Tameka lived in Florida when her uncle convinced her in 2005 that job opportunities on Nantucket were worth the move. Immediately upon arrival, Tameka got a job housekeeping at the Languedoc Inn. Shortly thereafter, she took a second job washing dishes at Sweet Inspirations. Tameka’s days were long and she worked hard, often 80 hours per week.

At first, Tameka shared employee housing with her uncle. This worked for a while, but Tameka missed her son and husband, who still lived off-island. For them to reunite, she would need to find affordable, suitable accommodations- no easy task in Nantucket’s expensive rental market. Pressure began to mount when her uncle informed her he needed her room back for his own family. He gave her three months to find another place to live.

Tameka scoured the newspaper, searched online, and used a network of friends. Nothing surfaced; her family was scheduled to arrive. Her only option was for her family to share a room in a house with three other unrelated adults for $1,100/month. With no other choice, she decided to take it.

Although they were happy to be together, this was a very stressful time for Tameka’s family. They didn’t have a car. They had to take turns sleeping in the living room. Her son’s schoolwork suffered. But Tameka refused to give up hope. On her walk to work, she would periodically stop by Housing Nantucket to check on her application for an affordable rental unit. One day, her prayers were answered. A two bedroom house was available in Surfside, and Tameka’s family was selected as tenants. When she heard the news, Tameka embraced director Anne Kuszpa, lifting her off the ground as she jumped for joy.

That was 2011. Today, Tameka has worked her way up the ladder at Sweet Inspiration and was formally trained as a chocolatier. Her son now receives academic accolades. And in true Nantucket fashion, Tameka has several jobs, including NRTA bus driver and home health aid.

“You wouldn’t believe where I came from,” Tameka says. She speaks of breaking the poverty cycle and giving opportunities to her son which weren’t available to her. She’s saving to buy a home of her own.

Housing Nantucket’s programs exist to help hard-working residents like Tameka. We are inspired by those we serve, and we couldn’t do it without the support of the community.