In 2010, Norma was applying for a loan to start a small business from the Accion Opportunity Fund, and they referred her to WANDA. “I told them that I needed help with my finances, not just getting the loan, but knowing more about money and how it works. They kindly referred me to WANDA,” shares Norma.
When she applied and was accepted into the program, she was thrilled. “I told my daughter that I was all in,” she recalls. “There were so many topics to learn from, including finances, self-esteem, career development, and others… But one of the things that I really think did help me the most was that I no longer felt alone.” Norma shares that she was able to build connections with the other women. “They were going through the same things that I was going through. I felt very safe. This feeling empowered me to tell myself that I’m not the only one, and I’m gonna get through this.”
At the time of her participation, her daughter Martha was a junior in high school and had her sights set on attending a four-year university. “Being a single mom like my mom is, you have tons of responsibilities and little to no time for yourself,” shares Martha. “When she joined WANDA, for the first time, I saw that she was able to find community and build new friendships, which, oftentimes, single parents don’t have time to do.”
“Her confidence really went up. She was able to connect with other single moms and hear what they’re going through and share tons of resources amongst each other,” Martha shares. “I really do think WANDA gave her the ability to dream again. She realized that she doesn’t have to wait until her kids are 18 and self-sufficient – she can start now.”
While Norma was involved in WANDA, she had to put her dreams of owning a food business on hold to take care of her parents, who were terminally ill. “I had to turn my attention to my parents at that time. It wasn’t a setback, though, thanks to WANDA, my mindset was changed,” shares Norma. “It was just a pause for me. I knew I had the power to reach my goals and go forward with the business. I can do this.”
Through the financial education courses WANDA offers participants about money management, loans, and savings, Norma was able to start saving for her food business. She also found time to pass on these learnings to her daughter. “Being a child of a single mother, you often find yourself living paycheck to paycheck. Financial literacy is something that they don’t teach in high school, but my mom was able to start sharing some of what she was learning,” shares Martha. “Like how to start planning for your future, how to remain debt free, and how to avoid falling into the same cycle of trying to make ends meet until the next check comes through. Even if it’s just $25 a month, let’s start saving — this is just where we start.”
Martha has now graduated from high school and earned her B.A. in Sociology from UC Berkeley. “A lot of the work that I do now centers on supporting people who are living in affordable housing and working towards becoming self-sufficient. I try to instill good habits in my clients: start saving $25 a month, know where your money is going, and do not be afraid to look at your bank statements. If you have trouble going and looking at your bank statements, then you’re scared of money, right? It’s possible to have a better relationship with money and not fear finances,” shares Martha. “These are things that I’m able to now impart and share with the individuals that are part of my caseload. I don’t think I’d be the case worker I am today had I not gone through it, had my mom not shared financial literacy with me, and really showed me what it is to like to have a better relationship with money.”
Norma is now expanding her business, Semilla, bringing her breakfast burritos made popular at the farmer’s market in the Outer Sunset District of San Francisco to a new brick-and-mortar storefront. “I started off by just making breakfast burritos with high-quality ingredients. And my burritos aren’t your big traditional burritos,” Norma shares. “And eventually, little by little, we just started to see sales increase thanks to a feature in the San Francisco Chronicle. It really helped and just boosted our sales.”
By partnering with Mercy Housing, Norma is able to bring her dream of owning a food business to life. “Our brick-and-mortar restaurant will offer a place for people to sit and eat, and it’ll offer grab-and-go options as well,” shares Norma.
By watching Norma find the courage to follow her own dreams, Martha is excited to reach for goals of her own. “My mom is my role model. Seeing her face the challenges we went through and still have the courage to keep going and keep dreaming — she’s showing me how it’s not impossible,” Martha shares. “If my mom did it as a single mom, then I for sure can do it. There’s no excuse for me not to at least give myself the chance to pursue my dreams.”
“WANDA’s not just about learning financial literacy, they provide a safe space where you can share your voice without being judged. They’re helping you, they’re empowering you,” shares Norma. “Plus, for me, whatever I learned, I was able to impart it to my children. I’m hopeful that Martha will be able to share it with her children. Our words and actions are like seeds that we sow, and thanks to WANDA, I can see the harvest.”