Homeownership serves to help families build wealth for future generations and to contribute to the advancement of their community. This holds true for Juanita Molina, Parlier City Councilmember, who, along with her husband Lolo Molina, still live in the home they built together in 1975 via SHE's Mutual Self-Housing Program.

For the couple, the physical labor hours, or "sweat equity," put into the construction of their home was also a big part of the joy associated with becoming first-time homeowners. "It's a whole different experience. We put in the tile, picked the colors; we did everything. If there was anything slightly crooked, we could take it out then and there," shared Molina. "Our neighbors came over to help us put up our very first wall! It's an experience that not many homeowners get to experience, and we're very thankful for it."  

Once they finished construction and moved in, one of the first things they did was plant a small palm tree in their front yard. Almost 50 years later, that small addition is now a large palm tree that soars over the entire neighborhood and has become a focal point for the family to feel connected to their home's history.  Read more

SHE has started a podcast series with Rural Matters where they discuss self-help housing, rural community development, partnerships, and much more. 

In the first installment, Michael of Rural Matters, chats with the following rural development experts: Tom Collishaw, President and CEO of Self-Help Enterprises; Peter Carey, former CEO of Self-Help Enterprises and current Management Consultant; and Sergio Cuellar, Independent Consultant for nonprofit organizations. 

The second episode includes Betsy McGovern-Garcia, Director of Real Estate Development at Self-Help Enterprises; Jennifer Gomez, City Manager for the City of Farmersville, California; and Adrianne Hillman, Founder and CEO of Salt + Light Works of Tulare County.   

"There's a definite connection between Self-Help homeownership and the success of families that built their homes," said Sergio Cuellar, who was raised in a Self-Help home and is now an Independent Consultant for nonprofit organizations. "For agriculture communities, it's about building up. Many created opportunities for their kids that they probably wouldn't have if they didn't have the ability to own their own home." 

Listen to the first episodes today!

• Leading Progress in Rural Housing (Part I of Self-Help Series)

• Bolstering Rural Housing and Community (Part II of Self-Help Series)

More than 10,000 participants gathered for the United Nations (UN) 2023 Water Conference in New York this month. It’s been over 45 years since the United Nations gathered for a major conference focused solely on water, and SHE was present for the historic event!  

The three-day conference kicked off on March 22nd, during which various members of SHE’s leadership attended. These included our CEO and President, Tom Collishaw; Director of Emergency Services, Tami McVay; Director of Community Sustainability, Eddie Ocampo; and Director of Community Development, Jessi Snyder. Our new partners in smart, sustainable water solutions joined them from Australia, Botanical Water Technologies’ CEO and Founder Terry Paule, and CIO James Rees. Together, they joined various sessions alongside world leaders and stakeholders committed to taking action and bringing safe water to all.  

Over 40% of the world’s population suffers from water scarcity. Due to the central valley’s drought conditions, many of our local communities are also included in that statistic. SHE is taking multiple initiatives to provide clean, safe drinking water to households in need. In 2022, SHE’s Emergency Services team helped organize over 72,000 water deliveries and installed over 800 emergency tanks. Botanical Water Technologies extracts water directly from plants, such as tomatoes. With this unique approach to harvesting water, they plan to deliver clean and safe drinking water to 100 million of the world’s most vulnerable people by 2025. SHE’s ES team is partnering with them to make this goal possible.