On November 28th, a new group of families started constructing their future homes in Reedley! The group consists of 12 families who are participating in SHE’s Mutual Self-Help Housing program. The participating families will work together to help each other build their houses with skilled onsite supervision and guidance from SHE’s construction staff. Fausto Escamilla, the Area Superintendent for SHE, carefully guided the families through the process of prepping the outline of the homes and instructed them on how to use the construction equipment safely. Most participants started with no previous construction experience. However, with the careful guidance of SHE staff like Fausto, they will eventually be able to take on multiple tasks within their homebuilding process with greater ease. There are two other groups currently working on building their homes in the same Reedley community for a total of 34 families. The groups are framing, working on electrical, and starting to paint the exterior of their homes. The families are now all together on their path to achieving homeownership soon! 

SHE’s Resident Services programs help create a vibrant and safe learning environment where residents can connect. The centrally located community center at Sugar Pine Village in Madera provides a computer lab for educational classes and an ample meeting space for residents to partake in various social activities, including art classes. These classes offer a safe space with access to free art materials for community members to come together. 

Julie Bargas, a Sugar Pine Village resident, has attended the weekly classes since she first moved in with her family in 2021. “It’s a place for inclusion and collaboration for people to come together from different backgrounds to create art without any pressure,” said Julie. “We’re all present in the moment, and it helps to build rapport so we can talk about anything we feel comfortable sharing.” Julie has a degree in psychology and recently became certified with A Window Between Worlds as a Trauma Informed Art Facilitator. She is now helping to facilitate the weekly art groups at Sugar Pine Village. 

Julie shared that the whole experience has been very enlightening. Before moving into Sugar Pine Village, Julie had been homeless for four and a half years. Through the No Place Like Home (NPLH) program and SHE’s Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH) program, Julie was able to move into safe and stable housing. Julie’s shared experience with homelessness and trauma allows her to connect with other participants in the group who may come from similar backgrounds. “Inclusion is the main thing I want established for the groups,” said Julie. “It can be vulnerable for people who are alone, homeless, or who have gone through trauma to express themselves. Having a creative outlet in different art mediums can make all the difference, especially at times like the upcoming holiday season.” Julie invites all community members to attend, meet neighbors, and create their own art projects! 

Self-Help Enterprises works with multiple small, disadvantaged communities across the San Joaquin Valley to develop water projects. Many urgently need investment in water infrastructure, including Krista, a small community of 179 active connections in Lebec, CA. The community needed to have meters in place to help identify leaks and measure sustainable water use by the residents. Leaks were dangerous to the community as they may allow bacteria and other debris to enter the system.  

To address these issues, Self-Help Enterprises’ Community Development (CD) staff provided critical technical assistance to the community by helping them obtain over $800,000 in grant funding from the State Water Resources Control Board. This funding helped to officially start the Krista Mutual Water Company Meter Project in August. The CD team also helped the community receive a $400,000 revolving cash flow loan from SHE State Funding. The team assisted throughout the State’s construction application review of the valve and meter replacement project. The project was officially completed earlier this month, with a final walkthrough on November 8! 

SHE’s Community Engagement and Planning Team (CE&P) works to advance public health and equity in environmental decision-making processes by ensuring the protection of clean drinking water sources and building community power in the environmental and climate policy formation process among residents within San Joaquin Valley’s most disenfranchised communities who are historically excluded from policy decision-making processes. Recently, the CE&P team accomplished key milestones that advanced the team's efforts, including the San Joaquin Valley Clean Water Advocates Training & Celebration Event!

On November 4, SHE, along with partner organizations Community Water Center and Leadership Counsel for Justice and Accountability, held a training and celebration event at SHE. The participating organizations, community associations, and community leaders learned about recharge and the Multibenefit Land Repurposing Program (MLRP). Following the training, the members celebrated this three-year effort that aimed to cultivate power building and develop long-term water management capacity and expertise on the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act and the Safe and Affordable Funding for Equity and Resilience program. Read more about the CE&P team milestones here.

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!