Self-Help Shares

In spite of freezing temperatures in Durham, NC, an enthusiastic group of credit union members, board members and staff gathered on the evening of November 13 for the Center for Community Self-Help/Self-Help Credit Union annual meeting. With heartening reports on Self-Help’s impact this year and heart-warming stories from members, for a couple of hours it was easy to forget the cold outside.

Forget goblins and zombies. For over 44 million borrowers, this Halloween there’s nothing more frightening than the next student loan bill lurking in their mailbox. In this post, we talk to Shondra Tanner, our Director of Mortgage Originations, about how student loan debt is posing an obstacle for families who otherwise could qualify to buy their first home. She offers tips for people who are struggling to pay their student loans.

On October 15, John Hervey Wheeler, was honored for dedicating his life to bringing economic opportunity to generations of African Americans. In a ceremony attended by a number of local dignitaries, a federal building in downtown Durham, NC, was officially named in his honor.

In late September, young people across the globe led a series of climate strikes, also known as the Global Week for Future. These actions represented the largest environmental protests that the world has ever seen. Self-Help's Sustainability Director, Melissa Malkin-Weber, describes the day and offers her reflections.

When Self-Help merged with United Services Credit Union in Asheville six years ago, we were excited to be partnering with a credit union that had a mission similar to ours. We were also impressed with United Service’s long history of dedicated service to its members.

To help preserve that history, we’ve created a short (7 minute) video about the history of United Services. We invite you to watch it here: United Services: Building Credit, Building Lives.

The many credit unions that came together to become United Services have roots in a number of different cities and industries. Although we couldn’t cover all of this rich history in one video, we’re glad to share a bit of the family history in this post!

The Grand Opening of a new branch in Charlotte, NC was a day to celebrate Self-Help’s CU longstanding commitment to families seeking greater economic opportunity in the Charlotte area. Thanks to everyone who came out and made us feel so welcome!

Andrea Harris is a person who doesn’t like silos—or, for that matter, any box or barrier that limits people. Throughout her career, she has refused to be deterred by obstacles and has been guided by her vision of what should be. Her life has been dedicated to hands-on help and shoe-leather advocacy for families of limited means. She has worked on behalf of the very young and the very old. She has worked for families in urban and rural areas. She has befriended people with all kinds of backgrounds and beliefs, and she has brought them together.

Now we at Self-Help Credit Union are fortunate that she has brought her many talents to us.

They have all kinds of aspirations, from helping people with disabilities to video editing and singing. They come from many different locations in Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina and Virginia. All of them have a proven record of service or leadership in their communities. And each of them received $1,000 from Self-Help Credit Union as they pursue vocational school or college.

Congratulations, Self-Help Scholars! Read more to see all of this year’s winners.