Our Emergency Services (ES)department's Summer Night Lights series provided fun and positive programming every Wednesday evening in June for families in Tulare County! 

As heat-breaking records are felt throughout the Central Valley this summer, many kids are also out of school. During increased idle time, kids and teens can find themselves in dangerous situations, including drugs and criminal activity. Plenty of news headlines demonstrate why this is an increasing concern for many parents in the Tulare County area. With funding and support from Tulare County, our ES team created a safe and healthy atmosphere where youths of all ages could enjoy their summer break. 

The events took place at SHE's Visalia campus and the rental communities of Washington Plaza and Nupchi Xo' Oy in Earlimart and Porterville, respectively. Activities included bounce houses, water slides, bubbles, chalk, coloring stations, t-shirt tie-dyeing, and water balloon fights. Free food, including hot dogs, chips, ice cream, and drinks, was also available for all of the families to enjoy. 

Representatives from SHE's Mutual Self-Help Housing, our partners at CSET, and the Visalia Health Care Center were also in attendance to help provide families with resources. The four festivities saw over 400 people attend in total! With its success and a long summer ahead, the ES team plans to organize similar events soon. 

On Friday, July 21st, the City of Farmersville and Self-Help Enterprises (SHE), in partnership with Tulare County Association of Governments - TCAG, QK Inc, Tulare County Regional Transit Agency (TCRTA), and TETER Architects & Engineers, celebrated the groundbreaking of Farmersville’s first Transit Center!  

Located at the Southeast corner of North Ventura Avenue and Front Street, the Transit Center will serve as a hub for fixed-route bus services in Farmersville and connect residents to Tulare County destinations. The building will total 3,643 square feet, including 1,432 square feet of enclosed office area and 2,211 square feet of covered outdoor transportation space.  

The Transit Center includes two bus bays for fixed-route service and the opportunity to access micro-transit, which will be offered in partnership with the Tulare County Regional Transit Authority. This transformational project will also connect with the future Cross Valley Corridor, connecting residents in Farmersville and the surrounding communities to the High-Speed Rail. Read more

This summer, the Serna family can finally feel safe and enjoy their home after its reconstruction!  

Juanita and Homero Serna first bought their home in 1972. They then went on to raise their four children in the house, including Esmeralda Serna, who shared what this experience was like for her parents, who are now 70 and 80, respectively.  

"They are so happy to be home," said Esmeralda. "Now that it's safer and there's working air conditioning, they are more active. They are cooking more now that the house doesn't heat up so much and even want to clean more often to keep the house looking new."  

The family had endured years of their home's deteriorating condition, including an unstable foundation and faulty stairs. A lack of air-conditioning also turned their home into a dangerous living space during the summer months. Esmeralda's son also lived with her parents, but the state of the house and his paralysis made it harder for them to spend time together. This is why when Esmeralda first heard of the City of Dinuba’s Housing Rehabilitation Program, she immediately went to her parents with an application. Read more

In July, SHE received a generous $40,000 donation from Bank of the Sierra to continue supporting families in the San Joaquin Valley!

Bank of the Sierra is a long-term partner of SHE. In 2014 they also provided a donation that helped launch our emergency services drought work! Their contribution will also help us prepare for this year's drought season and support multiple SHE programs. 

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!