In this season of hearts and flowers, we’re sending lots of love to our members at Self-Help Credit Union and Self-Help Federal Credit Union. Together, we’re nearly 150,000 strong in seven states around the nation. Here are love notes to just a *tiny* sample of the members who inspire us and help make our mission possible through the work they do every day.

Staff and Volunteers at Esther House Ministries

Esther House Ministries helps women who are facing economic difficulties by providing shelter, counseling, help with employment, and financial education. A Self-Help loan to Harvest Word Ministries, the parent organization located in Zebulon, NC, was the beginning of a strong community relationship spanning 20 years.

Homero Pina

When Mr. Pina moved to Chicago in 1990, he sold popsicles from a street cart. Eventually, he started helping a commercial painter, and he discovered he was good at it. After being laid off during the recession, he learned all he could about operating a small business, and he opened Pina Paint Experts.

Kelly Singlar-Vitale

Dr. Kelly Senglar-Vitale, physical therapist, has a passion for treating people who suffer from chronic pain. When she left the corporate world to open her own business, Manual Physical Therapy, Inc., it was her dream come true. Dr. Senglar-Vitale and her colleagues serve clients in Wilson and Rocky Mount, NC

Alejandro Quillares

A few years ago, Alejandro Quillares began his residential landscaping business with 25 clients. With a Self-Help loan in 2013, he purchased a riding lawn mower. Since then, his business has grown, and he now serves 75 homes in the Apopka/Orlando area.

Lee Britt

Lee Britt is a fifth generation farmer in Hertford County, NC. A Self-Help loan helped him purchase a building and buy equipment to cold-press premium oils for wholesale buyers and local restaurants. The oils come from his very own peanuts and sunflower seeds he grows on his family farm.

Salvador Terrones

Salvador Terrones, a resident of San Diego, was raised in the foster care system with few opportunities. He connected with a local nonprofit and mentor who has helped him build a better life, and today he’s thriving as a recent college graduate and licensed mortgage loan officer and Realtor.

Charlene Watson

Buying a house was a stretch goal for Charlene Watson, but she was determined to have a safe place for herself and her son. She did everything she could to save money, including living with her mother and commuting to her job as a meter reader.  

Leon and Areli Barrera de Grodski

Cocoa Cinnamon, located in Durham, NC, is more than a coffee shop; it’s an experience. Owners Leon and Areli Barrera de Grodski give back to the community in many ways, including paying their employees a living wage and displaying beautiful works of art.

Credit Unions that Cooperate in Giving

Our members make it possible to multiply the good we can bring communities. Recently one of our newest branches in Greenville, SC was among a local coalition of credit unions that raised $400,000 for the GHS Children's Hospital. (Above, at a charity auto show.) 

Child Care Centers

These kids aren’t Self-Help members--yet--but we're pleased to serve the owner of this child care center in Ahoskie, NC. We send special love to all the child care center owners and workers who are working to provide high-quality child care in areas of high need.