This month, Self-Help Enterprises received generous contributions from our partners to continue to serve families across the San Joaquin Valley!  

The Federal Home Loan Bank of San Francisco partnered with Bank of the Sierra to contribute $50,000 to SHE’s Gateway Program. Thanks to their support, SHE can continue providing homeownership and counseling services that ensure families have the best tools to meet their homeownership goals.   

SHE was also honored to receive the Berridge Renewable Energy Community Giving Award by Vesper Energy. SHE will receive a $5,000 grant to go toward its Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) initiatives, which include providing Welcome Home Kits to PSH residents to ease their transition from chronic homelessness to housing.  Thank you to our partners for their support! 

Sitting in their cozy living room embellished in festive Christmas decor, siblings Mary Garcia and Toribio Hernandez shared memories of their father’s final years in his Avenal home. Nearly a decade ago, their father, Aniseto Hernandez, had his home reconstructed through Self-Help Enterprises’ Housing Rehabilitation Program. Aniseto, who passed away in November 2023, got to enjoy his final years in a comfortable home, thanks to the assistance of Self-Help Enterprises. 

Mary’s sisters noted there was a dire need for Toribio to repair his home. She recalls his house was always cold, and Toribio dealt with a faulty plumbing system. Toribio applied and was approved to reconstruct his home. Funding was made available through a combination of HOME and CalHOME funds, both of which provide low-income homeowners the opportunity to obtain necessary safety repairs. 

Now that Toribio’s home was also reconstructed, he has the freedom to maintain his own schedule and live independently. “People have also said that he looks healthier,” said Mary. Read more

Self-Help Enterprises is deeply saddened by the recent loss of our friend and former Board Member, Do (Doris) Dooley. She lived and loved her life in Kings and Tulare Counties. There she raised her family alongside her husband, Dick Dooley, and actively worked to improve the lives of others. Do served for 12 years in two separate six-year terms on SHE’s board.

When the organization established a scholarship to help the children of SHE’s participant families further their education, it was fittingly named after Do. The Doris “Do” Dooley Scholarship now continues expanding opportunities for the families SHE serves across the San Joaquin Valley. In lieu of flowers, her family has requested donations to the Do Dooley Scholarship Fund at Self-Help Enterprises, CASA of Tulare County or a charity of choice.  

Every year, Rural LISC organizes and presents a multi-day seminar for Rural LISC partners and stakeholders. Self-Help Enterprises was in attendance at this year’s event in Coachella Valley, California. During the seminar, Tom Collishaw, President and CEO of SHE, participated in conversations with nationally recognized community development leaders.  

“At the Rural LISC Seminar in Palm Springs, I was honored to participate in a “fireside chat” with USDA Rural Housing Service Administrator Joaquin Altoro, Annette Morales of Tierra del Sol, and Nadia Villagran, Program Director for Rural LISC,” said Collishaw.  

Our team of 200+ people are joined with a shared mission of working with families to build and sustain healthy homes and communities. You can too!