We're proud of our Vice President, Betsy McGovern-Garcia, who was recently honored with the Ruby Award by Soroptimist International of Visalia for being an amazing leader who makes a difference in the lives of women and girls in our community! Soroptimist is a global volunteer organization that provides women and girls with access to the education and training they need to achieve economic empowerment. This year’s Ruby Awards ceremony took place on February 6th where the organization celebrated women and organizations in the community who are helping to move their mission forward. 

“I was honored to receive the Ruby Award from Soroptimist International of Visalia," said Betsy McGovern-Garcia, "They do so much amazing work in our community, and I really appreciate this wonderful recognition from a group that I greatly admire and respect.”

This month, Self-Help Enterprises received a generous $15,000 grant from Citizens Business Bank to continue supporting families in the San Joaquin Valley!  

The grant will help advance SHE’s Gateway Program, which offers educational and counseling services to equip first-time homebuyers with essential tools and resources as they begin their homeownership journey. Thanks to the donation from Citizens Business Bank, our program will continue to ensure participating families can meet their financial and sustainable homeownership goals.  

“Citizens Business Bank is grateful to continue working with and supporting Self-Help Enterprises,” said Gabriela Mello, VP, Community Development Officer for Citizens Business Bank. “Few things are as important as a good, safe, and secure home – and SHE is making that dream a reality one family at a time.”  

Self-Help Enterprises’ Leadership Institute 2024-Community Engagement (LI 24-CE) is looking for rural community members who want to ensure their community has a voice in local water management decisions. The six-month Institute consists of classroom presentations, interactive dialogue, activity-based learning, and a two-day water tour in the Madera County area. The first three monthly sessions will occur from March until May and then resume with three more final sessions from September to November. Participation is free, and $50 per session stipends are available to rural community participants to help cover travel expenses. 

This year’s version of the Leadership Institute offers rural community leaders and water management staff a unique opportunity to talk with, listen to, and learn from one another. Topics will include basic hydrology, water management agencies, community water resiliency, and much more!  

The Institute creates the space to develop relationships between residents and agency staff, gain perspective on the needs of all water users, and lay the foundations for the hard work required to address realistic and equitable water management for everyone.  

“The Leadership Institute course allowed me to raise awareness of the importance of water, not only for human beings but for every living being,” said Mary Roberts, a recent participant from Madera. “Likewise, it made me take actions that I could implement at home to save water. It also made me reflect on the importance of initiating and disseminating educational programs for this new generation, focused on responsibly caring for and managing this vital liquid for every living being. Together, we can make a big difference!”  

Register soon to hold a place for yourself and other members of your community!

Apply Here

This month, we were honored to have U.S. Congressman Jim Costa visit one of our newest affordable housing developments, The Lofts at Fort Visalia. The Congressman toured the Peter N. Carey Gallery, where he met with Ampelio Mejia Perez, Executive Director of the Visalia Arts Consortium, and members of the My Voice Media Center, who help provide vibrant services to Lofts residents and the greater Visalia arts community.  

After meeting with Lofts staff, he also toured the front plaza and Fort Visalia Heritage Room. The space includes a diorama of the original Fort Visalia and walls of photos highlighting the site's history, all prepared by Visalia Heritage. The location of The Lofts is believed to be the original site of the fort that was constructed when settlers came to this region and established Visalia as a community. We're thankful for his support and look forward to having him visit us again soon! 

This year, as we enter our sixtieth year of serving the San Joaquin Valley, Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) takes a moment to reflect on our humble beginnings and the journey that has led us to become a beacon of hope for low-income families. SHE emerged in 1965 with a singular focus: to uplift the lives of local farmworkers trapped in the cycle of poverty and inadequate housing. Our pioneering Mutual Self-Help Housing program symbolized the dawn of a new era, where community empowerment and shared labor became the cornerstone of our mission. Read more

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!