“It’s interesting how you can be on one end of the spectrum in life, and then another time you’re on the other end of the spectrum,” says Karla Brown. “It was very challenging for me to humble myself and come to CSNDC and say, ‘I need help.’ Because I was used to people coming to me to say, ‘I need help.’ Because I was used to people coming to me to say, ‘I need help.’”
Karla is grateful for CSNDC’s support during some of the most challenging periods of her life.
The Dorchester resident and mother of two immigrated with her family to Boston from Costa Rica as a young child. She received a scholarship to Fitchburg State College, but in her first semester there, she suffered a random attack on the street which left her blind for several years, and she lost her scholarship as a result. After recovering from the blindness, she attended Bunker Hill Community College. She then transferred to Suffolk University, where she was able to take night classes while working full-time during the day, and proudly graduated in 1993 with a degree in business and psychology.
She decided to use her newly-acquired business knowledge to open Codman Square’s first flower shop, Ashmont Flowers Plus. CSNDC helped her secure a business loan and also helped with a bridge loan to get her going while she waited for the bank loan.
As the business grew, she became active in Codman Square civic organizations. She was Vice President of Codman Square Main Street, served on the Codman Square Council, and was very engaged with the community. Unfortunately, the landlord who owned the property where the flower shop was located passed away and the new owner doubled her rent. The business could not sustain that increase.
“The business in Codman Square was very seasonal,” Karla reflects. “It was hard to keep going. But I’m glad I did it in Codman Square instead of somewhere else because I know that it helped bring in other businesses that probably wouldn’t have considered being there. There was a pioneering spirit, and I don’t regret that.”
After she closed the business, Karla began to suffer from some chronic medical issues which limited her ability to work full-time and began to deplete her savings. She fell behind on the mortgage for her two-family house in the Melville Park area of Dorchester and the bank was beginning to threaten foreclosure.
Once again, CSNDC was there to assist. CSNDC’s Keyna Samuel, Carolyn McGee and other staff members helped Karla negotiate a loan modification.
“On my own, the mortgage company kept giving me a hard time,” says Karla. “But once I had the support of CSNDC behind me, they stopped playing games because now there was someone else in the mix. CSNDC and some friends even helped me raise the funds required to pay for the loan modification.”
Still struggling with her illness, Karla applied for disability benefits. This created a significant challenge when it came to the upkeep of her house.
“The house is 125 years old,” she says. “I would get some things fixed and then some other thing would come up.”
That’s when Karla attended CSNDC’s 2023 Annual Meeting, where she learned about CSNDC’s Energy Ambassador program. She received a free energy assessment, along with funds needed for some renovations on her home. In exchange, Karla has made a two-year commitment to be a CSNDC Energy Ambassador. Having received training from CSNDC’s Jacynda Espenshade, she will now help spread the word among the community about the many energy conservation resources that are available to residents.
“It feels great to help other people improve their lives, supplement their income, and extend their lifestyle through these resources,” she says. “There are people in the community who are not aware of the different resources that are available. When they see someone like me who has been in the community for so long, I think it’s good to be able to show by example that we all need a little help sometime.”
