The 2nd annual Summer Night Lights series has officially kicked off, aiming to create a safe and enjoyable space for families amidst these high temperatures. This month, SHE proudly hosted the first two events, starting with SHE headquarters in Visalia, and then at the Palm Terrace rental community in Lindsay. The series is funded by Tulare County, who helped to transform our grounds into a vibrant hub of cool activities and shared memories. 

Between the two events, over 300 people gathered to partake in the festivities. Children were eager to explore the array of activities offered for all ages from creative coloring stations and bubble-making kits to movies and much more. One of the highlights was the tie-dye shirt station, where participants unleashed their artistic flair to create a one-of a kind shirt to take home. Over 90 shirts were made at the SHE headquarters event, and then over 170 shirts at the Lindsay event. Another popular activity included a thrilling waterslide and bounce house offering endless entertainment for all the children.  

The success of 'Summer Night Lights' was also made possible through the collaboration of our dedicated staff and various community partners. SHE staff helped to serve free food like nachos and hotdogs to all attendees. At Lindsay’s Palm Terrace rental community, our Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) team also helped provide snow cones and popcorn. A resource fair was set up alongside the activities to provide valuable information and services to families, including SHE programs and community partnerships.  

The amazing turnout and positive feedback from attendees underscored the importance of events like 'Summer Night Lights' in our community. Families expressed gratitude for having a safe space where their children could have fun and enjoy summer activities without worry. Stay tuned for the next events in the series scheduled to be at the Santa Fe Commons rental community in Tulare (7/24) and back at SHE headquarters (8/7). 

Self-Help Enterprises is committed to creating a safe and healthy living environment for residents and their children. We work with many community partners to provide free resident services, including wholesome Nutrition Programs hosted at the spacious onsite community centers. This month, SHE’s Resident Services team kicked off their annual Summer Lunch Program to provide children in the community with lunches and enrichment activities in June. The summer lunch program is now operating at 10 SHE Muti-Family locations across 5 counties and is available to all children under 18 in the surrounding community.

Over 200 children and teens under the age of 18 are receiving a free meal daily, Monday through Friday. The on-site community centers offer a cool space to gather and enjoy nutritious meals served with a smile. The program will continue through June and July. The meals were made possible thanks to the support of the following local agencies and nonprofits: Kern Health Systems, Economic Opportunities Commission, and Fresno, Superintendent of School, Kern County.

To celebrate SHE's 60th Anniversary, each month we are highlighting the history of programs and the impact we’ve made as an organization since 1965. Last month, we took a look back at the roots of our Housing Rehabilitation program, and this month we are featuring the achievements and current successes of this program. To date, SHE's Housing Rehabilitation Program has resulted in the rehabilitation of over 6,900 homes across Fresno, Madera, Merced, Mariposa, Kings, Kern, and Tulare counties. These efforts have preserved and improved the affordable housing stock available to low-income families in the San Joaquin Valley.  

Large portions of affordable housing in the San Joaquin Valley are older homes in need of repair. The Housing Rehabilitation Program works to preserve and improve this existing housing stock. In partnership with cities and counties, SHE collaborates with community leaders to identify housing needs, secure funding, and implement repair efforts. Deferred payment loans and grants are available for essential health and safety repairs, such as roofing, plumbing, electrical, heating/cooling, foundation, windows, and accessibility modifications. These loans have no monthly payments and are due upon sale or change of title or use.  

Housing rehabilitation can involve a range of activities from simple repairs to major health and safety improvements, or even the reconstruction of severely dilapidated structures. After identifying eligible households, SHE Housing Specialists work closely with participants to determine necessary construction. Through a strategic combination of grants and loans, outreach staff craft the most affordable and beneficial financing packages for each household. 

“Our old home was falling apart, and we had no idea how we were going to fix it. We are so grateful for the rehabilitation program because we would not have been able to improve our living conditions without the program.” ~ Tessie Dowers and Virginia Barnes 

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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!