive, active members of society. Thanks to Carter, women of color in San Bernardino now have access to emergency shelters, affordable housing, permanent supportive housing, and drug and alcohol programs.
One example of the life-changing work that TFCF is doing is the brand new BBOP Center which opened its doors in March 2023. In the Inland Empire, less than 17% of entrepreneurs are minorities, and less than 3% are women. Carter and her team are hard at work trying to change this statistic, and this project is how they plan to do it.
The Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit (BBOP) Center is a state-of-the-art entrepreneurship hub in San Bernardino focused on providing disenfranchised women with access to the resources necessary to start and grow their own businesses. This 10,000-square-foot economic space consisting of 14 offices, a cafeteria, and shared workspaces, is a testament to TFCF’s commitment to giving the women of their county the opportunity to create a new, financially stable life for themselves and their children. The staff at the center has even made it clear that they will keep the BBOP doors open for 16 hours a day, in order to accommodate those who need to keep a nine to five job in order to bring income, but not be barred from also working on their passion. Additionally, the BBOP Center has built-in childcare, so mothers are never excluded from opportunity.
Not only is the physical BBOP space the first of its kind in the Inland Empire, but the educational component is specifically designed for minority, low-income women in mind. The BBOP Business Academy’s mission is to alleviate systemic inequalities by giving women of color access to capital, technology, information, and networks necessary to break intergenerational cycles of poverty and build generational wealth. The curriculum focuses on teaching women about business who don’t have access to traditional means of capital, loans, and equity investments. The women who go through BBOP’s academy are coming out on the other side with the tools necessary to grow a successful business from the ground up.
Time For Change Foundation is constantly evolving, with plans to break ground on a new social enterprise kitchen in late 2023 that will be yet another avenue for women to learn from, one thing that remains constant is their unwavering commitment to the women they serve. Through adversity and compassion, Kim Carter and Vanessa Perez have crafted an organization that stands as a testament to the power of change.
As TFCF moves forward, driven by the success of the BBOP Center and guided by a vision of empowerment, it remains steadfast in its mission to reshape lives, break down systemic barriers, and create a legacy of lasting transformation.
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