On June 18, Wells Fargo presented SHE and Delano Mayor Grace Vallejo with a $150,306 UrbanLIFT Community Grant to kick-off the Ellington Community Center's fa�ade improvement.  

Improvements to the center include re-facing and painting the exterior of the building. These enhancements will provide a much needed update to the external appearance of the 50-year old building.

SHE and the City of Delano also identified seven deteriorated, abandoned homes that were not only an eyesore in the community, but also led to illegal activity and unwanted guests. With the generous investment, the houses were demolished and the vacant land was restored to local government standards.

These improvements will aid in strengthening the Delano community and improving the quality of life in various neighborhoods.  

Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) Board Member Ray Chavez presented a Doris "Do" Dooley Academic Scholarship to Brady Jeffries at the Tulare Mission Oak High School.

The competitive academic scholarship is awarded to students whose families have participated in one of SHE's programs. For the 2014-2015 academic year, SHE awarded a total of $6,500 to nine students. 

Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) and the City of Orange Cove celebrated the completion of the first ever city-funded housing rehabilitation project.    

A new home was built for Eduardo and Leticia Zavala and their children through the city's Housing Rehabilitation Program, which is funded by a HOME grant from the state Department of Housing and Community Development and implemented by SHE.

The Zavala's 961 square-foot house had dry-rotted window frames and roof, exposed wiring, plumbing issues, cracked exterior walls, moldy walls and broken windows. The new 1,361 square-foot, four-bedroom, two-bathroom home was built on the same lot where the former house stood. On June 23, the Zavala family received an official welcome into their new, safe home and watched their old, hazardous home being demolished.

Leticia Zavala said she often worried about her family living in unsafe conditions in their previous home. Now, her family's dream for a new home has come true.

In addition to providing quality, affordable rental housing, Self-Help Enterprises (SHE) implements resident services to enhance the everyday lives and futures of residents. Though it's summer, these programs and services don't take a vacation. Rather, supportive services and enrichment programs have been added for the summer months to build stronger families and communities.  

Farmworker Institute for Education & Leadership Development (FIELD) ESL Classes: Starting in July, FIELD is delivering 6 week-long English classes at Solinas Village, SHE's rental housing community in McFarland and SHE's Villa Hermosa and Almond Court communities in Wasco. Over the last few years, approximately 600 adult students have gone through the program with many transferring to FIELD high schools and GED programs.

Summer Lunch Program: FoodLink for Tulare County is providing free, nutritious summer lunch at SHE's Goshen Village I community room. This program, overseen by Summer Lunch Coordinator Janelle Conrad, is available to the children of Goshen through August 8. 

After School Programs: SHE's after school programs are continuing during the summer months, offering academic enrichment and fun activities. Ms. Mendoza in Orosi's Sand Creek community stimulates children's minds by challenging the children to do research on marine wildlife, ocean ecosystems, and why it's important to recycle. The children then create an ocean wall using butcher paper, paper plates, yarn, finger paint and other art supplies to depict the world that lies beneath the seas.