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I N THE NEWS
Celebrating New Book Nook in Richgrove
On January 15, Self-Help Enterprises celebrated the opening of the Learning Center at the Vera Cruz Village Apartments in Richgrove. The onsite Learning Center houses a computer lab with internet access and over 600 books to support family literacy development for the community.
 
Children and young adults from both Nueva Sierra Vista and Vera Cruz Village can enjoy the cozy, big-city themed book nook to read a diverse selection of books during the onsite after-school program hours of Monday through Friday between 3 and 5pm. Many hours went in to curating the book catalog, which includes classics from Dr. Seuss to Beverly Cleary and newer releases such as Be Kind by Pat Miller and Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky. The ability to check out books will be available in the near future along with scheduled reading hours hosted by volunteers from partner organizations. In addition, residents have access to a newly updated computer lab, inclusive with internet access. Continue reading.
Cabrera Family Benefits from Rehab Program in Madera County
Faustina and Estanislou Cabrera, now in their late 80’s, lived in their Madera mobile home for over 35 years. Together, they have 7 children and 17 grandchildren that for the longest time were unable to come visit due to the hazardous conditions of their home. The Cabrera family first reached out to Self-Help Enterprises when seeking help to drill a new water well during the drought. Upon detailed assessment of their home, it was clear that they were in dire need of a home replacement. “We had to always watch our step to make sure we didn’t fall through the floor,” said Faustina. “Slowly, things started to break, and it got to the point where it was just too much and too expensive for us to try to fix.” Faustina has a heart condition that causes her to be more sensitive to extreme weather.

Last summer, Madera County was awarded a $1 million Community Development Block Grant to continue to help qualified families with essential home repairs. Madera County contracts with Self-Help Enterprises to administer their Housing Rehabilitation Program which is designed to provide assistance to eligible homeowners for correction of health and safety items, as well as code violations.  Continue reading.
Be Part of the 2019 Rural Communities
Water Managers Leadership Institute

Self-Help Enterprises invites community water board members and staff, water leaders, and residents from rural communities to participate in the 2019 Rural Communities Water Managers Leadership Institute . The Leadership Institute will consist of trainings, workshops, and educational tours focused on building and maintaining long-term water management expertise in rural communities.

Water planning is important to ensure that water sources are available over the long-term and during drought periods. However, disadvantaged communities have been under- represented on the boards and committees of regional water management and planning programs, such as the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act (SGMA) and the Integrated Regional Water Management (IRWM) program. Through the Leadership Institute, water managers from disadvantaged communities will gain the skills and knowledge necessary to effectively participate and represent their communities in these regional water management programs. To date, the Leadership Institute has trained more than 50 new water leaders in rural communities from Merced County to Kern County.

The program is free of charge and is scheduled for March 2019 through August 2019. Sessions will be held one Saturday per month. For more information and/or to apply to the Institute, click here . If you have any questions, please contact Eva Dominguez at (559) 802–1 634 or EvaD@SelfHelpEnterprises.org.
SHE Career Opportunities
Self-Help Enterprises offers an exciting work environment where you can bring your high caliber skills to a true career opportunity and impact the world around you. We are an equal opportunity employer and offer an excellent benefits package including paid vacation and holidays, health, life and disability insurance, 401(k) retirement, and tuition reimbursement. Here are the current openings:
Upcoming Public Events
Thursday, February 7, 2018
5:30pm - 7:30pm
Location Frank Bergon Senior Center – 238 South D Street, Madera

Topics: Information about the Groundwater Sustainability Plan (GSP) development on the topic of Conceptual Undesirable Results (groundwater conditions that must be avoided in achieving sustainability) Co-Hosts: Madera County and Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability

Please call (559) 675-7703 for more information.
Saturday, February 9, 2019
10:00am - 3:00pm
Location: Fresno State Center for Irrigation Technology (CIT) Conference Room – 5370 N. Chestnut Ave., Fresno

Topics: Through presentations and interactive exercises, participants will explore topics including developing a water budget, understanding undesirable results, evaluating management actions and projects, and practicing group dialogues with stakeholders with varying interests. Co-Hosts: Community Water Center, Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, the Union of Concerned Scientists, and Fresno State

Click here to register; click here for more information.