Grandmother Knows Best
When Sanrena Howard was little, her grandmother used to take her on banking errands to Second Federal Savings and Loan (now Self-Help Federal Credit Union) as a way of teaching her financial literacy. Now, as a kindergarten teacher, single mother of a teenager, and a first-time homeowner, Sanrena feels the impact of her grandmother’s teachings. Sanrena had always wanted her own home – especially because she wanted to provide her growing daughter with the sense of a stable, permanent place to live. But on a teacher’s salary, Sanrena had never had the chance to purchase a home, because although she is careful with her finances, saving for a down payment was challenging. When she heard about the Reclaiming Chicago Communities program, she applied. As part of the process, she was given a list of lenders to work with, and when she saw Self-Help on the list, she remembered her grandmother, and it was a no-brainer. Through the Reclaiming Chicago program, and with additional assistance via a Self-Help Equity Boost loan, Sanrena was able to purchase a home.
At Self-Help, we are honored to participate in the Reclaiming Chicago Communities project and look forward to being able to share more stories of successful home purchases. Included are photos of additional home purchases.