LOS ANGELES — Kim Carter-Tillman knows all too well what it’s like to be at the end of your rope.
She also is proof that even when you’re at the end of your rope, you can still find a way to tie a knot and hold on.
A formerly incarcerated woman turned social entrepreneur, Carter has dedicated her life to helping others break free from the cycles of poverty, homelessness and incarceration.
As the founder and ambassador of Time for Change Foundation, Carter, who launched the organization in 2002, has created a haven for women and children to find support, healing and empowerment.
Her journey began with her own struggles with addiction, facing homelessness and incarceration before finding a path to self-sufficiency.
That personal experience ignited a passion within her to help others overcome similar challenges.
With a background in accounting and a focus on nonprofit organizations, Carter, a married mother of one and grandmother to two, left her job at the National Orange Show in San Bernardino to start Time for Change Foundation in her garage with just six beds.
Today, the organization has expanded to provide housing and supportive services to more than 1,000 women and children annually.
Time for Change takes a comprehensive approach to supporting its clients, offering emergency shelter, long-term housing and an evidence-based program designed to foster independence and self-sufficiency.
The organization also offers training and leadership development opportunities, enabling women to build the skills and confidence they need to thrive.
Carter’s vision is to create a society where everyone has access to the resources and support they need to reach their full potential.
Carter, who is originally from Inglewood but now resides in the Inland Empire, leverages her experiences to help others navigate their struggles, demonstrating that it’s possible not only to survive but also to thrive.
The Time for Change Foundation also operates the Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit Center and Business Academy, providing entrepreneurial resources to women of color. Thousands have benefited from the foundation’s programs.
A motivational speaker, an advocate, an author and a developer of affordable housing, Carter is nationally recognized for her community work.
On a broadcast last April, Carter-Tillman was named the “2025 Remarkable Woman of the Year.” She was selected from a pool of 125 nominees chosen from Nexstar television markets across the country. The honor was announced during an event televised nationwide on the CW Network.
Remarkable Women is a Nexstar Media initiative to honor the influence that women have had on public policy, social progress, and the quality of life.
She was celebrated for her transformational advocacy and her ability to turn personal adversity into an empowering undertaking.
She also was named KTLA’s Remarkable Woman of the Year last April.
In addition to running several companies, Carter-Tillman wrote her memoir, “Waking Up to My Purpose,” a story of survival and a blueprint for purpose-driven leadership, resilience and impact.
I recently caught up with Carter-Tillman to talk about her life and Time for Change.
DD: Why did you start Time for Change?
KCT: Because women like me need a place to recreate their lives. I was on drugs, homeless and recycled in and out of incarceration. Women need a place to change.
DD: Why do you care about other women?
KCT: My anger fueled my passion. I had counted myself out. I’ve been clean and sober for 32 years. I needed treatment back then, but I didn’t get it for a long time, when it was available. I wanted to help women who had been marginalized. There was a lack of economic and political power. We were subjected to everything from violence to losing our kids. Instead of treatment, I was offered incarceration. It wasn’t met with a medical response. They locked us up and we were traumatized. They didn’t give us what we needed.
DD: Tell me about your organization in your own words.
KCT: We have helped 347 children reunite with their mothers. We provide housing and supportive services. I gave Vanessa Perez the opportunity to carry on the organization’s legacy while I run the Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit Center. I started that organization because I want the community to be at the forefront and not in the backseat.
DD: I read where Harriet Tubman is your idol. Why?
KCT: I tap into Harriet Tubman, Angela Davis and Fannie Lou Hamer. Our history was stripped away. I have to have sheroes, so I tap into legends. I see myself as Tubman because I help women escape and re-identify themselves, tapping into their inner strength. Their tragedy will turn into treasure.
DD: Can you share more about your personal experiences that led you to start Time for Change Foundation, and how your past has shaped your mission?
KCT: I had a desire to change. I didn’t have a place or the tools to change, though. It took me having therapeutic services from a drug and alcohol program. It wasn’t there when I needed it before. We live in a demonic society. We can’t get comfortable. People are losing their children. There is something in my DNA that says I can make a difference.
DD: What specific experiences or challenges led you to create an organization focused on supporting women and children transitioning from homelessness and recidivism to self-sufficiency?
KCT: The audacity of society to treat a specific population with inhumane practices. How dare you! How dare you!
DD: What specific services and programs does Time for Change Foundation offer to support women transitioning from homelessness and recidivism to self-sufficiency?
KCT: We support women through housing, drug and alcohol programs, transportation and literacy services. We also provide emergency shelter. We employ many innovative practices. We are creating and meeting the need. We are not cookie-cutter. Everyone’s needs are different.
DD: How do you believe your experiences with homelessness and incarceration have prepared you to support others facing similar challenges?
KCT: We are authentic. We have resources that work. We know what the challenges are.
DD: What are some of the biggest challenges facing Time for Change Foundation, and how do you see the organization evolving in the future?
KCT: The challenge is what is challenging us all. The system wants to see you fail. If you are doing mediocre work, no one messes with you.
DD: How do you balance your work with Time for Change Foundation with your personal life, and what self-care practices do you prioritize?
KCT: I work at the [Black and Brown Opportunities for Profit] Center, an entrepreneurial center specifically designed for women of color to build, grow and scale profitable businesses. I spend time with my husband. I go back to the love. The real love. The love of my family, husband, kid and grandkids.
DD: What advice would you give to others who may be facing similar challenges or seeking to make a positive difference in their communities?
KCT: Start with self. You need to be healed and ready.
DD: What keeps you going?
KCT: I am a woman on fire, and God is keeping me going. I’m going to walk in that.
Darlene Donloe is a freelance reporter for Wave Newspapers who covers South Los Angeles. She can be reached at ddonloe@gmail.com.
