Skip to Content

Reflections on Not Losing Hope   

Siomara Garcia (left) and Leily Yakelin Flores Funes (right).  

Leily Yakelin Flores Funes had a challenge in her financial landscape that was impeding her efforts to become a homeowner. As it turned out, it was also something Leily was understandably proud of: a few years back, she helped a friend in need by taking out a car loan for him in her own name. This generosity allowed the friend to purchase a car, but it left Leily with too much debt to qualify for a home mortgage.  

A Self-Help Federal Credit Union member since 2018, Leily, a single mother of two, knew that homeownership would create stability for her family, not only by giving her an asset to build wealth, but also as a way of avoiding the uncertainties that come with renting, such as rent increases, and the prospect of a lease not being renewed.  

Leily was eager to learn about becoming a homeowner and had even attended a homeownership workshop sponsored by Self-Help. It was there that she learned that the existing debt in her name was creating an obstacle, which left Leily worried there was no way the problem would ever be fixed

At the same workshop, however, Leily also learned about the pilot one-on-one coaching program offered at some of our branches. She dusted herself off and scheduled an appointment with Siomara Garcia, the Manager at our San Jose branch, who also serves as a financial coach for our program. 

At the beginning, Leily felt bad about her situation. She was even shy about discussing it.  

“I was nervous and ashamed. I didn't even know what to ask,” she said, sharing how much Siomara put her at ease and made her feel comfortable sharing the details of her situation. Together, Siomara and Leily developed a doable multi-step action plan to free Leily from her friend’s auto loan debt, without harming the friend either. Little by little, Leily plugged away at her action steps to begin building her credit for homeownership.  

It wasn’t always easy, though: managing her job and the demands of raising two kids by herself was enough on Leily’s plate.  

Leily Yakelin Flores Funes (left) and Siomara Garcia (right).

“Without Siomara’s guidance, I wouldn’t have known where to start. I didn’t have the tools to get myself out of that debt,” she recalled. But Siomara was there to reassure Leily: “No te desanimes,” she said to her, reminding her to not lose hope.  

“No te voy a dejar sola,” Siomara would add — “I will not leave you alone in this.”

At Self-Help, one of our goals is to support our members in their financial journeys. Whether they need a loan, some guidance and coaching, or just a reminder that they are not alone, it’s a privilege to be their financial partner as they work towards their goals. As Leily said of the coaching experience, “It’s one of the most important things I’ve ever done. The whole experience left me speechless.”

About Our Financial Coaching 

As a credit union, Self-Help is uniquely positioned to help members uncover financial barriers and access credit- and asset-building financial products. To date, Self-Help's financial coaching program has served over 1,000 members.  

Members just like Leily have leveraged our financial coaching to improve their credit, save for emergencies and long-term goals and get approved for automobile and home loans. Our one-on-one financial coaching sessions include targeted strategies to build credit, manage debt, track spending and increase savings. Action plans provided to each client outline the steps for achieving key objectives. Financial coaching is offered free of charge to Self-Help members. 

We currently offer in-branch financial coaching in 19 of our branches. In branches where one-on-one coaching is not available, or for members who prefer to meet virtually, we have partnered with a trusted nonprofit, Greenpath, to offer personal financial coaching services through online sessions. 

To learn more about our one-on-one coaching, click the following links: