Annual Meeting Details
Tara Hickman
Tara Hickman, 23, grew up in a household and culture where drug use was the norm. She lived with her mother who also abused drugs. She dropped out of school at age 15 when she became pregnant with her first child.
Out of school and unemployed, Tara moved between many households including those of her mother, family members and friends. She remained part of the drug culture, clinging to her addictions. When Tara was pregnant with her second child, her mother went to prison and Tara lost her home. She moved from couch to couch until she got connected with Holy Family Shelter. There, Tara found the help that she needed to turn her life around and provide a stable home for her two children.
In 2007, Tara was pregnant, unemployed, suffering from addictions, and homeless. Today, Tara and her two beautiful daughters, Allyson, seven, and Alyssa, 18 months, are living in an apartment provided through Holy Family Services transitional housing program. Tara has been clean and sober for two years. She is employed and has held her job for more than a year. She has her driver’s permit and plans to buy her own car. She is also making plans to return to school and get her GED.
Tara and her two children are one of many families who are experiencing or who have experienced homelessness in Indianapolis. Today, they are a community success story and now act as advocates to end homelessness in our community.
