Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamara Coffey.
Hi Tamara, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
The Road Continues, a non-profit I found and named from my initials, TRC. The Road Continues is on a mission for Women Helping Women by providing donations of professional business and business casual clothing among other things. We provide to women who are preparing for job interviews, applying for an apartment, court appearances, starting a new job, all the activities that make up for life transition. However we can help, we want to support women who are rebuilding, starting fresh, or stepping into a new chapter – including those overcoming hardship, displacement, or personal challenges.
The reason for starting the nonprofit will take us back to when I was 22 years old, a single mother of a 2-year-old son, I decided to make my getaway from a “not so healthy and safe” environment. That consisted of leaving Washington State with no one knowing, driving five days across the country in the middle of winter all the way to Northern Virginia just outside of DC. I stayed with a high school friend upon arrival as her and her mother said we could stay for about a month. I quickly found work, but what dawned on me was that I did not take into consideration during this time that I had no clothes. I had 2 small suitcases of what I tossed in there when I left – but nothing to where in an office environment in Washington DC. I was grateful that my friend and I were the same size, and she opened her closet to me and so for an entire month I wore her clothes. It is with acceptance, humility, and grace that I held my head up every day knowing I wore someone else’s clothes to work. She always gifted clothes and other items to me if she did not want them any longer. As young woman, having to work, find a job, find an apartment, do interviews, and show up to momentous events, it is understandable that not all women have extra money to purchase new clothes. You either have friends that may give you clothes or you borrow them or you buy them at a thrift store. If you do not have the appropriate clothing to wear either for your job, for an interview, for an event women will either choose not to go because they believe they are not worthy of attending, or they are embarrassed by their clothes or lack of newer and nicer clothing. Either way, Ther Road Continues ensures what is collected as donations are in good condition and decent quality. A nice outfit that looks good will go a long way in making a woman feel good about herself, if only for a moment.
Present day: The nonprofit is in Camarillo CA. The word has spread quite rapidly since spreading the work 1/1/2026. It is amazing how many women genuinely want to go through their closets and give. By giving clothing items, purses, shoes, coats, and accessories we have brough joy to many. The smile on a woman’s face in a domestic violence shelter being able to pick clothes that will be hers, that are for her and meant to help her, the gratitude is beyond measure. Helping a young person that is in transitional housing only because they happened to age out of Foster Care. Providing them with guidance on resume building, a little mentoring, and a stack of clothes to get them set for that new job they landed, the look in their eyes is amazing. There are so many we have helped and look to help so many more. I work with agencies throughout several counties, I work with private centers and organizations, and we are all here doing our small part to do good and help others.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The struggles with the nonprofit are – that it is a nonprofit. I run my own management consulting firm and stay pretty busy. The non-profit to me is my passion. I have always had the desire to help. Help another woman, someone was there for me when I needed help and I believe in helping others strongly. The struggles are not necessarily getting folks to clean out there closets but more getting folks to donate to the organization, money. Paying for part-time help ad for gas or shipping costs (we have ship to locations out of the local area: San Diego, Arizona for example). Money is needed and these days it is hard. It is difficult to stay on top of social media, schedule pick up and drop offs as a person of 1 in the Camarillo area and as mentioned I literally have 1 person in San Diego at only 5-10 hours a week, that is all I can afford. But we continue to push forward with faith and hope all is well.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
In addition to running my nonprofit – I have had a great career, always learning always open to adding to my portfolio. An Accomplished Sales and Business Development Executive I thrive in being a powerful relationship builder. In my career I have successfully brought revenue streams to organizations by making solutions, services, and products more visible to marketplace and/or end user. I have over two decades working with Federal, State and Local governments with a strong focus on Security and the Public Safety Industry. My career started in Washington DC in sales and business development by providing agencies with biometric technology solutions and technical services. At this present time, I stay continue to stay involved with Federal Contracting and most recently helped turn around a Federal Sales Division from $3M annually to $20M in approximately 120 days. Some examples of federal agencies having worked with consist of DOJ/DHS/CBP/USCIS/US Army/USMC/JAG/US Air Force/USCG/USPS/OPM/IRS just to name a few. Also, have worked with Lobbyist on Capitol Hill to keep certain customers up to date on federal legislation and provide consulting for federal grant funding. In the past, she has also owned and operated two DNA testing services businesses consisting of 5 locations in Southern California. The services provided were DNA Collection and Testing for people within the local communities as well as government agencies. Currently, brought in to head up a boutique specialty consulting services firm where CEOs of corporations and officials within the law enforcement technology arena specifically call upon her and her team for expertise in launching new products/expand a particular division/penetrate new markets. She holds a Doctorate in Business Administration.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I try to stay on top of Women empowerment groups whether it is for women in business or groups that are dedicated to helping others. This is where I try to ensure that the Non profit information is shared appropriately
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.roadcontinues.com
- Instagram: #roadcontinues
- Facebook: The Road Continues, Women Helping Women
