Self-Help Shares

During Black History Month and all year round, we encourage members and friends to support Black-owned enterprises. When you have a need for a product or service, do a Google search for relevant Black-owned businesses or browse one of the directories included in this post.

Self-Help’s mission and history are strongly linked to Black history, and many of the credit unions we have merged with reflect great achievements by local Black leaders. For example, Seaway, a division of Self-Help Federal Credit Union in Chicago, was once the largest Black-owned bank in the Midwest. As we celebrate Black History Month, Franja Brown, a business development director and financial coach at Seaway offers her personal thoughts.

As we expand our services and service area, Self-Help has a lot of job opportunities right now. We are seeking people with a variety of skills who are customer-focused, results-focused and excited about our mission of expanding economic opportunity for all. We have openings in all the states we serve, including places such as Greenville, SC; Jacksonville, FL; the Chicago area; and many locations in California and North Carolina. Here are five great reasons to apply for a Self-Help job.

The Martin Luther King, Jr. Day holiday, celebrating the great man's life and legacy, is fittingly designated as a day of service. As we prepare to celebrate in 2022, we join Dr. King's call to work for justice and find ways to serve while carrying hope. To honor this day, we lift up just a few of our staff members who take time to volunteer in their communities.

We are ending 2021 full of gratitude. To our members, our staff and our partners: thank you. You make this work possible. It's a privilege to join with you as we work together to expand economic opportunity. Hear more in a brief video message from Randy Chambers, executive vice president, and some of our credit union leaders from across the country.

Self-Help Federal Credit Union’s branch in Bakersfield, California soon will have a new neighbor. Plans are in the works to build the Dolores Huerta Peace and Justice Cultural Center on property now occupied by a Self-Help Federal branch. We will be building a new branch at this location as we prepare to welcome a wonderful asset to the community.

Last week we at Self-Help joined credit unions all over the world in celebrating International Credit Union Day – more about that below. First, we want to give you an update on a member we’ve featured in this space before: Mr. Lee Curry, a resident of the Chatham neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago. On October 22, Mr. Curry celebrated his 102^nd birthday!

During the past two years of the pandemic, many small business owners have shown great determination and resilience even through tough economic times. Self-Help has had the privilege of partnering with many small businesses as they recover. Here’s a recent example in Jacksonville, Florida, contributed by Area Manager Megan Nissley.

On September 30, 2021, there was much joy in downtown Durham, NC as new residents, housing advocates and project partners celebrated the grand opening of Willard Street Apartments. Beginning with the vision of local advocates, this high-quality housing located adjacent to the City’s transit center in the heart of downtown Durham is the result of collaboration among Self-Help Ventures Fund and DHIC (co-developers) with support from many other community partners.