Help Mamma Tamara rebuild her Dream

Help Mamma Tamara Rebuild Her Dream

As hard as this is for me, I’m putting my pride aside to ask for help. I’ve always been someone who prefers to give rather than receive, but right now, my family and I truly need support.

In 2019, I started my business — Mamma Tamara’s Authentic Italian Food. I was a proud mom of three small children with a big dream and very little experience. I didn’t even know how to write a business plan, so I went to BROC for help. From there, I poured my heart and soul into building something meaningful — not just a business, but a future for my family.

I started small at farmers markets, offering a little taste of Italy with love. Then came the pandemic. I feared it would end everything, but instead, my dream took off. What started as a tiny booth turned into a full restaurant — first in Danby, and then in Wallingford, Vermont, a community that became dear to my heart.

In 2021, I opened Mamma Tamara & Famiglia next to the Wallingford Post Office. But behind the scenes, my personal life was falling apart. In 2023, I made the painful decision to leave a 14-year painful marriage — the hardest thing I’ve ever done. That year, and into 2024, I was at my most vulnerable. I desperately held onto anything that could keep me going, for my kids and myself.

During that time, I confided in someone I saw as a sister. I trusted her with my story, and she offered me a new location for my business — a fresh start. It felt right… at first. But soon after moving in, things began to change. I was no longer welcomed the way I had been. My children were told they couldn’t be there. I felt belittled, pushed out, and ultimately betrayed. After just seven months, I was told to leave — with only two weeks’ notice.

In that short time, six years of hard work, sacrifice, and love were undone.

Now, as a single mom of three, I need to start over. Mamma Tamara’s was our only source of income, and our lifeline. But I still believe in my dream — and more than ever, I believe in resilience.

My new dream is to bring Mamma Tamara back to life in a food truck. A place where I can cook real Italian food and drive it all over Vermont — and a place where my kids are always welcome. I want to rebuild not just for myself, but for them.

So today, I’m asking for your help — not just to rebuild my business, but to support a family of four. Three beautiful kids, and one mamma who refuses to give up.

From my heart to yours, thank you.

With love,

Tamara